Free BQA certification this month!

Are you doing your part for the industry by getting BQA certified? Well, if you haven't, now is a great time to start!

Your checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is giving you the chance to become certified for free, thanks to a partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.and the Beef Cattle Institute (BCI) housed at Kansas State University. The cost of BQA certification is normally $25-$50; however, between Feb. 11, 2013 and March 15, 2013, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.will defray the cost of certification, making it free for producers. Those interested in taking advantage of this BQA certification opportunity should start at BQA.org/team or www.BIVI-BQA.com.

"BQA provides cattlemen with the tools they need to produce safe, high-quality beef while also looking at ways to make their operations more efficient and productive," says Ryan Ruppert, senior director of BQA.

Developed and managed by the independent Beef Cattle Institute, these easy-to-use BQA modules teach sound management techniques. The industry has embraced BQA because it is the right thing to do, and certification is the next step to show your commitment to producing the best beef possible. It also helps you tell your story to consumers who might not understand all of the safety measures you and other beef producers take in producing the food on the table.

Show you care. Start today. Visit BQA.org/team or www.BIVI-BQA.com. For more information about your beef checkoff, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com. 

Through the Master Cattle Transporter program, the BQA program has developed a special training series focused strictly on transporting cattle using stock trailers or semi-trailers. When a transporter participates in the program, they are showing consumers they are ready to take every step possible to keep cattle as healthy and safe as possible.

The program covers many topics, including:

• Cattle handling guidelines & diagrams
• Checklists for loading/unloading
• Checklists for hot/cold weather factors
• Checklists for fit/injured/weak cattle
• Checklist for traveling
• Loading suggestions and worksheets
• Biosecurity & Emergency Action Plans

For those moving cattle with stock trailers, there is a specially designed training video which provides tips and techniques for proper loading and unloading of animals; trailer maintenance; weather factors to consider; and animal handling tips.

Guidelines about cattle transportation may be found in the Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance (DACQA) manual and provide direction on biosecurity practices, equipment condition, transit precautions, animal evaluation, handling procedures and driver attitudes.

Transporting animals properly to their final destination is critical to ensuring that the cattle arrive free of injury, bruises and stress- all factors which can affect the animal health and quality and, ultimately, the bottom line.

Here are some steps you can take to help assure healthy, productive calves:

• Inspect the calving area.Remedy any physicalhazardssuch as sharp objects, loose wires, uneven surfaces, chemicals and places where moisture may collect.
• Clean up your act.Clean calving areas and remove manure regularly to reduce the risk of pathogen exposure. Separate calves from dams at birth to reduce the risk of disease transmission.
• Give them some breathing room.Assure calving areas provide adequate space and ventilation to reduce exposure to pathogens.
• Shield them from the cold.Calves start feeling cold when the mercury drops below 60 degrees.You can minimize energy drain during cold weather by following these suggestions:
  • Dry calves immediately at birth using clean dry towels. Towels should be cleaned after each use to avoid any contamination between animals.
  • Use calf blankets if needed, or place heat lamps in hutches.
  • Create an area that shields calves from wind, cold and rain; provide a draft-free environment, but with adequate ventilation.
  • Provide adequate bedding (at least three inches) that insulates them from cold and allows "nesting." Bedding, floors and hutches should be kept clean and dry.
  • Warm their milk and water to help warm calves from the inside and avoid lowering calf body temperature further.
• Jumpstart their natural defenses.The first line of defense is feeding sufficient amounts of high quality colostrum immediately after birth. After 24 hours, a calf is no longer able to absorb the antibodies from colostrum. If colostrum is not available, use a suitable colostrum replacer and supplement calves with essential bioactives that are necessary to jumpstart their innate defenses.

How are flies costly to an operation?

Flies are known to:

• Decrease milk production
• Decrease average daily gain in growing cattle
• Spread disease

Calf hutches are popular breeding grounds for flies-why?

Flies complete their life cycle by laying eggs in fresh manure or wet, decomposing feed and manure. All of these conditions commonly exist in calf rearing facilities. Flies carry bacteria and spread diseases.

Why is that especially important for calf raisers and calves?

Flies are directly involved in the spread of bacteria causing pinkeye in cattle and creating new infections in the immature udders of calves. This irritation of the teats through biting increases the potential risk-and spread-of mastitis.

What flies are the most common on calf operations?

• Horn flies and stable flies cause significant economic damage through biting and blood feeding.
• Face flies and house flies are known for spreading disease.

All these fly species are a serious nuisance to cattle and people on and around the dairy operation.

How can you prevent flies from impacting your operation?

