Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, June 10, 2000, Image 33
Pennsylvania Dairy Herd Impu DWA Service Center, Orchard Rend, University Park, PA 16802 Question: We would like to lower our somatic cell count. We use our DHIA records to identify problem cows and would like an opinion on how to handle them. If you are looking for someone to give you a magic potion to cure cows of mastitis, I am not the one. Treating cows with existing mastitis or high cell counts should be planned with your veterinarian. It appears that you are on the right track by using records found on Agricultural Generators P.T.O. Generators 25 to 135 KW Units In Stock! Service - Rental - New & Used Units In Stock y&MS cialists Natural Gas Generators 5 to 2,000 KW J*JEfWVsA Power Generation Systems S Call Leonard Martin the SCC Management Report to properly identify cows that are the most problematic and need to be high on the priority list. When it comes to managing SCC, prevention has more impact than curing attempts I would like to show you some information that your cows have been providing for the past couple of years that really emphasizes this. I used both the Pa. DHIA SCC Management Report and the Pa. DHIA Herd Summary Report II 330 Fonderwhite Road, Lebanon, PA 17042 to access this information. I would like to concentrate specifically on differences between new and chronic infections Your attempts at treatment will often be on these chronic cows with little long lasting results. New infections are cows that had a linear SCC of 4 for the first time during the current lactation. Chronic cows are those that reached this same score two or more times during the lactation. What I find to be of particular interest is that the level of chronically infected cows stays pretty much the same for the herd over the past two years as indicated in the two right columns The other thing that is noted is the strong correlation between the eight months (indicated in red) where levels of new infections are highest and the resulting increase in the bulk tank SCC. It becomes apparent that we need to shift our focus on mastitis management from treatment to prevention if we are to be successful at lowering SCC 717-273-4544 Fax 717-273-5186 Your veterinarian also does not records to help determine what have a magic potion for mastitis that strategy should be and if youi woes. What he does have is the new or current plan is working knowledge and experience at As a goal you should limit new helping you work toward mastitis infections each month to 5% as prevention management. You noted on your reports. If you can should contact him today to set up attain this goal, then your bulk a program for your farm. tank SCC should drop under Continue to use your DHIA SCC 200,000 consistently. Remember, these are averages, so you will need to adjust your figures up or down according to your location and the quality of your crop. Corn, No.2y 2.54 bu., 4.55 cwt. To help farmers across the state to Wheat, N 0.2—2.37 bu., 3.95 cwt. have handy reference of commodity Barley, N 0.3 —1.75 bu., 3.74 cwt. input costs in their feeding operations Oats,No.2—l.s4bu., 4.81 cwt. for DHIA record sheets or to develop Soybeans, No. 1—4.93 bu., 8.22 cwt. livestock feed cost data, here’s last Ear Corn 78.44 ton, 3.92 cwt. week’s average costs of various ingred- Alfalfa Hay —123.75 ton, 6.19 cwt. ients as compiled from regional reports Mixed Hay —120.00 ton, 6.0 cwt. across the state of Pennsylvania. Timothy Hay —126.25 ton, 6.31 cwt. Average Farm Feed Costs for Handy Reference jfh^iyne^ IB Dairy monW Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 10, 2000-A33