*26—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 10,1984
Lancaster
Dairy Days
(Continued from Page Al)
less the chance of develping
clinical characteristics.
Infected cows show signs of
weight loss although the appetite
remains normal, Dr. Whitlock
said, and severe diarrhea is ap
parent. Cows may also develop
mastitis and inf ertihty.
Determining how many cows in
the herd are infected with Johne’s
is not easy. “If one cow has it,” Dr.
Whitlock said, “eight to 10 others
may also be infected but not show
clinical signs.”
Johne’s organisms are passed
from one cow to the next through
contaminated manure, water and
feed. Those animals most
susceptible are younger livestock,
usually under one year of age, Dr.
Whitlock said.
To prevent the spread of Johne’s,
Dr. Whitlock said calves should be
separated from infected dams at
birth. It is best to give them
colostrum from an uninfected cow,
he added.
Feed and water should be
separated, and Dr. Whitlock
cautioned that replacement heifers
not be mixed with the adult herd
until after one year of age. Also,
separate unthrifty cows from the
herd: “she’s shedding millions of
organisms,” he said.
Currently, a cooperative
research project has been coor
dinated by Penn State University,
the University of Pennsylvania,
the state Department of
Agriculture and the National
Animal and Disease Lab in Ames,
lowa. Through the project, the
institutions hope to develop faster
and more accurate tests and
determine how prevelant the
disease is in Pennsylvania.
The Johne’s presentation by Dr.
Whitlock was one of several topics
concerning dairy cattle feeding
programs and herd management
practices discussed during the two
day event. Each day’s program
was highlighted by a producer
panel.
Under the category of cattle
feeds, Penn State Extension
agronomist Elwood Hatley
provided information on double
cropping and alternative crops for
a dry year. “The big thing about
these is to make your decisions
based on your own individual
situation and current crop
system,” he said.
Hatley suggested the use of
winter grains such as barley,
winter wheat and rye by them
selves or in combinations to serve
York Holstein breeders hear dry cow tips
BY JOYCE BUPP
Staff Correspondent
YORK The last thing any dry
cow needs is a soggy wet, bactena
laden pen somewhere out behind
the dairy bam, with a steady diet
of weed-stem hay and several
scoops daily of fattening con
centrates.
To further “mess up” a dry cow,
try drying up her production by
tapering off, or milking out every
few days, and then finally turn her
out without bothering to give any
type of dry treatment.
Those are surefire methods of
almost guaranteeing a steady flow
of problem fresheners and meat
auction cows, according to a dry
cow management presentation
heard Tuesday by York Holstein
breeders.
In the setting of a brand new dry
cow and maternity facility on the
Smyser family farm, East Berlin
Road, Penn State dairy specialist
Dick Adams gave a thorough
rundown on the do’s and don’ts of
caring for the dairy cow in her
“rest” period.
“Periodic milking out of the
Answering questions on feeding programs for the dairy
herd are, from left, Lancaster County dairymen Robert
Darwin Braund, center, goes over his dairy feed and
nutrition presentations with Gregory Landis, left, master of
ceremonies, and Glenn Shirk, Lancaster County Extension
agriculture agent. •
as silage and grain feeds. “With all
of these,” he said, “you’re looking
at sources you have and how you
can use them.”
Silage alternatives include
soybeans, sorghum or soybean
sorghum mixtures. Brassica crops
serve the same purpose. These are
not the only crops which can be
used, Hatley said, but they are
alternatives.
Darwin Braund, director of
dairy and livestock research and
development with Agway Inc.,
spoke on using alternative feeds
and additives effectively and
getting a better return on the feed
dollar.
According to Braund, several by
product feeds are on the market
today but they should be evaluated
before used on the farm. Common
by-products include brewer’s
grain, distiller’s grains and liquid
udder while drying off a cow only
prolongs the agony,” admonishes
Adams, who advocates picking a
day to stop milking the cow and
then not milking her again. He
stressed, however, that extreme
care must be taken in watching the
udder for “blowouts” or in
flammation flare-ups, then
treating immediately and
thoroughly if necessary.
Cows in their dry period need
adequate levels of both protein and
calcium, without overfeeding
either nutrient. Too little of either
will result in the cow’s drawing the
needed nutrient from her own body
supplies, eventually weakening
her system which should be
gearing up for the calving and
production stresses ahead. A three
to five pound grain feeding per day
will help maintain proper acidic
levels in the rumen to utilize the
minerals in forages and sustain
healthy levels of digestive
microflora.
Selenium and Vitamin E are
important trace elements since
deficiencies of these can leave the
animal susceptible to infections,
whey. Questioning whether by
product feeds are economical,
what the nutrient and dry matter
content is, and will the cow eat the
feed are important steps before
buying.
With the passing of the milk
diversion program, Braund told
the dairymen that “you better go
home to see if you can profitably
produce milk at $2 lower than you
are now.” Dairymen need to plan a
feeding strategy and see if they are
getting the best return for their
feed dollars, he said.
Braund also provided tips on
managing cows in hot weather,
while Dr. Terry Blanchard,
assistant professor of large animal
reproduction at New Bolton
Center, spoke on summer sterility
problems and Stephen Spencer,
Penn State Extension dairy
specialist reviewed summer
and unable to produce protective
antibiodies.
In fact, Adams says the dry cow
requires two to three times the
normal selenium levels necessary
in the system of a milking animal,
and can become selenium deficient
p»
Smyser, center, a partner in the.Richlawn dairy operation, explains some of
the features of the individual cow care pens to York Holstein Club visitors.
Kauffman, Keith Zurin, James Hershey, Joe Garber and
Glenn Shirk, moderator.
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Producer panel members, from left, Donald Trimble, Gary
Akers and D. Lamar Witmer, are dairymen who have
recorded somatic cell counts of 100,000 or less. They shared
their management tips with dairymen during Lancaster
County Dairy Days.
mastitis problems. Robert
Eberhart, Penn State professor of
veterinary science, explained the
nature and causes of high somatic
cell counts.
Two producer panels were held
during Lancaster Dairy Days, one
each on Monday and Tuesday.
Participating in Monday’s panel,
“How I Feed Cows for Profit,”
were Joe Garber, Willow Street,
James Hershey, Elizabethtown,
Robert Kauffman, Peach Bottom,
and Keith Zunn, Mount Joy.
in as brief a period as three weeks
if the needed level is not main
tained in her body.
Two other vital elements are salt
and Vitamin A. Salt needs can be
met with about 1.5 pounds per
hundred weight of feed Up to
s
Tuesday’s panel members were
Gary Akers, Quarryville, Donald
Trimble, Peach Bottom, and D.
Lamar Witmer, Manheim. These
dairymen, who all received
somatic cell counts of 100,000 or
less, shared their managment
practices on keeping cell counts
down.
In addition to the speakers,
commercial exhibitors were on
hand to share the lattest in dairy
farm feed, equipment and housing.
30,000 units of supplemental
Vitamin A, or one million units
injectable, may be needed in the
cow’s system over the duration of
the dry period.
Neither salt nor minerals should
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