The key is to start early in the spring to get ahead of emerging fly populations.

You can stop flies before they start with the new elim-A-fly™ Add-Pack with ClariFly® from Sav-A-Caf® products. elim-A-fly's main active ingredient, diflubenzuron, is an insect growth regulator that stops the developing fly larvae from ever becoming adult flies. Whether your calves are challenged with horn, face, stable or house flies, look to elim-A-fly to break the fly life cycle.

This tip of the week is sponsored by elim-A-Fly.For information, visit elim-A-fly.com.

Through DBQA, producers recognize that every time an animal from their herd is marketed, they make the same commitment to food safety and quality as they do when they market their milk. When better quality animals leave the farm, everyone benefits. DBQA helps quality-conscious dairy producers meet the expectations of consumers while also increasing dairy profitability.

BQA and DBQA guiding principles are based on these core beliefs:

• WE BELIEVE production practices affect consumer acceptance of beef.
• WE BELIEVE the BQA Program has and must continue to empower beef producers to improve the safety and wholesomeness of beef.
• WE BELIEVE these fundamental principles are the fabric of the BQA Program.
• Empowering people...because producers can make a difference.
• Taking responsibility...because it's our job, not someone else's.
• Working together...because product safety and wholesomeness is everyone's business.

When producers implement the best management practices of the quality assurance program, they ensure their animals are the best they can be. BQA is valuable to all beef and dairy producers because it:

• Demonstrates commitment to food safety and quality.
• Safeguards the public image of the dairy industry.
• Upholds consumer confidence in valuable beef products.
• Protects the beef industry from additional and burdensome government regulation.
• Improves the sale value of marketed beef cattle.
• Enhances herd profitability through better management.

Watch more about the Dairy Beef Quality Assurance program. For more information, visit BQA.org.

Your checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is giving you the chance to become certified for FREE, thanks to a partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.and the Beef Cattle Institute (BCI) housed at Kansas State University.

The cost of BQA certification is normally $25-$50; however, until March 15, 2013, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.will defray the cost of certification, making it free for producers.

Ready to take advantage of this BQA certification opportunity? Start at BQA.org/team or www.BIVI-BQA.com.

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) comes naturally to Woody Larson of Family Tree Enterprises, LLLP, the 2013 national Dairy Beef Quality Assurance award winner from Okeechobee, Fla. On their dairy and beef operation, they continually train their people on their veterinarian-recommended herd health protocols and procedures which emphasize hygiene and cow comfort. "BQA is about food safety and making sure we have quality products of milk and beef," says Woody.

Training employees is key for Family Tree, and their veterinarian and Woody have been the main educators. Occasionally, they invite outside experts for onsite sessions. Woody also encourages herdsmen to attend specialized workshops, such the beef checkoff-funded Florida Beef Council-sponsored Dairy BQA training for Spanish-speaking employees. 

Woody has always been interested in animal behavior. He's been a fan of Temple Grandin for years and has applied many of her concepts on the dairy. Improving cattle handling is never ending: train, train, train. He won't tolerate rough treatment or injury to his animals. Innovations to the business include installing used rubber belting on the fences and chutes to help prevent bruising and injury, and positioning chutes and gates to avoid tight turns.

"We believe in giving back to our industry and making it better for those who follow," says Woody. "BQA helps us do that on our farms."

Watch Woody talk about BQA (link to YouTube video).

Show you care. Start today. Visit BQA.org/team. For more information about your beef checkoff, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.

At your local auction market, you may see posters and displays for the new Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) residue avoidance campaign, Control residues. Every animal, every time. The communications effort was created to build awareness of the checkoff-funded BQA program and its residue avoidance guidelines.

Recently, the Federal Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) reassessed the beef carcass inspection testing-level requirements for residue risks. After their evaluation, FSIS recommended an increase in the number beef carcasses tested. In response to this recommendation, the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) advisory board, state coordinators and staff decided to create a communications effort to build awareness of the checkoff-funded BQA program and its residue avoidance guidelines.

The campaign's message is that residue avoidance is easy if you follow three simple steps:

1. Record - pertinent information when you treat an animal
2. Check - ship date against required withdrawal times
3. Go - determine if the animal is healthy for shipping

Often, inadequate record keeping is cited as a major problem during on-farm residue violation investigations. The 2011 National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) findings released in July also revealed that proper record keeping and written protocols throughout the system were identified as areas where improvement would help strengthen consumer confidence in beef products.

