Pen scrapers, pump heaters and top dressers in the Central Valley

Diamond V | The Trusted Experts In Nutrition & Health^TM February 2012

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Management Message - Mike Wright, MBA

And the survey says......

I want to thank those subscribers particpating in our January Nutrition Line survey. The survey is still open and you can take part. The response rate and number of open-ended responses have been very good. We are assimilating the information and will be incorporating many of your suggestions in upcoming issues (MORE)

Producer Spotlight - Antonio Rodriguez

Pen scrapers, pump heaters and top dressers in the Central Valley

Using some tools at hand, a little elbow grease and a creative mind for the elegantly simple, Antonio Rodriguez is a living definition of "self-sufficiency." (MORE)

Technical Feature - Darin Henry, DVM, MBA

Putting better science into dairy decisions

Making the wrong decision adds to the volatility of financial risk that many dairy operations are experiencing in today's economic climate. But, there is a way to stop it from occurring on your farm. (VIEW PDF)

Risk Management - Kyle Schrad

Can high beef prices lead to higher slaughter rate and strong milk price?

The beef price has rallied so sharply over the past year that this situation has no clear historical comparison point. (VIEW PDF)

First look at survey results

By Mike Wright

Director

Global Research and Marketing

Here's a first look at selected reader survey results from last month's Nutrition Line:

- 90% say they read Nutrition Line always or frequently;

- 95% find the technical articles in Nutrition Line somewhat or very relevant;

- 75% find the producer spotlight articles in Nutrition Line somewhat or very relevant;

- 10% say Nutrition Line content is too brief. 10% say it is too lengthy. 80% say is it just right.

Comments so far have suggested more material about what we're seeing on farms, new techniques, new best practices, and perhaps even splitting Nutrition Line into multiple newsletters based on topic. We'll take all of these suggestions seriously and appreciate your honest input.

If you haven't completed a survey yet, please do by clicking here. It only takes a minute or so. The first 50 responses will receive a sample of EpiCor, a science backed human immune support supplement that helps balance your immune function for better overall health.

World Ag Expo

Look us up at World Ag Expo in Tulare, California to learn more about our Year-Round Lactation Program. Our Diamond V technical team will be there for quick chats or lengthy discussions, whatever your preference

We're grateful for the many dairy professionals who have been reading Nutrition Line. We want to keep you as readers and, more importantly, make sure we always provide ways to create dialog and interaction. Thanks for your support of Nutrition Line!

Kind regards,

Mike

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A little tinkering and ingenuity goes a long way on a California dairy

Antonio Rodriguez next to his

iodine pump heating unit.

Who: Antonio Rodriguez, herdsman at Double J Dairy

Where: Visalia, California, in the Central Valley

What's New: Antonio has a profound philosophy when it come to improving dairy operating processes for the 4,300 milking cows he helps manage.

"If we have a problem, this is the way we fix that problem," says Antonio. That "way" is a bit intriguing. Using some tools at hand, a little elbow grease and a creative mind for the elegantly simple, Antonio has created new methods for improving top-dressing of nutritional additives on the feed alley, cleaning pens, and helping iodine pumps for udder spraying operate smoothly during cold weather.

How He Does It: Recently Antonio rigged up an even-pour canister mounted on the back of a gator tractor to top-dress Diamond V Original XPC yeast culture on the feed alley TMR. The valve-controlled system cost next to nothing to assemble, speeds up application and allows more accurate and consistent distribution of the product.

Antonio also saw a better way to clean cow pens, especially under the hard-to-reach pen cables that can collect manure and spawn fly populations that threaten cow health. Antonio fabricated a spring-loaded metal implement that is rigid yet flexible enough to get under the pen cables in a single, efficient pass on a tractor. This allows one person to accomplish in one day what four did previously, sometimes over several days.

And what about outdoor iodine pumps for teat dip treatments? In colder weather, the pumps were prone to sluggish, erratic operation. Antonio thought a little extra heat applied to the pumps during those cold spells could change that. So, he assembled some poultry heat lamps, mounted them inside a metal encasement, and then placed that box over the pump assembly. And voila! No more pump glitches.

What's Next: The dairy owner, Jay te Velde, Jr., asked Antonio if he's thought about taking his basic designs to the next level and finding a company to manufacture them. "That would be nice," he said, but for now, he's just working to help the dairy operate as efficiently as possible.

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See us at these industry events

World Ag Expo

February 14-16

Tulare, CA

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