A24-Lanoster Fanning, Saturday, January 30, 1993
N.E. Winter Dairy Management Schools Debut In Pa.
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) There will be only 95,000
dairy farms in the United States by
the year 2005, according to Dave
Gallon, a Cornell University ani
mal science department
researcher.
Gallon and other top dairy
researchers from land-grant uni
versities in the Northeast also say:
• Chlorox brand chlorine bleach
is perhaps the best and most inex
pensive pre-dip and post-dip solu
tion around, though the National
Mastitis Council will not endorse
its use because the company has
never conducted an official trial.
However, Cornell has been using it
on its research herds for years.
• To stay competitive, dairy
operations need to experience a 10
percent growth per year.
• Strong profits in dairying are
only being currently realized by
those operations milking at least
400 cows.
• Fast-track Holsteins are on
their way. Research being vali
dated by Cornell shows that Hols
teins can be raised and bred to
freshen with a first calf at 20 to 22
months of age without hurting or
stressing the animal in any way.
• No matter how he selects sires
for his dairy herd, a dairyman
using artifical insemination can
only see his herd’s genetics
improve over time, according to
the direction being pursued by the
studs. (For more efficient genetic
gain, use proven bulls on the heif
ers, the young sires on the cows.)
Though some the experts’
advice won’t be found written
down anywhere else, it represents
a plethora of latest findings, opin
ions and tips for survival in the
dairy production business offered
through a series of two-day North
east Winter Dairy Management
Schools.
The schools were held locally
and in several states during the past
two weeks.
Sponsored by Cornell and Penn
State universities, and the univer
sities of Connecticut, Delaware,
Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, and
Vermont, there were
day schools were offered through
out the Northeast states, including
four in Pennsylvania.
The school setting provided par
ticipants with first-hand insights
into the opinions and views of
those whose job it is to analyze
dairy research data, instead of hav
ing the information filtered
through news releases and exten
sion agents.
It also provided a forum for lay
men to press for further explana
tion about the experts’ interpreta
tions and findings on dairy
research; allowed researchers to
clarify any misunderstandings
about research results; and to bring
perspective to the vast and some
times conflicting information.
While the educational programs
are sponsored by the dairy exten
sion faculties of nine Northeast
universities, they aren’t free.
Normal extension service activ
ities provide a grass-roots clear
inghouse for academic findings by
the land grant universities.
The winter dairy management
schools go even further, and the
depth of information is practically
on par with college classroom
instruction.
More specialized than most any
other extension-sponsored prog
ram, the intensity of tfie informa
tion and the level of explanation
offered also carried a base price of
$4O per person for materials, hall
rentals and coffee breaks.
Each participant was given a
book of 24 research papers and two
papers for panel discussion: 12
papers presented by the authors to
participants of the west program;
12 presented by authors to the East
participants; and the talking
recommendation papers for each
program’s panel discussion.
Additional, but optional, costs
were for meals provided and for
overnight accomodations.
At the West schools, the topics
covered ranged from causes and
treatments for two organisms
which cause calf scours and are
transmissable to humans and most
farm animals; genetic progress;
profitability; mineral nutrition
recommendations; fertility in post
partum cows; fast-track heifer rais
ing in Holsteins for optimum profit
and performance; controlling feed
costs, to using Dairy Herd
Improvement Association records.
At the East schools, there .was
some overlap of topics, but diffe
rent authors of different papers and
differentexperiences made the two
program presentations unique.
East sessions included topics
such as annual herd check-ups, an
update on the use of hormones in
postpartum cows, mastitis control,
performance in milking parlors,
silage additives, etc.
Although the schools received
little pre-publicity in Pennsylvani
a, the Lancaster meeting attracted
more than 40 participants who
traveled from several states and
counties to attend.
The detail offered for each sub
ject was great.
Alice Pell, researcher with the
Cornell University Department of
Animal Science, started off the
morning session discussing two
health-threatening, yet apparently
common, farm pathogens: Giardia
and Cryptosporidium parvum.
She said the importance of the
two pathogens related to two
issues of major concern to dairy
men: environmental concerns and
profitability.
The two pathogens are proto
zoans which are easily transmitted,
can contaminate water supplies
and can cause severe diarrhea in
animals and humans.
