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AGA Drops Blood Type Requirement For ET
REYNOLDSBURG. Ohio
Guernsey breeder* will no longer
be required to blood type females
resulting from embryo transfer.
This decision was made by the
American Guernsey Association
Board of Directors who met at
their annual winter meeting Dec.
10-11 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
Breeders were previously
required to blood type a percen
tage of females resulting from
embryo transfer which was deter
mined by the number of offspring.
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Because some buyers pay
premium prices for milk with
higher protein levels, many pro
ducers are seeking ways to boost
the protein content of their herd’s
milk.
Understanding how genetics,
nutrition and other factors affect
milk protein levels can help,
according to a researcher in Penn
State’s College of Agricultural
Sciences.
“Selecting cows and sires by
8H330 Alfalfa. . .
Donor dams and all males result
ing from embryo transfer will still
be required to blood typed.
The Guernsey membership will
be voting on a new membership
proposal in addition to the
expanded genetic recovery prog
ram. The board approved to bring
to the membership a vote to
amend the Constitution of the
American Guernsey Association
to create an annual AGA
membership.
The proposal for this annual
Nutrition, Other Factors Affect
‘their predicted transmitting ability
for protein pounds can increase a
herd’s protein yield over time,”
said Virginia Ishler, extension
assistant in dairy and animal
science.
Cow nutrition also plays a role,
but its impact on milk protein is
not as drastic as it is with milk fat.
“Non-dietary factors can pre
vent changes in nutrition from
affecting milk protein," Ishler
said. “Any changes generally are
small and can be obscured by fac
The New Alfalfa combines
the best yield, \o<f and disease resistance
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V* 0
Phytophthora Root Rot
Verticilßam Wilt
Anthracnose
Bacterial Will
Fusarium Wilt
Aphanomyces
More Milk... More Profit Per Acre
membership would be for one
calendar year, and would give the
annual member full rights equiva
lent to lifetime members. To have
member voting status in the year
following the membership year,
the annual member would have to
meet current AGA activity
requirements and would have to
renew his or her membership for a
second year by Jan. 31 of that
year.
The annual membership fee
would be set by the board of direc-
tors such as daily milk production,
stage of lactation, health and
season.
“Body reserves and dietary
energy, rather than dietary protein,
generally have the most dramatic
effect on milk protein,” Ishler
said. “Once a ration is balanced to
meet the cow’s needs, the daily
energy intake becomes the key to
improving milk protein.
“In rations that contain adequ
ate levels of forage and total neut-
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tors and would not be applied tow
ard .the purchase of a lifetime
membership.
The board also voted to approve
an incentive for Guernsey breed
ers to use young sites in their
herds. A $5 registration discount
will be offered to breeders who
register the first 30 daughters out
of AGA sampled young sires. This
discount will apply to sites from
young sire groups who are partici
pating in this promotion.
Discussions ate continuing for a
Protein Content
ral detergent fiber, increasing fer
mentable carbohydrates may
boost milk protein content,” she
said. “Balancing rations for unde
gradable intake protein, with par
ticular attention to the amino acid
profile, also may help. If specific
amino acids are limiting in the
ration, feeding supplemental ami
no acids may enhance protein
synthesis.”
Supplemental fat, on the other
hand, can decrease milk protein
content
-u\
Disease Ratings;
" HR ■ Highly Resistant
R = Resistant
MR s Moderately Resistant
LR = Low Resistant
S = Susceptible
NR = Not Rated
Cows
possible joint operations venture
between the American Guernsey
Association, American Milking
Shorthorn Society, Ayrshire
Breeders* Association and the
Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’
Association.
CDS recently assisted in the
forming of Cooperative Resources
International, the holding
cooperative with the initial subsid
iaries of Wisconsin Dairy Herd
Improvement Cooperative and
21st Century Genetics.
“Feeding supplemental fat usu
ally increases total milk yield
without changing protein yield,”
Ishler said. ‘This dilution effect
causes milk protein content to
decrease. Rations with 5 to 7 per
cent fat in the total dry matter
supply low levels of readily fer
mentable carbohydrates, which
may suppress microbial protein
synthesis.”
Ishler said that predicting die
effect of dietary changes on milk
protein percent is difficult.
“Nutrition does not
affect milk protein pro
duction, but its influ
ence on protein is not as
well understood as is its
relationship to milk fat
“More research and
field studies are needed
to better predict milk
protein response to
nutritional changes.’’
Also, protein percen
tage decreases as milk
production increases.
i ‘This effect is most
pronounced for first
and second-lactation
cows, when there may
be competition for pro-
I tein use between growth
and milk production
Ishler said. “This means
producers with a young
herd may be at a slight
disadvantage compared
to herds with older
cows.”
Milk protein levels
are highest in the early
and late stages of lacta
tion.” As milk volume
increases, demands on
the cow’s dietary and
body energy supplies
rise, and the percentage
of protein falls, Ishler
said.
The time of year a
cow calves also affects
milk protein.
“Cows that calve in
the warm months, espe
cially late summer, pro
duce less protein per
day than cows that
calve in cool months
such as October and
November,” she said.
“Summer heat may
reduce a cow’s dry mat
ter intake. This reduces
available energy, in
turning lowering milk
protein.”
More information is
available in extension
fact sheet DSE 87-35,
Factors Influencing
Milk Protein Test. For a
copy, contact the
Department of Dairy
and Animal Science,
The Pennsylvania State
University, 324 Hen
ning Building, Univer
sity Park, PA 16802 or a