Learn more at BQA.org and check out these resources:

• Best Management Practices-Record Keeping and Inventory Control,a new BQA training video on the Animal Care Training site managed by the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University
• Processing, Treatment and Records on the BQA YouTube channel

Heifers go through many growth stages on their path to maturity. Most dairy producers and heifer raisers do a good job of managing heifers throughout most of these stages, but, a variety of bottlenecks can limit heifer potential and hamper management excellence.

In general, common heifer-raising bottlenecks fall into the following categories. The challenges and solutions include:

1. Colostrum harvest and delivery. It's essential that 4 quarts of colostrum (Holsteins) is delivered quickly after the calf's birth. Also ensure that proper sanitation occurs during colostrum harvest.
2. Ramp up milk intake (energy and protein) during week one. A calf needs more energy than what 2 quarts of milk replacer twice a day will provide. From day two to day seven, consider feeding 3 quarts of milk replacer twice a day or 2.5 quarts three times per day.
3. Weaning.Wean calves when they consume 2.5 to 3 pounds of a quality starter feed daily. Make sure free-choice water is available and consider leaving calves in individual hutches for a week after weaning, or until they consume 8 pounds of starter grain to help them to adjust to the change.
4. Lag phase. This is the period from about week nine to week 17 and includes the time when calves are transferred to group pens and introduced to forages. Avoid group housing until heifers consume 8 pounds of starter grain daily, and wait to introduce hay to the diet until they have been in group pens for a week. Also wait to introduce corn silage or haylage until these animals are five months of age. Transition to a grower grain mix.
5. Grower phase.By about 18 weeks, heifers should be receiving a quality grower grain mix that's been carefully formulated to deliver correct amounts of a coccidiostat, energy, protein and a vitamin\trace mineral mix to supplement varying amounts and quality of forages. The percentage of dietary forages may be increased now, as well.
6. Introduction to the breeding pen.This move must be based primarily upon accurate hip heights and secondarily on age and weight. Holsteins should be 51 - 52 inches at the hip when entering the breeding pen.
7. Movement to close-up pen. The most common mistake is not getting springer heifers on the close-up diet for more than 21 days. The second most common mistake is not properly feeding the rumen microbes to provide about 1,200 grams metabolizable protein.

These points are not the weak links on every farm, but they offer a good review to see where producers and heifer raisers might improve.

More intensive management systems that correct these bottlenecks are worth the effort and extra cost of inputs and labor through a reduction in veterinary and medicine bills and lower death losses.

Click here to learn more from Dr. Gene Boomer, Arm and Hammer Animal Nutrition manager, field technical services, about these heifer development bottlenecks and how to manage them.

Achieving its lifetime genetic potential can be challenging for a calf, especially because so many factors will ultimately impact its expression.One critical factor in maximizing a heifer's genetic potential is nutrition, since how heifers are fed will determine performance related to growth, health and production.

 During a recent Heifer Raising Workshop hosted by Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition, Dr. Corbett said 80 to 90 percent of dairy producers continue to feed calves the same way that was recommended decades ago. The standard feeding of two quarts of milk replacer simply doesn't provide the nutrition calves need to maximize their potential, he added.

 "We must deliver the nutrients that are biologically normal, which means that's what a calf would consume if left with its mother," explained Dr. Corbett to attending nutritionists and producers. "When we feed calves the right amount of milk and high-quality calf starter we see fewer incidents of death loss, lower treatment bills and heifers that are able to be bred earlier."

 Dr. Corbett provided key insights on how genetic potential can be achieved through proper nutrition:

• Feed more milk.Calves need more milk with greater solids content, urged Dr. Corbett. 20:20 milk replacer just doesn't cut it, and in cold weather can actually result in weight loss and greater incidence of disease. Dr. Corbett recommends feeding at least seven quarts of 28:20 milk daily while also providing high-quality starter grain.
• Water is a must.For this type of feeding program to be effective, keeping water in front of calves is absolutely necessary. Because the milk has higher solids content, it can cause dehydration if calves aren't provided with water.
• Make protein a priority."When heifers are fed the right ration, there's no such thing as eating too much, because when heifers eat more, they grow more," Dr. Corbett explained. Feeding high-quality protein sources and delivering the amino acids and peptides needed to make protein allows for structural growth withoutover conditioning.
• Implement slow, steady change.Changes should happen over time, rather than occurring quickly. For example, moving calves into group pens at the same time as weaning can cause increased stress and disease, leading to a lag in growth. Instead, keep calves in hutches for a few extra days after weaning so they become accustomed to their grain-based diet, and then make the pen move a week later. Keep the "slow and steady" mentality as each and every change occurs in the heifer pens.

