PfcnrtWg, Sawd&y r r July .3; w»r -
DHIA Scmce Center, Orcharej Road, University Park, PA 16802
QUESTION: How do we begin
efforts that would result in lower
somatic cell counts in our herd?
When will we need to comply with
new standards of 400,000 SCC?
ANSWER: Somatic Cell Count
standards have been on the discus
sion table for quite some time.
There has been talk that our
dairy industry needs to catch up
with the test of the world and their
standards for SCC.
Recently, I read that the Nation
al Conference on Interstate Milk
Shipments took "no action” on the
proposal out of the National Masti
tis Council to lower legal limits of
SCC to 400,000 from the current
750,000 limit.
Aside from what is legal or not,
there ate other considerations that
benefit our bottom line by lower
ing the SCC in our herds.
Lowering SCC results in fewer
dollars spent on treating cows that
become clincially infected with
mastitis. Along with this is a
reduction in dollars spent to pro
vide treatment of the more severe
cases by a professional
veterinarian.
With lowered SCC, our labor
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Northeast Agri Systems, Inc,
Flyway Business Park Delvorma Office
139 A West Aiiport Road 305 University Ave.
Ulilz, PA 17543 Federalsburg, MD
(Northeast
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717-569-2702 410-754-9434
Store Hours Monday-Fnday 7:30 am to 4:30 pm
24 Hour-7 Day Repair Service
expenses then shift to something
more profitable than caring for
hospice cows and culling practices
will shift away from the involun
tary to voluntary.
We are now able to sell milk that
would otherwise have to be dis
carded due to low quality or drug
residues.
Lastly, and most importantly,
we can ship mote milk per dollar
invested by reducing the nagging
effects of subclinical mastitis. This
can conservatively result in 1.5
pounds more milk per cow per day,
just by lowering the linear SCC by
1.
At the very heart of reaching our
goal in lowering SCC is the DHIA
system.
Yes, we can establish good
managment practices on our farms
based on research, but you need to
realize that research comes from
recording measurements.
Within our own herds, we have
the cows tell us where our manage
ment style needs to be better. We
do this when we use our records.
The worst thing that can happen
is that we blindly attack one prob
lem by changing everything.
The result may be lower SCC,
but if we do not know what really
gave us results, we can slip right
back into the same bad
management.
One way to look at your records
is to view a graph similar to the
example provided (see graph), to
see if trends occur during different
times of the year.
When looking at this graph,
concentrate on the differences
Belt driven 48" fan with 230 volt,
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*356
rs FOR 10 OR MORE!
Is On Special
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5/5/96 B/3/9B 11/1/95 1/30/97 4/30/97 7/29/97 10/27/97 1/25/98 4/25/98 7/24/90 10/22/98 1/20/99 4/20/99 7/19/
between summer and winter
months.
Things such as the environment
can influence SCC.
Do we have good fly control?
Should we step up stall manage
ment when it becomes hot and
humid?
What about milking procedure
differences when we are busy in
the fields?
More questions could be asked,
but it is important to note that SCC
problems are not constant during
the course of the year.
We may want to look at some
other things like SCC differences
between groups, or maybe we need
to look at SCC differences
between lactations.
Once we answer these ques
tions, we have a better chance of
solving our problems.
Tools offered through PA DHIA
are available for dairymen to use.
The majority of my time is spent
doing these types of record inter
pretations. Should you need help
in this area* feel free to contact me.
Dairyman to Dairyman is a weekly
column by George Cudoc, a con
sulting dairyman to PA DHIA. He
rwwwwwmrww
|r *~ K R/SSLER m ) CHAIN MIXERS 1
mTMRMIXERS'J H
|y - Are Lower Cost Than A Reel Mixer.
gy - Handle Feed More Gently Than An Auger Mixengg
- Load Easier Than A Tumble Mixer.
Wt - Should Outlast Any Steel Mixer.
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gy A Fluffy Mix Results From The Gentle Tumbling Action.
|S> 448 Orchard Road €
Sr Mohnton, PA 19540 ni&%JL.Cn |-S
|y 717-484-0551 m TMR MIXERSJ
ia caution I
|S. USE OF THIS MACHINE MAY RESULT IN HIGHER PROFITS 21
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Hard Avaraga/Toltl Graph LSCC Fab 1996 lo April 1999
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can be reached by calling PA
DHIA Service Center at (800)
344-8378, or by calling him direct
ly at (724) 625-8971, fax (724)
625-8972; or e-mail
GCudoc@fyi.net
Average Farm Feed
Costs For Handy
Reference
To help farmers across the state
to have handy reference of com
modity input costs in their feeding
operations for DHIA record sheets
or to develop livestock feed cost
data, here’s last week's average
costs of various ingredients as
compiled from regional reports
across the state of Pennsylvania.
Remember, these are averages,
t...
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••••i t*“*
so you will need to adjust your fig
ures up or down according to your
location and the quality of your
crop.
Com, No.2y 2.42 bu., 4.34
cwt
Wheat, No. 2 2.44 bu., 4.08
cwt
Barley, No. 3 1.38 bu., 2.96
cwt
Oats, No. 2 1.44 bu., 4.49
cwt
Soybeans, No. 1 4.36 bu.,
7.28 cwt
Ear Com 73.55 ton, 3.68 cwt.
Alfalfa Hay 95.00 ton, 4.75
cwt
Mixed Hay 93.00 ton, 4.65
cwt
Timothy Hay 97.50 ton, 4.88
cwt
MILK
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