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Indiana Dairy Producers
Board of Directors
Julie Bommer, Secretary/Treas.
Liz Kelsay
Brian Huber
Fred Kunkel
Greg Peters
Brian Houin
Cory Craig
Nathan Kuehnert
Industry Advisers
Andy Tauer
Todd Janzen, Attorney
Nathan Hrnicek
Chris Moore
Alicia Hrnicek, Administrative Assistant
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Silver Sponsors
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 Indiana Dairy Picture GalleryOver the years we have organized many tours and events, and we have tried to take pictures at all of them. We frequently invite you to watch a picture slideshow, but if you want to see our albums on our flickr page, click here.
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RESOURCE CENTER
Click on each picture or logo to learn more
 | | Indiana Grazing & Forages NRCS Website |
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 | | Calf Notes and Links |
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 | Innovation Center for U.S.
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Check out the resources available to you on the Purdue University Dairy Extension site: Topics on nutrition, business management, animal health and many more topics related to our dairy industry and animal care. |
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Please click online link at the top for best viewing of our e-update.
It has come to our attention that Gmail and some other email services, see a "clipped" version of our e-update. For best results and to view all the articles and pictures on our e-update, please click the online link at the top of the newsletter.
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Can you believe May is already here? As I travel the state by car and by phone, it seems that most producers are in pretty good shape with spring hauling, while spring forage harvesting has also begun in earnest. In my little corner of the world here in NW Indiana, some of the grain farmers are already nearing completion of planting - while some areas are still waiting to dry out. Markets and weather can make for some extremely stressful times, take care of yourself and don't be afraid to reach out to someone, I know how important that is - I am available too.
 We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Indiana Pork as Silver Sponsors of IDP! We have unique relationships within the Ag and livestock sectors here in Indiana, working together for the good of all. Special thanks to our Indiana pork producers, we love your products too! Make sure to take some time to get to the polls and exercise your right to vote, a freedom we often take for granted and our opportunity to have a voice on a local, state, and national level, your vote may help preserve your livelihood. Again, never hesitate to contact me with any dairy need at dougleman@indianadairy.org or by calling me at 317-695-8228, even if you just need to talk! Take care, be careful, and God bless!
Doug Leman
IDP Executive Director
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Needlestick Injuries: Education is key
Large-animal veterinarians, and the farm and ranch crews they train, face inherently dangerous working conditions. One of those dangers, with potentially serious or even fatal results, is injury from needles while injecting medications.
Recently, University of Minnesota veterinarian Jeff Bender, DVM, MS, ACVPM, conducted a webinar on needlestick injuries on behalf of the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health (UMASH) Center. Health problems associated with these injuries can include infectious diseases due to exposure to manure, blood or other contaminants, but the webinar focused primarily on the dangers of human exposure to drugs or drug components intended for animals. Injectable animal-health products, including vaccines, antibiotics, analgesics and anesthetics are thoroughly tested for safety in the target animal, but rarely are tested for human safety.
The USDA, Bender notes, has licensed over 2,000 vaccines for use in animals, with about 500 of those being live vaccines. If a person accidentally injects himself or herself, the vaccine, or in many cases, the adjuvant, can cause serious adverse reactions. Surprisingly, research has shown a significant incidence of farm workers intentionally injecting themselves with animal-health products, such as an equine vaccine for West Nile Virus. Most cases, however, result from accidental injections.
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Four Steps to Producing Quality Baleage
The use of baleage for forage preservation has gained considerable popularity in recent years according to Ted Probert, a dairy specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
"Wet storage of forages in the form of baleage offers several benefits to growers. First, baleage reduces the time needed between cutting and baling," said Probert. "This allows harvest to occur when it might not be possible to get hay fully cured during cool, wet weather."
Second, the ability to harvest with fewer concerns about weather allows for harvesting forage crops at an ideal growth stage. This leads to a third advantage, the ability to keep forage harvest on schedule, resulting in higher quality feed for livestock.
"In the end, and with all things considered, baleage systems can result in higher annual yields of nutritionally superior quality feed," said Probert. "Achievement of this goal depends on paying attention to the details known to be associated with successful baleage harvest and storage."
To read about the 'Steps to Success' click here.
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SCISSOR CUTTING IS NECESSARY TO HELP ENSURE YOU'RE CUTTING QUALITY ALFALFA
Nathan Hrnicek - District Manager, Dairyland Seed
Happy Spring to each of you! As planters and seeding of alfalfa fields have begun, I wanted to take this time to thank you for your continued investment into IDP, and your hard work providing delicious and nutritious products! My wife and I had a tremendous time on the industry tour with many of you to Illinois at the end of March. As you will begin assessing your alfalfa, and the timeliness of the harvest, I wanted to give you a protocol for scissor cutting. This is a necessary step to truly identify the quality of your alfalfa, and give you the best idea of when to cut. Please follow these steps this season, and remember to be safe each and every day. Your return home every night is much more important than any seed going in the ground, or cow to be milked. If you have any questions, please give me a call or text (219)863-6828.
READ ABOUT SCISSOR CUT PROTOCOL - PRE-HARVEST ALFALFA TESTING HERE
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Keep Cattle Peaceful and Productive with an Integrated Pest Management Program
Phil Jaquith, Regional Sales Manager, Central Life Sciences
Fly infestations greatly impact production on dairy farms, with different species posing distinct and significant threats to the animal's comfort and productivity. Without a proactive fly management program in place, diseases and reductions in milking productivity and quality resulting from flies can take a significant toll on the comfort of animals and an operation's bottom line.
Producers should implement a complete Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for the most effective control of costly, damaging flies on a dairy operation. An IPM program incorporates a combination of routine practices and control methods to help keep fly populations in check and below an established economic threshold - the number of flies per animal in which the economic losses resulting from the pests outweigh the costs to control them.
The first step to a successful IPM program is the Planning phase that includes monitoring the current pest population to determine the extent of the problem, and strategizing your approach to address it. A key component of this phase
is identifying exactly what species of fly is affecting
your cattle. The two species of greater concern for dairy producers are the house fly (Musca domestica), a disease vector, and the stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans), a blood feeder. The following key traits can help dairy operators identify the two most prominent fly species:
For more on this article and to read about the different species click here.
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ZFS Feed Ingredients Update
 When opportunity knocks, we need to be ready... thankfully, many took advantage of these at the beginning of April before the dollar weakened and CME grains ran up on non-commercial/speculative buying interest over the month, as commodity traders keep watch on South America harvest issues. Meanwhile, the U.S. planting is off to a good start and weather is closer to normal so far. Commodity Co-products continue to be good options for feed savings, especially hominy vs. ground corn as basis remains steady to higher. Offers are available May - July at good values on farm with good quality as well. The gluten plants have slowed production and have been working on mechanical issues this past month, creating tightness in supplies and prices ran up as shortage were quickly covered in the marketplace. Offers are available thru Sept. on wet and dry if need coverage yet for ration. Tid bit* high fructose corn syrup production for food usage also decreases slightly as commercials on tv promote ketchup and other items as high-fructose corn syrup FREE, which is a main item produced in gluten plants. Soy hull pellets are in good supply coming into May as plants are back on full production, great offers are available May-Aug. for your fiber/low protein source. Cottonseed offers have fallen quite a lot since February and has played back into some rations for the summer, call for pricing. New crop offers are also out at a $20-25 disc. to old crop, as producers start planting in the South/SE U.S. in May. TX did get started planting in April. The acres seem to be down a little again with margins low and corn/soys buying the acreage. Distillers dry grains been holding steady in values vs. corn futures. A good buy domestically for livestock over last couple months. Several plants took down time maintenance in April, keeping supply snug. The export market remains steady to softer. As production goes back to full now, you shall see offers lower around the countryside. Soybean meal, ah soybean meal and its run up on CME futures, as plants also took downtime in April, is showing a weaker basis now into May as production goes back full on. Not a bad idea to cover half your needs/risk, if you are open for summer. We all know how weather can change it quickly. Canola meal has remained steady in dairy diets, though higher flat priced like soy, as it is based on soy CME futures. There are ample supplies through September at this time and again protein coverage of at least part is suggested. Putting your tonnage needs on a Basis contract is also an option, to guarantee tonnage supply, though leaving yourself open to lower futures to flat price. Contact your merchandiser with questions. New crop October, offers are quiet yet, but biddable if you have interest. Have a safe planting/forage harvest season! |
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Support IDP
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Individual membership in the Indiana Dairy Producers is $50. Encourage your dairy farming friends to join IDP! Also, any individual who is not a dairy producer but would still like to support IDP can join as an associate member. Download a membership/associate brochure here.
We appreciate our industry supporters. They make it possible for IDP to support the dairy industry in many ways. If your company is interested in finding ways to join IDP, download an information sheet here. |
Upcoming 2016 Events
June Dairy Month
June 1 IDP Board meeting at Farm Bureau
June 18 Northern Indiana Dairy Trail open houses at Beer, Gingerich, Knollbrook, Metzger, Nor-Bert and Perkins Dairy Farms, learn more here
June 25 Northern Indiana Dairy Trail open houses at Homestead, Oneeda, Phares, Stutzman farms, learn more here.
July
July 8 Ice cream social with ADAI
August
August 5-21 INDIANA STATE FAIR
August 5,12,19 You have the wonderful opportunity to help serve at the dairy bar at the Indiana Sate Fair with IDP.
August 12 IDP Board meeting at State Fair.
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IDP Corporate Sponsors
 There is a growing list of companies that recognize IDP's value to Indiana's dairy industry. Please visit our list of companies that have become Corporate Sponsors for only $100. If you know of a company that may have an interest in supporting IDP at some level, please download a brochure here. |
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Contact Chris Moore for free insurance consultation and quotes on your farm and agribusiness Insurance needs! IDP members receive an exclusive discount on SECURA Insurance.
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