By providing a higher plane of nutrition to calves and heifers extremely low death loss (less than 1 percent) is achievable, while treatment bills can decline significantly. This translates to healthier heifers that reach breeding size sooner, join the milking herd earlier and increase lifetime profitability.

To learn more about helping your heifers reach their genetic potential through nutrition, visit AHDairy.com.

The beef checkoff-funded 2011 National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) added a new element of evaluation to the study - a producer benchmark survey to determine the level of adoption of BQA management principles.

Some of the interesting findings relate to all sectors of beef and dairy producers and their use of animal health products and working relationships with veterinarians. Here are some audit highlights:

• Only 31 percent of respondents have written protocols for animal health treatment. More than half of feedlot respondents, and nearly 40 percent of the backgrounders, use written protocols. Dairy Calf and Heifer Association's (DCHA) Gold Standards III share information on the importance of record keeping as a tool for animal care.
• 90% of respondents say they have a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), with the dairy sectors reporting one of the highest response rates (92.3%).
• 74% say they never use an animal health product other than as directed on the product label without a veterinarian's direction. Among dairy producers, only 55 percent have never used a medication off-label.

Dairy Beef Quality Assurance (DBQA) is about doing things right, and the program has built on the audit findings to help beef and dairy producers provide safe, wholesome, quality beef.

To learn more about results of the 2011 audit, check out the following YouTube videos:

• 2011 National Beef Quality Audit Video, Pillars of Trust
• 2011 NBQA presentations featuring Dr. Tom Field, University of Nebraska, Dr. Keith Belk, Colorado State University, Dr. Jeff Savell, Texas A&M University and Jason Ahola, Colorado State University

For more BQA videos, visit the National BQA YouTube channel.

Take action today!

• Attend a local BQA training in your state or take online training course at BQA.org
• Visit the DCHA website and learn more about the industry's Gold Standards
• Take the BQA assessment to set your benchmarks and then implement BQA practices and protocols in your operation
• Train employees and family members - there's even a youth certification program - using online resources and YouTube videos
• Become BQA certified to show your commitment to quality

Learn more at BQA.org. 

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

The beef industry has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Yet, in each National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) the objective has remained the same: to measure industry progress on production issues that affect beef quality and, ultimately, consumer demand for beef. Today, the opportunities for our industry to make quality improvements are significant - in fact, the most recent 2011 NBQA, found that nearly $44 per head was "left on the table" due to lost quality opportunities.

Lost Opportunities Chart

In 1991 the checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program conducted its first NBQA. The audits have centered on quantifying the performance of beef carcasses for value-enhancing characteristics; and identifying quality concerns about the physical attributes of beef, such as carcass blemishes and injection-site lesions. Historically, the audits have been conducted about every five years through harvest-floor audits and interviews with post-harvest beef supply-chain partners. The 2011 NBQA added a new element - a producer benchmark survey to determine the adoption of BQA management principles.

Here are the overall summary findings future BQA programs will target:

Pillars of beef chain success:

• Assuring eating satisfaction and product integrity is paramount.
• Doing a better job of telling our industry's terrific story.

Barriers to continued progress:

• Low level of written protocols
• Balancing the needs of all industry segments
• A lack of trust between industry segments
• A disconnect with the dairy segment
• Carcass inconsistency
• No common language/communication barrier
• Potential food safety issues
• Poor story telling with consumers

BQA is aboutdoing things right, and the program has built on the audit findings to help beef producers provide safe, wholesome, quality beef. That's why the checkoff-funded

National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) is so important.

To learn more about the 2011 NBQA and Beef Quality Assurance, watch the 2011 NBQA video or visit BQA.org.

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

Method of feed delivery can affect the growth and feed efficiency of young heifers transitioning to a higher-forage diet, according to research from Purdue University.

During the study, researchers fed a diet consisting of 40% forage and 60% grain mix (dry matter basis) to 90 heifers that were about 136 days of age. The feed delivery methods were: 1) a hay feeder and grain bunk, 2) forage and grain fed side-by-side in a bunk, or 3) a total mixed ration. The study took place over a 28-day period.

Graduate student Tana Dennis reported the group’s findings in March at the American Dairy Science Association Midwest meeting. Here are some key results:

• Delivery method tended to affect daily weight gain. For example, heifers fed using a hay feeder gained 2.29 pounds per day compared to 1.94 pounds per day for TMR-fed heifers.

• Average dry matter intake was also similar between delivery methods. However, at the end of the study, dry matter intake was lowest for heifers fed forage and grain side-by-side and highest for heifers fed with a hay feeder and grain bunk and heifers fed a TMR.

• Overall feed efficiency improved for heifers on the hay feeder/grain bunk treatment and heifers fed forage and grain side-by-side, compared to TMR-fed heifers.

The researchers concluded that component-fed diets improved feed efficiency compared to a TMR when growing heifers are being transitioned to a higher-forage diet.

Learn more about feed delivery and nutritional guidelines for post-weaned heifers in the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association’s Gold Standards I, Gold Standards II and Gold Standards III.

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

There is developing evidence that temperament influences the immune function of cattle.

When handled or restrained, cattle with a more excitable disposition have been shown to have greater levels of certain hormones that can suppress the immune system. In addition to immune response, these cattle also have poorer growth performance and carcass characteristics.

That is why it is so important to use management practices that reduce the negative influence of temperament on growth and productivity.

The Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance (DACQA) Certification manual provides information to help you handle and restrain animals in an appropriate manner that minimizes stress. Here are some key points to consider:

• Handle cattle quietly and calmly. Instead of electric prods, use plastic paddles, sorting sticks, flags or streamers attached to long handles to quietly guide and turn animals. Utilize the cattle’s natural flight zone and point of balance to move them (For more information on flight zone and point of balance, see Section IV-D of the DACQA manual.)

• Keep facilities and equipment in good condition to provide efficient movement and reduce stress when working cattle.

• Restraint equipment should quickly and securely restrain the animal and allow for the quick release of the animal upon completion of the procedures. Pens, chutes and headlocks should be properly sized and kept clean and in good repair.

• When transporting cattle, move them as quietly and patiently as possible to prevent stress or injury during loading and unloading.

For more advice, see Section IV-D of the DACQA manual.

DACQA is a voluntary, national certification program intended to enhance and demonstrate quality animal care practices that assure food safety, quality and value as well as enhance consumer confidence in the milk and beef products harvested from cattle on America’s dairy farms.

DCHA is the only national association dedicated to serving the dairy calf and heifer industry. The association strives to provide information, education and access to leading research and technology to its members and the calf and heifer industry. DCHA’s Gold Standards III also offers practical recommendations for humane handling of dairy calves and heifers, from birth to freshening.

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

Proper handling of cattle during transport is important to Vance Kells, contract heifer grower in Satanta, Kan. After all, some heifers arriving at Circle Bar Heifer Ranch will have traveled 1,000 miles to get there.

"What we like to do is make sure that the trailer is clean and disinfected, and that (handlers) use bedding of some sort,” he said during a panel discussion at the 2012 Dairy Calf & Heifer Conference in Visalia, Calif. Bedding helps give animals secure footing during transport, as well as absorbs moisture.

These practices are a direct reflection of guidelines in Section VI of the Gold Standards III, which Kells, south central regional director for DCHA, and other producers, university researchers, nutritionists, industry experts and extension agents across the country worked to develop.

If traveling for more than 24 hours with cattle 4 months of age and older, stop at a clean facility for a feed and water break, Kells says. Gold Standards III guidelines recommend this rest stop be at least 5 hours long.

It’s also important to have more than one driver on trips exceeding 11 hours and a back-up plan if a breakdown should occur. "If the truck goes down, you have to know where you can get those cattle off,” Kells says. "I don’t like to stand up in one place or lay down in one place for 24 hours” – something that also holds true for your cattle.

For more advice on making the transportation of heifers as stress-free as possible, please see the Gold Standards III. You also can find transportation and handling guidelines in Section II of the Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance (DACQA) manual.

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

A new plant-based byproduct of biofuel production is a "viable alternative” to alfalfa meal for dairy heifers, according to research reported last month at the American Dairy Science Association Midwest meeting in Des Moines, Iowa.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota fed a pelleted form of the byproduct, which is produced during production of biofuel from duckweed, to crossbred dairy heifers that were 5 to 6 months of age. Duckweed is a perennial water plant that floats on the surface of water.

The trial consisted of three treatments: 1) heifers fed the byproduct as a top-dress, 2) heifers fed the byproduct incorporated into their total-mixed ration (TMR) and 3) a control group fed a total-mixed ration with alfalfa hay. Here are some of the results:

• Total gain and average daily gain were similar across the three treatment groups.

• There were no differences in pen dry matter intake across the three treatment groups.

• Feeding time was longer for heifers fed the control diet compared to the byproduct treatment groups, but ruminating time was similar between all three treatments.

Although the byproduct is not commercially available, the researchers say it has a favorable nutrient profile for ruminants.

"The most efficient application of this technology would be in arid (climates) where it is difficult to grow traditional plant protein (soy and alfalfa) used in ruminant diets,” says Noah Litherland, assistant professor of dairy nutrition at the University of Minnesota.

When mixed into a TMR, the byproduct, known as Lemna Meal, also supported heifer growth rates consistent with those advocated by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association in its Gold Standards II.

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

An understanding of cattle behavior facilitates handling, reduces stress, reduces bruise defects and improves both handler safety and animal welfare.

The Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance (DACQA) Certification manual provides information about two key cattle behavior concepts – flight zone and point of balance.

Flight zone is the animal's personal space. When you enter an animal’s flight zone, it moves away. The size of the flight zone varies depending on how accustomed cattle are to people and their current surroundings, etc.

To determine the edge of the flight zone, slowly walk up to the animals. If you breach their flight zone, they will either bolt and run away or turn back and run past you. Animals usually stop moving when the handler retreats from the flight zone. Work the edge of the flight zone when handling cattle.

The other key concept is point of balance. The point of balance is an imaginary line at the animal’s shoulders. Stand behind the animal’s point of balance to move it forward. To make the animal move backward, stand in front of the point of balance. Animals move forward when a handler walks past the point of balance in the opposite direction of desired movement.

Find more information, including diagrams illustrating an animal’s flight zone and point of balance, on pages 52-53 in Section IV-D of the DACQA manual.

DACQA is a voluntary, national certification program intended to enhance and demonstrate quality animal care practices that assure food safety, quality and value as well as enhance consumer confidence in the milk and beef products harvested from cattle on America’s dairy farms.

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

Good stockmanship is the basis of low-stress animal handling skills.

"I believe that stockmanship is the preferred method of caring for livestock at all times,” says Brian Voortman, veterinarian in Caldwell, Idaho.

During an educational session at the 2012 Dairy Calf & Heifer Association Conference, held last month in Visalia, Calif., Voortman explained why good stockmanship is important.

"It has been scientifically proven that there’s an improvement in animal health and productivity with minimal financial input,” he said. "All you have to invest is a little bit of time and a little bit of energy in understanding these things and putting them into practice.”

The investment in good stockmanship is very economical, particularly when compared to other inputs on your operation.

"Everybody’s looking for the next big ‘silver bullet,’ or the next big antibiotic out there or the next big feed additive,” Voortman said. "Those things all cost money. This is an input that costs you literally nothing. All it is is training and understanding and changing the way you think about your cattle.”

Advantages of good stockmanship and low-stress cattle handling extend to employees, too.

"There’s a dramatic improvement in work environment, safety, efficiency and employee satisfaction in the places where we’ve implemented (good stockmanship principles),” Voortman said. "They have literally almost no employee turnover because their employees are so happy to be there … Plus you don’t put your employees into situations where they could get hurt ─ that costs you money.”

Gold Standards III

beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

The use of antibiotics to control mastitis in heifers before they calve should only be used when there is a significant heifer mastitis problem in the herd and under the supervision of the herd veterinarian. This was one of the key messages in a review paper published in the March Journal of Dairy Science.

The article reviews the impact, prevention and control of mastitis in dairy heifers, as well as the nature of the disease. The authors of the review paper include mastitis experts from the University of Ghent in Belgium, Washington State University, University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada and the Animal Health Centre in Morrinsville, New Zealand.

According to an interpretive summary of the article, mastitis prevention in heifers is based on optimizing hygiene, feeding and fly control, avoidance of cross-suckling in young stock and improving animal comfort at calving.

Advice for implementing these preventative measures can be found in the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association’s Gold Standards II and III. In particular, direct your attention to section IV of the Gold Standards II and section III in the Gold Standards III. These sections discuss the housing environment of heifers, as well as target feeding space and stocking density guidelines for Holstein heifers. Advice on fly control can be found in section IX of the Gold Standards III.

Mastitis threatens a heifer’s productivity and udder health in her first and subsequent lactations. Implementing management practices during all stages of a heifer’s growth is an important way to control subclinical and clinical infections in heifers.

Intramammary therapy of heifers is considered an off-label use of antibiotics, which can increase the risk of antibiotic residues in milk. Advice on the judicious use of antibiotics, including prepartum intramammary antibiotic therapy, can be found in section IV-A of the Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance Certification manual.

Brought to you by Dairy Calf & Heifer Association - Funded by the Beef Checkoff

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) help employees understand the work expected of them. It is important to provide written protocols, demonstrate the procedures contained in them and set a good example for employees.