A cure for Giardia is not certain
nor without risk. Pell said. There is
no cure for Cryptosporidium par
vum, one of several identified spe
cies, but believed to be of most
concern to humans.
She said Cryptosporidia are at
the top of the list because of a dual
affect to water quality and herd
health.
Water quality issues for the
dairyman consist of the nutrient
escape of phosphates and nitrates,
pesticides and pathogens, which
includes bacteria, protozoans and
other diseases.
Giardia attaches to the intestinal
lining.
She said that although Giardia
was actually identified 300 years
ago, it wasn't until recently that
microbiological advances have
allowed easy identification.
According to Pell, Giardia “is
now the most frequently identified
intestinal parasite in the United
States and other parts of the
world,” she said.
Although there has been public
ity on the one-celled parasite in
recent years because of incidents
of campers contracting it from
drinking water from mountain
streams, thus the name “Beaver
Fever,” the pathogen is apparently
wide-spread and found rarely in
beavers.
It is actually found to a high ' ease shows up in young calves,
degree in muskrats, which few The results of several studies
dairy farms do not have around, showed an existing infection on
especially with trapping having farms from 10 to 60 percent of all
decreased in many areas because calves,
of increased restrictions and low The calves get scours, aren’t as
fur prices. thrifty, etc.
“We ought to call is “Muskrat The seven-life cycled parasite is
Fever ” Pell said most contagious when in 11,6 000 *
About 60 percent of infections *** ? r ata Bf in *e manure,
are blamed as coming from drink- and « “ difficult to kill,
ing water Studies have shown that calves
Cryptosporidia were not known with Cryptosporidium have an
about for as long as Giardia. She a « e of 77 days. and can
said an American biologist first shed the oocytes from 3to 13 days
identified it in 1907. But it affects ?“• 71,6 of the
24 animals, including man. l n i^ u Li mge 15 10 ’ 000^ 0 10
On the farm, the disease can be 100.000.000 per gram of feces
carried and transmitted by all com- when calves are shedding,
mon wild and domestic animals. If u washe s mto water, it can
According to a table included in contaminate a large supply
the paper she presented. Cryptos- becaus ® P arvum f* 1 ® 8 ’ . thc
poridum in cattle has been shown most dangerous, only requires
to be transmitted to cats, other from one to 10 oocytes to infect
cattle, dogs, goats, humans, mice, another host,
pigs, rabbits: rats, and sheep. She f ld * at most people raised
Likewise, humans infected with ? n a fa™ probably have been
Cryptosporidium have been mfected, but developed an
shown to pass it on to cat, cattle, im mumty.
dogs, goats, other humans, mice. However, small children the
pigs, and rats. a B ed . those with weak or
That doesn’t mean that is exact- weakened immune systems, such
ly where the limits of infection as P^P 1 ® w ,th AIDS - can die fr °m
end. She said all those animals can the infection. . .
cross-infect each other. Ca,ve * with Grardia infections
It may mean controlling the are found m calves aged 3 months
movements and sanitation of all «9 5 months . but are unlikely to
animals and people going near ® bow . sypmtons. Cryptospon
calves. dium is much more likely to show
The most common form of symptoms, she said
transmission is from feces to oral, a a
which isn’t as difficult to occur as
it may seem, because it doesn’t
have to be direct It can go from the
feces, wash into a stream, into a
swimming hole, etc.
She explained that it also can
come from contaminated food and
water and the question is still open
to the possibility of transmission of
flies or other airborne
transmission.
She said that in cattle, the dis-
Soybean Canopy
To Improving
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
GUTHRIESVILLE (Chester
Co.) During a hot summer day,
if you can see the sunlight hitting
the ground when the soybean
plants are in full canopy, “I’ll
guarantee you are losing yield,”
said John Yocum, Penn Slate
Agronomist
Yocum spoke to farmers and
other agribusiness representatives
at the Chester County Crops Day at
the East Brandywine Fire Hall on
Tuesday.
Yocum spoke about the man
agement of soybeans and weed
control choices available at the
crops day. The Landisville
Research Station manager empha
sized the importance of creating a
good establishment and maintain
ing it with a variety of weed con
trol techniques, in addition to sev
eral new weed control choices for
1993.
