LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Adequate bam ventilation and
use of testing services are two
keys to improved dairy profitabili
ty-
Dr. Robert Patton addressed
Fertrell Company feed dealers at
their recent annual conference in
Lancaster. Patton is a dairy nutri
tionist and works for Monsanto
Agricultural Company.
Because cows eat more and
milk better when they are cool and
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Ventilation Vital To Dairy Profitability
comfortable, Patton recom
mended dealers check their cus
tomers’ bams for inadequate ven
tilation. If cows have respiratory
problems indicated by labored
breathing, panting, or coughing,
there is a need to open the bam up
and get more air moving through
it.
Milk, feed, and soil testing pays
$4OO for every dollar spent,
according to a University of Illi
nois study cited by Patton.
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Wet chemistry forage testing is
much more accurate than NIR
tests in determing the nutritional
value of feed, said both Patton and
Verdeen Keyser. Keyser is the
owner of Sky view Labs in western
Pennsylvania, who also spoke at
the Fertrell Conference.
“NIR test figures are scaled
estimates based on comparisons
with SOO other test said
Keyser. Wet chemistry is much
more involved, requiring more
work and equipment, but the
results are absolute numbers
which are much better for balanc
ing rations.
“Forage testing at universities
usually took three to four weeks,
which was too long to be useful to
farmers,” Keyser said. Sky view
has test results on computers usu
ally in a day or two. According to
a New Bolton Center study, using
forage tests saves $l2 to $2l per
cow in feed costs.
Patton talked about new find
ings in nutrition research. Feeding
ammonium chloride to dry cows
cut down the incidence of milk
fever in one important research
breakthrough.
Researchers discovered the
cause of milk fever, which is too
low blood calcium level usually
occurring right after calving.
Electrical particles, or ions, in
the blood determine how fast and
for what purpose the blood cal
cium is drawn. When a change in
the blood ions after calving takes
place too suddenly, milk fever
results. Ammonium chloride in
the dry cow ration makes the ion
change more gradually, prevent
ing milk fever.
In several other research studies
presented to the American Dairy
Science Association in June,
bypass protein feeding was shown
to be ineffective in increasing
milk production, Patton reprated.
The only situation where bypass
protein was helpful was when
cows were eating very lush pas
ture grass in early spring.
Although yeast as an additive
can be effective, Patton said nutri
tionists need feedback from far
mers who are trying it to find out
when it works the best and under
what conditions.
Ohio Farmers Get Involved
COLUMBUS, Ohio The
Ohio Farm Bureau urges area
dairy farmers to leant more about
the Producers’ Equalization
Agency, a new group which is
supposed to help Ohio dairy far
mers to gel involved in the pricing
of their milk.
“Ohio’s dairy fanners may be
able to improve their net returns if
they take the time to consider this
new milk pricing agency, which is
holding meetings in northeastern
Ohio next month,” said C. Wil-
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Patton sais rations should be
balanced according to crude pro
tein rather than feeding bypass
protein. Adjusting carbohydrates
in relation to the type of grain used
in the ration is important.
In the debate between using
neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ver
sus acid detergent fiber (ADF)
levels in ration balancing, ADF
appears to be a better guide,
according to the latest research.
Patton said that ADF is probably
more important because energy
staus and milk production levels
of the cow regulate feed intake.
“Feeding high levels of zinc or
iodine, as some nutritionists advo
cate, can be harmful,” Patton said.
While some zinc is needed for
hoof, hair, horn and antibody for
mation, levels of 1,000 to 2,000
parts per million (ppm) will sup
press antibody formation. Studies
show too much iodine can cause
early embroyonic death.
Using bacteria enzymes and
yeast as feed additives is the topic
of other current research. Jane
Alleman of Hansen Labs told con
ference attendants that Hansen is
working on making a pelleted
form of probiotics. Probiotics, or
direct-fed microbials as they are
now called, enhance animal per
formance in times of stress.
liam Swank, executive vice presi
dent of the Ohio Farm Bureau
Federation (OFBF).
Swank said the Ohio Farm
Bureau policy supports any
farmer/cooperativc efforts to
improve product pricing.
Dairy farmers are invited to
attend local information meetings
about the agency. To learn more,
farmers can call the Producers’
Equalization Agency Inc., Medi
na, Ohio. (800) 875-2250.
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