According to the Penn State Extension Dairy Team, the objective of an SOP is to:

• Provide direction
• Improve communication
• Reduce training time
• Reduce variation

The Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance (DACQA) Certification program advocates the use of SOPs that enhance and demonstrate quality animal care and handling practices. It also supports appropriate training and periodic evaluation of employees for skills in animal care and handling procedures. Training and periodic review of employees encourages proper implementation of the practices outlined in the SOP, and ultimately influences beef quality and safety.

It is recommended that you establish and review standard operating procedures annually, revising them as necessary. For further information on training employees in animal care and handling SOPs, see Section IV-D in the DACQA manual.

The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association’s Gold Standards III also recommends developing SOPs for all procedures and training personnel in correct techniques upon hiring as well as reviewing SOPs with your veterinarian and employees quarterly.

DACQA is a voluntary, national certification program intended to enhance and demonstrate quality animal care practices that assure food safety, quality and value as well as enhance consumer confidence in the milk and beef products harvested from cattle on America’s dairy farms.

DCHA is the only national association dedicated to serving the dairy calf and heifer industry. The association strives to provide information, education and access to leading research and technology to its members and the calf and heifer industry.

Quality Assurance program

Control of internal and external parasites is important for optimal growth, disease prevention and well-being of dairy replacements.

According to the Gold Standards III, having parasite-control protocols in place helps keep parasite populations from being a detriment to animal health, performance and well-being. They also can help prevent development of parasite resistance.

Eugene Myatt, 2011-2012 Dairy Calf & Heifer Association president, uses manure sampling to verify worm counts or infestations in the heifers that he raises with his two sons Adam and Justin. They raise heifers from four months of age until two months prior to calving.

During this time, heifers are dewormed about five times according to the farm’s written protocol.

"We have gone to a rotation using drenches and then injectables so that we don’t develop any resistance,” Myatt says.

To control flies, they use a feed-through insecticide to control fly larvae in the manure. They start feeding this before flies emerge in the spring. They also use fly tags, beginning in early June.

"The larger cattle all have access to headlocks, so it’s very easy to use some pour-on fly control on those cattle,” Myatt adds.

Guidelines in the Gold Standards III recommend that you develop a parasite-control protocol in consultation with your herd veterinarian and pest-management specialists. Pest-control strategies to include in your protocol will depend on your geographic location, climate and time of year.

Also be careful to avoid the use of products that are not labeled for parasite control in dairy heifers. Using products "off-label” may cause injury to livestock and people, as well as parasite resistance development and meat residue issues. This ‘Gold Standard’ advice is supported by the best management practices outlined in section IV-A of the Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance Certification manual.

For more information on integrated pest management strategies for heifers, please see section IX in the Gold Standards III.

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A rapid transition to a higher forage diet during the early post-weaned phase can be stressful on dairy heifers. Although ensiled forages are a common feed choice during this time, are they ideal for maintaining growth and feed efficiency?

To find out, researchers from Purdue University fed diets consisting of dry hay as the primary forage source (40% of diet dry matter) or ensiled forage in the form of baleage. They fed the dry hay or baleage to 313-pound heifers for four weeks.

Study results showed that average daily gain was greater for heifers fed dry hay vs. heifers fed baleage (2.23 pounds vs. 1.96 pounds). The hay-fed heifers also had better gain-to-feed ratios than the baleage-fed heifers (0.16 pound gain/pound feed vs. 0.08 pound gain/pound feed during the fourth week of the trial).

The research was presented at the 2011 Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science.

For more advice on feeding and growth goals for Holstein heifers less than 6 months of age, please see the Gold Standards I. Target growth goals for older heifers can be found in the Gold Standards II.

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Animal handling, transportation and facilities can all contribute to lameness problems in dairy cattle. Research studies show that lameness results in earlier culling, as well as lower carcass weight and carcass value.

Put guidelines in place to minimize lameness problems associated with handling, transportation and housing facilities. Here are some recommendations from the Dairy Animal Care & Quality Assurance (DACQA) manual:

• Provide transportation that minimizes stress, discomfort, and the potential for injury by avoiding overcrowding, excess time in transit, and improper handling during loading and unloading.

• Handle animals quietly and calmly to minimize stress and reduce the potential for injury. Minimize use of electric prods. Use other driving aids—such as plastic paddles, sorting sticks, flags or streamers attached to long handles—to quietly guide and turn animals. Utilize the cattle’s natural flight zone and point of balance to move them.

• Provide facilities that allow for the safe, humane and efficient movement and/or restraint of cattle.

