A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 26, 2003 Penn State Cooperative Extension Capitol Region Dairy Team COWS, STREAMS, AND PONDS SHOULD THEY MK? Beth Grove Extension Agent Dairy/Environment Lancaster County Every dairy producer has heard of the importance of water to the dairy cow. Water makes up about 70 percent of a cow’s body tissues, and the whole milk she produces contains 87 percent water. Moreover, an average lac tating cow drinks about 20-40 gallons of water daily, even more in hot weather. Water is impor tant for milk production, rumen fermentation and nutrient diges tion, cow cooling in the summer, and normal body function. Although cattle need plenty of clean, fresh water available daily, problems can arise when cattle have access to streams and ponds on your farm as a source of water. Although cattle have used natural water spots for hundreds of years, there are many prob lems associated with cattle stand ing in streams and wet areas on your farm. Researchers have sug gested that poor water quality may cause a cow to drink less water, decreasing milk produc tion. For these reasons stream bank and pond fencing are not words used only by environmentalists these days and here are some of the reasons why: • Ponds and slow-moving streams/wet areas can be vast sources of bacteria! Are you see ing a significant amount of mas titis or blind quarters in your first calf heifers or newly fresh cows? It may be that a pond or creek on your farm is to blame. Ponds and spots of standing or slow moving water can harbor environmental organisms that cause mastitis, in cluding coliforms and pseudomo nas bacteria. Heifers and dry cows that are kept in pastures or lots with access to still water can freshen with more mastitis prob lems. • Since flies often breed around standing water and ma nure, you can see increased inci dence of mastitis and pinkeye when cattle have access to these areas during summer weather. It is believed that flies can spread Staph Aureus from infected cows to other animals in the herd. • Other bacteria found in standing or running water may even cause reproductive prob lems. Leptospirosis organisms can live in puddles, ponds and other wet sites. Lepto is spread in the urine of rodents, deer, and other wildlife. Lepto is known to cause abortion and is sometimes difficult to detect in a herd. • If cattle with Johne’s Dis ease are allowed to defecate in ponds or areas of standing water on the farm, these may become a source of contamination for re placement heifers in the herd, according to one University of Pennsylvania researcher. » Cattle have better foot health when their feet are kept clean and dry. Cattle that stand Beth Grove in manure or water for extended periods of time have softer hooves and are more susceptible to foot injury and disease. The organisms responsible for foot rot originate in the gastrointestinal tract and are shed into the envi ronment by manure; wet areas with standing water and mud can be heavily contaminated with these bacteria. It is also believed by many veterinarians that cattle housed in continually wet and muddy conditions have a much higher incidence of strawberry heel warts. • Cattle may actually prefer clean water! Research conducted by Montana State University in dicates that more than 75 percent of cows and calves prefer to drink from a watering tank rather than a pond, when both sources are similar distances from the cattle. In a two-year study from south west Virginia at two different cow/calf operations, the animals had a choice of drinking from the headwaters of a stream running through a pasture or from a spring-fed water trough. Of these, the cattle chose to drink from the trough 92 percent of the time. When the water trough was of fered as an alternative water source, the time spent in the stream was reduced by more than 50 percent. If the water quality is poor, it can also have a negative afreet on cattle performance. Although re search is limited in this area, it is believed that high amounts of ni trates (greater than 100 parts per million, or ppm) will cause repro ductive problems in addition to human health risks. According to Dr. Arlen Mills, sulfate levels above 500-600 ppm may cause diarrhea or other problems. There is a publication available from Penn State titled “Water Intake and Quality for Dairy Cattle”. Contact your local ex tension agent for a copy of DAS9S-8. * Cattle access to streams can damage waters. Heavy popula tions of cows or dairy heifers can cause damage to stream banks by destroying vegetation, causing erosion. If allowed to stand in streams and ponds, they leave heavy deposits of feces and sedi ment. This manure and urine left by cattle in the streams or ponds The year was, 1947. The place is Elmer Smoker’s farm, Intercourse. Daughter Martha Smoker drives the W-C Allis pulling the Model 76 New Holland baler. The bale loader in the background was designed and built by Ike Smoker, Elmer’s brother. The man on the load is Lester, Martha’s young brother. New Holland man ufactured Ike’s loaders at Belleville. This account and many more interesting sto ries will be included in a history lecture, “The Beginning of New Holland Machine Company,” in 1895 when even the most simple farm chores was back breaking work. Sponsored by the Swiss Pioneers Preservation Associates, admission is free May 2 at Christian Aid Ministries, Ephrata 7:30 p.m. Maryland Posts Pasture Walk Schedule FREDERICK and HAGERS TOWN, Md. Maryland Coop erative Extension offices in Fred erick and Washington counties have announced this season’s pasture walk schedule, offering tours of a wide range of innova tive grazing operations in north ern Maryland as well as one farm in southcentral Pennsylvania. All walks are from 10 a.m. until noon unless otherwise indi cated: • May 8. Cove Mt. Farm, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. seasonal, grass based dairy now in its sixth year of operation with 240 cows and 200 acres of pasture managed by the Moyer Family. Cove Mt. Farm is located in southwest Franklin County on State Hwy. 456, 10 miles south of Rt. 16 or 7 miles north of 1-70 exit 5 near Hancock, Maryland. Pre-registra tion is not required. leaves rich amounts of nutrients including nitrogen and phospho rus, which can cause “eutrophi cation.” This nutrient increase will in turn cause a growth of wa terweeds and algae, which reduc es the amount of oxygen avail able in the water to support fish and other marine life. These algae also reduce the amount of ligpit available to underwater ma rine plants and vegetation. I have yet to meet a farmer who truly does not care about water quality on their land or surrounding waterways. Most farmers are the original “stew ards” of the environment, pro tecting the land and the soil for future generations. And, to quote Frank Lucas from our local NRCS, “There is nothing in the stream that is good for the cows, and there is nothing in the cows that is good for the stream.” Fencing your animals out of ponds and streams truly makes sense, not only from an environ mental standpoint but a herd health standpoint. A buffer area will allow wildlife and plant life to flourish and cut down on ero sion. You can still allow an access point for livestock to drink, if necessary. In many cases, how ever, an alternative source of water is inexpensive to install and maintain, particularly when compared to the cost of some of the problems associated with cows drinking from the farm pond or stream. Glim ses From The Past • May 15. Andrew Toms, 9422 Dublin Road, Walkersville, Md. 60-cow, new startup grazing operation using Marshall annual ryegrass. From Frederick, take Biggs Ford Road exit toward Walkersville. Go one mile to Dublin Rd. Turn left onto Dublin and go about mile to farm on the left. • June 5. Lewin Eby Farm 7776 Neck Rd, Williamsport 70 cow grass-based dairy con verted from a grain operation several years ago. Will discuss transition to grass and forage supply management. From Rt. 68 turn onto Speilman Rd. (Rt. 63) past Gowers Mill. Turn right onto Falling Waters Rd. Go about one mile and turn left onto Neck Rd. Go about 1.2 miles to the farm lane on the right. • June 19. Wet Meadows Farm, David and Angie Leach, E. Grimes Road, Emmitsburg, Md. 90-cow Jersey and Hol stein dairy using perennial rye grass and timothy. From Em mitsburg, take Old Frederick Road south to immediate left onto Keysville Road. Go approxi mately four miles to East Grimes Rd. • July 3. Mike Stivers Farm, 17707 Millers Sawmill Rd., Sharpsburg 45 beef cow-calf operation with spring and fall calving. Converted from row crops to grass. Variety of grasses from native pasture to improved orchardgrasses and fescues to warm season grass. From Sharps burg, proceed south on Harpers Ferry Rd. Turn right onto Millers Sawmill Rd. and go to the first farm on the left. • July 17. Hedge Apple Farms, 7 p.m., 3735 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown, Md. Angus cow calf operation featuring fertilizer trials, Max Q fescue, warm sea son grasses and grass-finished, direct marketed beef. From Fred erick, go south on 1-270 to exit 31. Go south on Rt. 85 (Buckeys town Pike) about three miles. The farm will be on your left. • July 31. Glenn Shirley, 149 Barnhart Road, Westminster, Md. 80-cow dairy moving to ward season calving. From West minster, go north on Rt. 97 to Union Mills. Turn right onto Old Hanover Rd. Go about 3 miles to Barnhart Road. Turn right and go about mile to farm on right. • Aug. 7. Creek Bend Farm (Harry Strite), 11917 Snug Har bor Lane, Williamsport 80 cow grass-based seasonal dairy. Expe rienced grazier working with crossbreeding, a variety of cool season grasses (some under irri gation), forage supply and sur plus management From Rt. 63 one mile north of WflHamsport, turn west on Wright Rd. Turn right onto Kemps Mill Rd. At the Conococheague bridge, turn onto Snug Harbor Lane and follow it through the campground to the farm. • August 21; Holterholm Farms, Ron and Kathy Hotter. • Sept 4 Jacob Horst Farm, 20§07 Letters MU Rd., Hagers town 90 cow grazing dairy farm also feeding a TMR. Most of the farm is in permanent graz ing and a portion is reserved for a doublecrop. From Rt 60 (Leiters burg Pike) turn north onto Mill ers Church Rd. At Leiters Mill Rd., turn left and turn into the first farm lane on the left. • Oct. 2. Craig Leggett Farm, 8128 Old National Pike, Boon sboro. This is the second farm of this 100 cow hybrid (European style) system where most of the heifers are grazed and most of the farm’s cut and carry forage is produced. SARE grant site exam ining Italian ryegrass/sorghum double crop systems. On Alt. Rt. 40 about one mile north of Boon sboro. • Nov. 6 Peace Hollow Farm (Myron Martin), 2148 Rohrer sville Rd., Brownsville 70 cow hybrid dairy farm based on a 50 acre Marshall annual ryegrass/ com silage double crop system with the balance of the farm in permanent grazing. Also a SARE grant site. From Boonsboro, go south on Rt. 67 to Brownsville. The farm is on the west side of the road just south of Browns ville. • Dec. 4. Western Maryland Research and Education Center, Keedysville. Compare new annu al and Italian ryegrass plots and a new seeding of perennial grass es to previous years plotwork. Recap the 2003 season and plan 2004 activities. From 1-70 take exit 29 south onto Rt. 65 (Sharps burg Pike). Go about 7.5 miles and turn left onto Keedysville Rd. Go .9 miles and turn left into WMREC. Call (301) 791-1304 (Washing ton County) or (301) 694-1594 (Frederick County) for more in formation.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers