You're invited...

Date:  Saturday, August 30th, 2014

Time:  4:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Location:  Wagler Dairy  

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. -- Getting younger people and skilled workers into dairy is a struggle not only in the U.S., but even moreso in Europe, according to Dr. Nicola Blackie, keynote speaker during the Kentuckiana Dairy Exchange July 29-30 near Campbellsville, Ky. She spent a month at the University of Kentucky, seeing how dairy is done in the U.S. and furthering her research on locomotion scoring. She said herd sizes in England are growing, and the dairy industry there is losing cow numbers and people.

Dr. Blackie sees firsthand how the animal rights movement in Europe, and the increasing size of dairy farms, conspire to create new challenges in how new and expanding dairies can plan their facilities and manage their cattle. Her research focus ties in with these challenges by improving the data behind locomotion scoring, or "mobility scoring" as it is now called in Europe.

Specifically, Dr. Blackie looks for objective measurements that can be quantified. She uses computerized technologies such as accelerometers and kinematics to gather data points.

Blackie stressed the importance of making time for mobility scoring, noting that when producers and their employees are trained to do it -- and do it often -- the results are repeatable and consistent. This leads to more accurate early detection. Precision technologies available today assist in this process, she said.

"The best time to do mobility scoring is after milking, if possible," Blackie suggested. "Choose a flat, nonslip area to observe the cows as they walk at a natural pace, not pushed."   Read more 

CFO Top 10 Violations, from Steven Howell, IDEM director of the office of community and government affairs. This covers all sectors, not just dairy. 

1. Lack annual manure test - analysis not for current year (52 violations).
2. Incomplete land application records - missing Precipitation records (35 violations).
3. Weekly inspections - not recording weekly inspections in operating record (33 violations).
4. Is not adequately maintaining manure management systems - common problem not mowing lagoon berms, covering pump out port or addressing erosion around buildings (19 violations).
5. Do not have valid approval in operation record - most have an outdated version of their approval (14 violations).
6. Freeboard in uncovered liquid manure storage structure not maintained (13 violations).
7. Lack current soil tests - soil test not available at the time of the inspection or have not been updated (12 violations).
8. Weekly inspections are not being conducted (12 violations).
9. Current farmstead map is not in operating record (11 violations).
10. Freeboard marker in uncovered liquid manure storage structure is not being maintained (11 violations).

The top 10 violations list is based on 830 facility inspections conducted from 7/1/13 through 6/30/14. Overall for these 830 inspections only 154 facilities were cited for a total of 418 violations.

IDP and Stewart Peterson have organized efforts to present a series of educational webinars for IDP members with the goal of providing dairy producers and industry reps a convenient and consistent format to be regularly updated and presented with current perspectives to bolster their price management efforts on both milk and inputs.

IDP is committed to offering educational opportunities to our dairy producer members. We recognize that dairy pricing and protection can be confusing. Stewart-Peterson is a valued sponsor of IDP, but this webinar series will be offered without strings or pressure. A well-informed producer is definitely our goal.

Offering:  Commodity Price Management and Market Overview - 1 hour segments with consistent format presented by Stewart-Peterson and IDP.

Avoid dropping below the threshold of subclinical hypocalcemia

As a cow gets closer to calving, her calf's bones are rapidly growing, increasing the cow's need for calcium. Her need for calcium can easily increase by 2 to 10 grams of calcium per day.

And with this increase, she has no place to go for calcium other than her bones. Mobilizing calcium from a cow's bones, however, is a slow-moving process. It can take two to three days to get where it needs to be. By the time a cow calves, her blood calcium may drop below the threshold of subclinical hypocalcemia.

In general, more than half of cows in their second lactation and beyond are at risk of subclinical hypocalcemia, which can start a cascade of unfortunate events. Dairy producers should look to the preferred source of supplementation, oral calcium boluses.

Bovikalc� is proud to present this first of three videos in a series about the challenge of the calcium drain at calving. Boehringer Ingleheim Vetmedica, Inc., the makers of BOVIKALC, is committed to being the industry-leading source of information about subclincal hypocalcemia. In this first installment, learn what subclinical hypocalcemia is, and why, when left alone, it can lead to problems down the road.  

The Problem of Subclinical Hypocalcemia

Bovikalc is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. �2014 Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.

Indianapolis, Ind., August 7, 2014 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Indiana Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director, Julia A. Wickard, today announced that farmers still have time to apply for low interest Fiscal Year 2014 loans available through FSA's direct farm ownership program. The deadline to submit applications is Sept. 30, 2014.

Eligible producers can borrow up to $300,000 in direct farm ownership loans to buy or enlarge a farm, construct new farm buildings or improve structures, pay closing costs, or promote soil and water conservation and protection. The interest rate on select loans can be as low as 1.5 percent with up to 40 years to repay.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity for more farmers to get low-interest loans to start their first farm, or expand an existing family farm," said Wickard. "There are no backlogs or waiting for funding. If you've dreamed about starting a farm, or if you're looking to strengthen your farm, we want to help."

FSA encourages all interested applicants to apply for direct farm ownership loans. For more information about the program and other loans administered by FSA, visit any FSA county office or click here.

Cows raised on organic and conventional dairy farms in three regions of the United States show no significant differences in health or in the nutritional content of their milk, according to a new study by Oregon State University researchers and their collaborators.

Many organic and conventional dairies in the study also did not meet standards set by three commonly used cattle welfare programs.

"While there are differences in how cows are treated on organic farms, health outcomes are similar to conventional dairies," said Mike Gamroth, co-author of the study and professor emeritus in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Few dairies in this study performed well in formal criteria used to measure the health and well-being of cows."

Nearly 300 small dairy farms-192 organic and 100 conventional-in New York, Oregon and Wisconsin participated in the study, which was funded by a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The five-year project looked at many aspects of dairy cow health, including nutrition, lameness, udder cleanliness, and other conditions. Milk samples were screened for bacteria and common diseases, and farmers were asked about their operations, including the use of veterinarians and pain relief when removing horns from cattle. Read more