• Regularly inspect facilities (free-stalls, alleys, pens, fences, corrals, load-outs, etc.) to ensure proper care and ease of cattle handling.

• Provide cattle with adequate space for animal care, comfort and safety.

• Provide clean, dry bedding and protection from weather extremes.

• Avoid slippery surfaces, particularly in high traffic areas.

• Provide employee training to properly handle and care for cattle, including proper movement and care of special-needs and non-ambulatory cattle.

The DACQA program is a voluntary, national certification program intended to enhance and demonstrate quality animal care practices. These practices assure food safety, quality and value as well as enhance consumer confidence in the milk and beef products that are harvested from cattle on America’s dairy farms.

For additional information on housing, handling and transportation, refer to the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association’s Gold Standards III, animal welfare standards for rearing calves and heifers, from birth to freshening, across the United States.

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There is much evidence and economic incentive to increase calf feeding rates during the winter. Remind yourself and your calf caregivers of these four reasons to increase a calf’s nutrient intake during the colder months:

• Surface area. Calves lose body heat much more quickly than larger animals because they have a larger surface area. "The smaller the calf, the more important this relationship becomes,” adds Bob James, extension dairy scientist at Virginia Tech. "Virginia Tech research revealed that small calves, such as Jerseys, had a maintenance requirement which was at least 15% higher than large breed calves such as Holsteins,” James says in the January/February 2012 Virginia Tech Dairy Pipeline.

• Environmental stress. During the winter, calves require dry, deep bedding to help them maintain the insulating capabilities of their hair coat. A wet environment with limited bedding greatly enhances heat loss and increases a calf’s nutrient needs.

• Body fat. Calves are born with relatively low reserves of body fat so they do not have as much to mobilize during periods of low energy intake or environmental stress.

• Nutritional stress. Most calves are fed equal amounts of milk or milk replacer in the morning and again in the late afternoon or evening. "Imagine the nutritional stress calves face during the long interval between the evening and morning feeding when the temperature drops at night,” James says.

According to guidelines in the Gold Standards III, it is necessary to provide enough milk or milk replacer to pre-weaned calves during the winter to meet or exceed growth goals defined in the Gold Standards I.

"Feeding management must change to enable calves to grow and resist digestive and respiratory disease,” James says. "Don’t skimp on liquid feeding programs, especially during the first weeks of life when calf starter intake is low.

Feeding less than 1.5 gallons of milk or milk replacer daily (12.5% to 15% solids), or use of a poor-quality milk replacer, may reduce feed cost but also can substantially increase treatment cost, mortality and restrict lifetime performance.

For more advice on calf feeding and growth goals, please see the Gold Standards I and Gold Standards III.

This tip from the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association is funded by the Beef Checkoff.

Brought to you by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association and the beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program

Bacterial cultures are the "gold standard” for determining the cleanliness of colostrum, says Sam Leadley, calf and heifer management specialist with Attica Veterinary Associates, in Attica, N.Y.

An analysis of colostrum samples collected from farms in both Canada and the U.S. suggests that colostrum is all too often a "bacteria soup” before it reaches the calf’s mouth.

"About two-thirds of colostrum samples collected had culture results that were above accepted levels for good calf health,” Leadley says.

According to the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association’s Gold Standards I for Holstein calves less than 6 months of age, a standard plate count of bacteria in colostrum should not exceed 100,000 cfu/ml (colony forming units of bacteria per milliliter of colostrum).

High bacteria counts translate into calf diarrhea or scours, and can be indicative of how severe or fatal a case of scours will be.

Poor teat-end preparation, contaminated "dump” buckets and dirty nursing bottles or esophageal feeders are three entry points for bacteria to "inoculate” colostrum. To prevent contamination, follow this advice from Leadley:

• Use a two-step teat preparation routine: Dip, wait 30 seconds, wipe, then dip again. Wait 30 seconds, wipe and scrub across the teat end.

• Use a stainless steel "dump” bucket to collect colostrum. Click here for a list of recommended hygiene procedures for washing colostrum collection equipment.

• Use only clean nursing bottles and esophageal tube feeders. Follow the cleaning guidelines recommended for colostrum dump buckets.

"Avoiding each of the three sites of inoculation is a huge step in providing clean, wholesome colostrum to newborn calves,” Leadley says.

This tip is funded by the Beef Checkoff, which supports quality-control practices that enhance the safety and wholesomeness of milk and meat products from America’s dairy farms.

Photo Caption: When you look inside the bucket used to collect colostrum, the surface should not look like this. Instead, it should shine brightly and your finger tips should feel nothing but smooth stainless steel.