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Dairy co-ops throughout the country have, or will soon have, communicated to dairy producers how a recently announced USDA agreement with the E.U. for individual farm testing of somatic cell counts (SCC) will impact them in upcoming months.
In Nov. 2011, the USDA notified the industry of a new E.U. health certification program required for all dairy products and dairy ingredients being exported to E.U. nations. In short, the key element of the new program is individual farm testing of SCCs and calculation of a farm’s three-month rolling geometric mean, which must be less than 400,000 SCCs per mL to certify for export to the E.U.
Dairymen can still legally sell Grade A milk in the U.S. if their herd’s average somatic cell count (SCC) is greater than 400,000 after August 1, but their options may be more limited without some effort.
In November, the USDA announced it had agreed with the E.U. to begin certifying U.S. dairy farms that produce milk used for products or ingredients exported to the E.U. that have an on-farm average SCC of 400,000 or less.
Many co-ops say they will ask their farms to comply with the agreement’s lower SCC standards, rather than segregate milk supplies. Most will start communicating this month the changes their members will see in order to be in compliance.
Recent world events in the Middle East and outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) in South Korea suggest we should continue to update ourselves about possible threats to our food system. For livestock producers, this means looking at biosecurity and emergency plans for all foreign animal diseases (FADs) including FMD, a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals.
Foot-and-mouth disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, deer and other ruminants. Livestock owners fear FMD because it spreads rapidly and results in severe economic losses, shutting down exports and loss of consumer confidence.
Replacement heifers, whether they are raised on the farm, purchased from other dairies or contract-raised by growers, are critical to herd productivity because they represent the future milking and breeding stock in all dairy operations.
The goal should be to provide an environment for heifers to develop full lactation potential at the desired age with minimal expense.
As winter brings Arctic air to many areas, dairy producers should be prepared for conditions that can affect young stock and lactating cows.
South Dakota Cooperative Extension Dairy Specialist Alvaro Garcia says producers should protect young calves from inclement weather and air drafts and should provide clean, dry bedding.
“If using milk replacer, choose those that contain 20 percent fat, as they provide additional energy,” Garcia says.
How well prepared are you for a health crisis on your farm or in the dairy industry at large? Are you doing things that help avert a crisis?
Do you incorporate processes in your management that minimize risks of introducing or spreading costly infectious diseases to your cows?
This fall I participated in a “dairy industry crisis drill” in Denver. The event was sponsored by DMI, NMPF, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, Milk PEP and IDFA.
While paying off-farm professionals to trim feet on your herd may be cost-effective, relying upon them to treat lame cows is probably not profitable. Lame cows produce less milk, suffer from pain and may become chronic problems unless the issue is dealt with immediately and treated correctly.
Waiting even a couple of days for your foot trimmer to return and treat a lame cow is much more costly than training one of your workers to handle lame cows as part of the work routine.
A new synthetic zeolite feed additive that binds to calcium in dry cow feed and helps prevent milk fever is grabbing attention in Canada.
The new product was introduced in 2009 and was originally marketed in Europe in 2008. Seven farms throughout the country are now using the new product.
Bacteriological culture and intramammary infusion are two very powerful and important tools of an effective mastitis control program.
They have been used for several decades and, when coupled with good management practices, they have helped to produce better-quality milk.
Improper supervision and lack of training in this area can make these important tools useless and cost the dairy lots of money.
I enjoy reading Tom Wall’s monthly articles on employee management in Progressive Dairyman. He brings intelligent ideas to the important topic of managing your employees.
For understandable reasons, I am seeing more small dairy farms hire outside help to reduce the burnout from a 24-7, 365-day work schedule.
So keeping employees happy is on the management plate of most dairy owners across the country today. But are you sure all your employees are happy?
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