Yocum said weed control i$ the
most important factor next to stand
establishment, but stressed that
seed variety, inoculation, soil qual
ity. and seed placement all work
together.
First, farmers must choose a
weed- and herbicide-tolerant vari
ety. However, no variety can com
pensate for poor management, said
Yocum. Management starts with
soil type (pH of 7, ideally), proper
Adjusts
REYNOLDSBURG. Ohio
The American Guernsey Associa
tion Board of Directors voted at
the December board meeting to
adjust the requirements for the
breed’s Total Performance Eval
uation (TPE) program. These
changes are effective immediate
ly.
Guernsey herds will now have
inoculation, and seed placement
There should be about 153,000
plants per acre. Farmers must still
consider seed count rather than
weight There should be 2VS seeds
placed per foot of row.
Farmers who use grain drills in
no-till face problems with correct
seed placement and must compen
sate by increasing volume of seed
placed. The seed should be placed
from al-to VA -inch depth, ideal
ly. Placing seeds deeper puts them
in jeopardy of germinating
because the seed genetics aren’t
equipped to reach to the surface.
The important factor remains
uniform emergence. Farmers
should inspect the seed depth and
placement on a regular basis when
planting.
Also, using a rotary hoe to dis
lodge crusting and allowing the
plants to come to full germination
helps, according to Yocum.
Planting date can increase"
yields. The plants are less suscepti
ble to frost damage than com.
However, unlike com. if soybean
plants freeze, they have to be
replanted.
Studies at Penn State looked
into some of highs and lows of soy
bean yields over the course of three
years. The high obtained was 61.8
bushels per acre and the low about
SO, bushels per acre.
Yocum spoke about the availa-
Further, Pell said there is no
known cure for Cryptosporidium
and the cure for Giardia infections
comes with a label warning that the
medicine is also a carcinogen.
The only known sanitizing treat
ment of a calf holding area to kill
Cryptosporidium is heat the man
ure to a temperature of 158 degrees
for 10 minutes (although it docs
work a slightly sliding scale rela
tionship); treatment with Hydro
gen peroxide or ozone, which is
messy; or use a 10 percent ammo
nia solution as a disinfectant.
The suggestions for manage
ment for Cryptosporidium is to
reduce the risk control or eli
minate the number of cats, dogs,
rodents and people near calves,
isolate calves during the first
weeks and quarrantine suspected
animals.
Every veterinarian should be
able to easily test for both patho
gens, she said.
Work is currently being done at
Cornell to determine the efficacy
of composting calf manure as a
means of destroying the patho
gens, though results won’t be
available for some dme.
Other speakers were equally
specific and detailed in their
presentations.
Those interested in attending
one of the schools in the future
should contact their local exten
sion office and request more
information.
TPE Program
the option of being on DHI or
DHIR to participate in the TPE
program.
This means TPE herds enrolled
in DHI are eligible for the same
awards as DHIR herds. TPE docu
ments performance, and promotes
your farm name and outstanding
Guernseys.
Essential
Yields
bility of two new products from
Sandoz Frontier (a
preemergence herbicide) and Clar
ity (postemergence).
Also at the crops day. Dr. Greg
Roth, Penn State agronomy exten
sion specialist, spoke about com
yield management and trou
bleshooting com production prob
lems. Walter Wurser, Chester
agent, presented a video on field
sprayer selection, and Cheryl Fair
baim, Chester agent, spoke about
checking sprayers.
Chester County 5-Acre Com
Club winners were announced.
They are, first place. Nelson Beam
(185.3 bushels per acre in the ear/
hand harvest class with Pioneer
3245); second place, William
Beam (175.9 bushels per acre in
the reg. shell harvest class with
Doebler’s 75 XP); and third place,
Ralph Petersheim (174.9 bushels
per acre in the ear/hand harvest
class with Pioneer 3293).
Also, the Chester County Con
servation District honored C.
Barclay Hoopes and Family with
the 1992 Conservation Farmer of
the Year Award. Hoopes operates
a dairy farm in New Garden Town
ship on approximately 282 acres.
In 1990, Hoopes agreed to partici
pate in the conservation district’s
Red/White Demonstration Farm
Project, set up to showcase best
management practices to conserve
soil and improve water quality.