DCHA: The numbers speak for themselves
Agri-View
3/21/2013
      

Paul Jacobs is a numbers guy. As the manager of 3,700 head of young stock for Green Valley Dairy, he can tell you his cost of production and rate of gain for the operation’s replacement heifers and dairy beef enterprise, but the value of his membership and involvement with the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) is beyond what he can quantify.

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DCHA Conference preview: An interview with Lane Sollenberger
Progressive Dairyman
2/11/2013

The 2013 Dairy Calf and Heifer Association Conference is taking place April 4-5 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lane Sollenberger, owner of Dream Farms and DCHA regional director, talks about what attendees can expect at the two-day conference.

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"I belong to..." features Dairy Calf and Heifer member Mary Buck, producer from Minnesota.

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Dairy heifer raiser Jack Banker from Black Creek, Wisconsin, discusses with PD Editor Walt Cooley the standards for heifer nutrition and feeding on his Midwestern farm.

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Shrink, or the loss of feed ingredients, is a costly problem that should not be ignored. Some estimates suggest it represents 15 to 20 percent of total feed cost on a dairy. Wet and expensive feed ingredients represent the greatest concern.

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A power winch is one of those farm tools that’s handy to have around, especially if you like off-road driving, want to drag pallets or need to pull out a piece of equipment stuck in the mud. Here are a few ins and outs of buying a winch for your four-wheel-drive truck.

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Clean heifers are an integral part of mastitis prevention at Five Star Dairy (a DCHA sustaining member), Elk Mound, Wisconsin. The dairy keeps heifers clean and dry by using a bedded-pack housing system prior to calving. This arrangement helps prevent bacteria in the environment from colonizing heifer teat ends and entering the teat orifice.

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Heat stress has long-term consequences on the reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle. Dairy cows begin to show signs of heat stress when the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) reaches 72. This heat index takes into account the combined effects of air temperature and relative humidity. Although heifers may not show as much discomfort, they also require attention during times of heat stress to prevent negative effects on fertility.

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In the March 2010 issue of The Veterinary Clinics of North America Food Animal Practice journal, in the article "Control, Management and Prevention of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Dairy Calves and Cows,” authors Dr. Patrick Gorden and Dr. Paul Plummer of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine reviewed vaccine and management programs for young calves.

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Visual appraisal of heifer body condition is important to Matthew London. The 1,200-head commercial heifer grower strives to achieve optimum body condition at all stages of growth so that heifers leaving the Cleveland, Georgia, farm freshen at 22 to 24 months old.

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Even though the number of antibiotic residue violations in meat is very small, market dairy animals represent the bulk of violations among all classes of cattle. Responsible therapeutic use of antibiotics in dairy replacement heifers is a top priority for avoiding drug residues in market cattle and ensuring consumer confidence in food safety.

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As weather becomes warmer, it's a good time to focus on preventing the problems flies cause for cattle and optimum production goals. Controlling flies and their effects can be difficult, and prevention and appropriate treatment depends upon which fly species causes the irritation.

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Pinkeye is an infection that can sneak up on cattle, including dairy replacement heifers. Severe cases can leave lasting eye damage, not to mention performance setbacks.

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Respiratory disease is responsible for a large proportion of all weaned heifer deaths. New benchmarks for pneumonia treatment and mortality rates take aggressive aim at this troubling statistic.

 View full article on ProgressiveDairy.com (page 26-27)

Do you know the new calf and heifer-raising standards?

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