C4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 6, 1998
MICHAEL O’CONNER
Dairy and Animal Science
Extension, PSU
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co ) - The initial goal of a heat
detection program should be
that 80 c /t of the cows receive
their first insemination within
20 days of the voluntary waiting
period (UWP) If the UWP is 50
days, then 8091 of the cows
should be identified in estrus
and inseminated by 70 days
Since more dairy herds are
using estrous synchronization
programs to induce estrus near
the targeted UWP, the pre
breeding estrous detection rate
prior to first breeding has
improved The next goal should
Central Milk Testing Lab Services
DIXIE BURRIS
Laboratory Manager
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co ) - Whether you’re a dairy
producer or processor, Central
Milk Testing Laboratory Service
is ready to perform services in a
prompt, timely and cost effective
manner Our certified, technical,
and professional staff prides
itself on attention to detail, con
sistent quality service and per
sonalized programs that will
meet your needs With extensive
sample transport system that
DHIA offers, our custom report
ing and data file transfer sys
tems we are able to give you
excellent turnaround time
Our customized service is
competitively priced, quick and
efficient and offers electronic or
printed reporting Our trans
portation service with our multi
ple truck routes and extended
hours adds to our prompt ser
vice Custom reporting and data
transfer service can be send via
fax, mail, diskette or electronic
bulletin board or express dehv-
ery
tested as well as an average for
the herd The herd and lactation
data supplied can be used to
help dairymen and feed consul
tant with their feed adjust-
SAP Sample
Analysis Program
DIXIE BURRIS
Laboratory Manager
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co ) - The Sample Analysis
Program (SAP) continues to be a
popular program with dairies
today Many methods already
exist for keeping on-farm
records accurate and conve
nient At DHIA we recognize
that all programs are not for
everyone We realize that our
members do not need a system
that offers accurate, up-to-date
records in order to make intelli
gent management decisions for
their herds and cows This pro
gram allows dairymen to merge
their farm programs with our
component results, giving them
a more complete idea of what is
happening with their individual
cows and herd
In response to developing
management systems, PA DHIA
has developed an inexpensive
program to supply the missing
link Many dairy'herds, includ
ing the commercial manage
ment farm, use the SAP pro
gram Dairymen need to have a
quick way to detect their somat
ic oeH cows and PA DHIA offers
the information they need to
Post-Breeding Heat Detection Critical To Efficient
Reproductive Management
be to detect at least 70% of the
cows in heat that failed to con
ceive by the time of the pregnan
cy examination (35 to 45 days)
This is termed post-breeding
estrous detection rate
Embryonic death (ED) is a
major cause of repeat breeding
However, no matter what the
cause, most of embryonic death
occurs before day 16 post insem
ination and almost all cases
occur before day 42 Thus those
cows that experience ED should
have at lease one opportunity to
express estrus before the antici
pated pregnancy examination
Too often when timed breed
ing programs (insemination by
appointment) are discussed and
monfc TViin ... er component that enhances our
ments 'Trueprotem.sananeth- MUN test at no additlonal
the qualified staff, licensed charge to our members testing
with the PA Department of for MUN
Agriculture, gives us the edge on Our DHIA continue to be a
excellence for producer samples source of information and educa
and accents our member sam- tional matenal to Penn State
P an ex^ra touch of QC University, University of
The Central Milk Testing Pennsylvania, Vo-Ag instruc-
Laboratory is located in central tors, County Extension Agents,
Pennsylvania, which makes us breed associations, NAAB and
easy to access from the entire USDA We pride ourselves on
state. We pick up samples every- our commitment to Quality,
day.and test samples from 600 Integrity, Reliability and
am to 10 00 pm six days a week Accuracy
PA DHIA can be found
0n n
Orchard Road, University Park, T?lltUt*oQ HOTifiVt
PA 16802 (home of the Penn L MXVjJUI I
State Nittany Lions) and you
can reach us by calling 814-865-
1517 or 800-DHI-TEST (800-
344-8378)
Since the start of MUN test
ing, we have analyzed over a
million and half samples We
continue to maintain a high per
centage of our members testing
and using the Milk Urea
Nitrogen Testing as a
Management Tool As an added
value, we also have an excellent
report titled “PA DHIA Nitrogen
Management Report” which
offers summaries by location,
days in lactation, groups and
averages for all components
make feed adjustments using
the component' results
Interested dairymen may have
their herd or an individual
cow(s) tested for butterfat & pro
tein, somatic cell count, MUN,
true protein, lactose or a combi
nation of these components.
Dairymen do not need to have a
PA DHIA technician take the
sample, they can take it them
selves. These programs are
priced accordingly and the sam
ples can be dropped off at any of
our truck stops around the state
or brought directly to our lab
Herds that operate with elec
tronic systems to keep track of
daily milk weights can use this
program to enhance their data
collection with component
results The SAP program can
be an added value because it
helps the dairymen make
changes to their feeding pro
grams It also serves as a way
for them to monitor the Somatic
Cell Count on specific cows as
well as their herds Many
dairies use this program as a
way to improve milk quality and
thus qualify for a higher milk
premium Veterinarians use this
promoted, emphasis is placed on
the fact that heat detection is
discussed and promoted, empha
sis is placed on the fact that heat
detection is eliminated. That
may be true for the initial
insemination. However, for
those that use the Dvsynch syn
chronization program which
involves a series of injections of
GnRH-prostaglandin-GnRH and
timed breeding at a prescribed
time, heat detection must be
intense post insemination so
that a high percentage of the
return heats are detected early
Minimizing or ignoring heat
detection between the timed
insemination and pregnancy
exam will be costly since time to
(Continued from Pago C 2)
it Cars, trucks, computers, and
testing equipment are being con
sidered We are using Farm
Credit Leasing presently for
over the road vehicles This will
provide most capital for program
development and education
B A New software package
has been leased to update our
Finance Department.
C. A Safety Committee has
been appointed to lessen acci
dents by employees on the farm,
on the highway, and in the Lab
D The next staff Long Range
Planning Meeting the fall of
1998 will include second level
management personnel
VI. Conclusion
The dairy industry is chang
ing, however, progressive mind
ed dairymen and cooperatives
will prosper weather they are
large or small Our purpose is to
serve our members, and we can
do that better by working with
other organizations that those
dairymen also own. PaDHIA
will grow with the dairy indus
try and be a catalysis for that
growth.
information to identify mastitic
cows. This test -can assist our
members by pinpointing
• Lost production due to sub
chnical (hidden) infections
• Improper milking proce
dures
• Milking equipment mal
function
• Percent & level of involve
ment in the herd
• Cows to culture for identifi
cation of bacterial cause
Our SAP program continues
to help many dairies by supply
ing them with component
results. For more information or
to enroll in this program, please
contact PA DHIA at 800-344-
6378.
>■ • ii Aii t li t I I' I
report breeding for those cows
that failed to conceive is
delayed.
Post-breeding estrous detec
tion whether following a syn
chronization program or routine
New Owner Sampler
Program Adds Flexibility
DAVID BIGELOW
Training Coordinator
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) - USDAhas approved an
owner sampler program as part
of the farm record management
system available through PA
DHIA. Dairymen that partici
pate in young sire programs can
benefit greatly while maintain
ing a low cost and accurate test
ing program For only 84 cents
per cow plus a stop charge fee, a
PA DHIA technician will deliver
and pickup all testing equip
ment Free, tailor made reports
are available immediately to the
dairymen enabling them to
make quick and effective man
agement decisions Included in
these same-day test reports are
vet action reports that document
future actions such as cows to
dry off, pregnancy check, breed
and freshening dates These
reports are beneficial to have
available during herd visits by a
Change, Change, Change
And More Change
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) You have heard it before,
and I will tell you again. Expect
change to happen. It is happening
on your farm and is happening in
Agri-business, too. DHIA prog
rams are no different. Remember,
change is inevitable, happiness is
optional. This is nothing new,
though. I am sure you can look
back and see many major changes
in your lifetime that have been a
benefit to your livelihood.
1 am writing this because we see
it happening all the time. Over the
years DHIA’s role on the farm has
changed but not as drastically as it
has in the last few years, or like it
will in the next few years. Today,
my discussions with dairy farmers
center around the use of the infor
mation they receive from their
Milk Urea Nitrogen and Somatic
Cell Count tests more than butter
fat or protein test results. Tests
like MUN are becoming more in
teresting to farmers, especially,
when you hear the testimonies
from dairy farmers who increased
their profitability $5OO or more
per cow per year.
I agree with those who predict
that MUN testing will be a compo
nent of milk quality payments. If
«
»j n »| |* s■» a j
visual observation for heat is a
critical element of the total
reproductive management An
excessive number of days can be
lost if return heats are not
detected early.
veterinarian or consultant and
can be important time savers.
PA DHIA currently has an
industry high of 83% useable
records being utilized by USDA
They are invaluable when par
ticipating in young sire pro
grams as well as maintaining an
optimum dairy herd manage
ment record program. Don’t
miss out on these programs 7
Sign up today on a low cost test
ing program. The award-win
ning lab at PA DHIA offers fat,
protein and somatic cell analysis
for owner sampler herds while
offering milk urea nitrogen
analysis at a low additional fee
Finished processed reports
available are barn sheets, herd
summary I or 11, monthly lacta
tion reports, individual cow page
each lactation, herd and cow cer
tificates and monthly invoicing.
Don’t delay Call Dean Amick
at 1-800-344-8378 and begins a
PA DHIA testing program
not that, the true protein (a deriva
tive of the MUN test) will be the
basis of milk pricing. MUN is
connected with many functions of
the dairy cow, everything from
animal health, reproduction, nutri
tion and total milk production.
This is one more tool to tell us
how the cow functions and how
she produces milk.
MUN is Just one step into the
future of what DHIA testing can
tell dairy farmers about their
cows. What is next, what else can
we test for in milk? We know that
milk quality standards are going to
become more stimgent. Consum
ers are asking for higher quality
food. Besides Somatic Cell and
MUN what other component of
the milk may tell us a lot about
milk quality.
Let’s look into our crystal ball
and see what may be 10 or 20
years down the road.
What is going to be different in
the world of DHIA? Will we test
for antibodies in a milk sample -to
identify animals with the onset of
diseases? Will we test your catde
for genetic markers to identify the
genetic value of that animal?
Whatever the future holds it is
necessary to be proactive and not
reactive.