Welcome to the 2016 JAM
As you review your daily plans for the meeting here are several events that you may want to include on your personal schedule. 

Friday, July 22
8:00-9:00 am - ADSA Spokesperson Q&A at ADSA exhibit booth
9:30-10:30 am - ADSA Business Meeting Salt Palace Convention Center, 258/259
1:00-2:00 pm - S-PAC Q and A at the ADSA Booth
 2:00 - 5:30 pm - MILK Symposium: Marketing Milk for Entrepreneurial and Big Business Value, Grand Ballroom B/D
2016 American Dairy Science Association® Awards
Last evening at the ADSA Award Program the following individuals were recognized for their achievements and contributions to the dairy industry and the association.  The winners included:

Alltech Inc. Graduate Student Paper Publication Award
Carolina Bespalhok Jacometo
 
American Feed Industry Association Award
Hélėne Lapierre
 
Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Award
Kevin Harvatine
 
DeLaval Dairy Extension Award
Steven Washburn
 
Elanco Award for Excellence in Dairy Science
Juan Loor
 
Hoard's Dairyman Youth Development Award
Leslie Hansen
 
International Dairy Foods Association Research Award in Dairy Foods Processing
Nagendra Shah
 
J. L. Lush Award in Animal Breeding
Jennie Pryce
 
KraftHeinz Teaching Award in Dairy Science
John Lucey
 
Lallemand Animal Nutrition Award for Scientific Excellence in Dairy Nutrition
Michael Steele
 
National Milk Producers Federation Richard M. Hoyt Award
Luiz Ferraretto
 
Nutrition Professionals Inc. Applied Dairy Nutrition Award
Marshall Stern
 
Purina Animal Nutrition Teaching Award in Dairy Production
Michael Tomaszewski
 
West Agro Inc. Award
Xin Zhao
 
Zoetis Physiology Award
Jesse Goff
 
Genevieve Christen Distinguished Undergraduate Student Award
Elizabeth Davis
 
ADSA Foundation Scholar Award in Dairy Production
Felipe Cardoso
 
ADSA Award of Honor
James Linn
 
ADSA Distinguished Service Award
Michael Hutjens
 
ADSA Fellows
James Linn
Robert Harmon
Phillip Tong
Curtis Van Tassell
 
Journal of Dairy Science® Most-Cited Awards
 
Dairy Foods
Carl Holt
 
Physiology and Management
Wolfgang Heuwieser
 
Nutrition, Feeding, and Calves
Pekka Huhtanen
 
Genetics and Breeding
Paul VanRaden


 
Do You Know S-PAC?
You received information about S-PAC with your registration material, but do you:
*             Want more information about SPAC?
*             Have questions about using S-PAC?
Stop by the ADSA Booth between 1:00 and 2:00 pm today to visit about or try out our large and ever-growing on-line collection of conference proceedings

 
Automatic milking system requires management change consideration
By Derek Nolan
 
During the ADSA Production Division Symposium: Robotic Dairying: Adapting Farm and Business Management, four presenters discussed the management changes and economics of investing in an automatic milking system (AMS). 

Robotic dairying is becoming more popular all around the world.  Approximately 15,000 dairies have invested in an AMS worldwide.  The majority of these producers are smaller farmers, milking between 50 and 300 cows.  Adoption by these producers has been popular for two main reasons.  The first being a more flexible lifestyle by not devoting time to milking and the second being the replacement of manual labor.  Investing in a AMS can reduce labor needed by 29%.  However, before a producer invests in a robotic milker some considerations need to be examined.

The first consideration needs to looked at before the building of a facility even begins.  Housing systems for a AMS can be divided into two types, guided flow or free flow.  A guided system is set up with a sort gate.  If the has not been milked for a determined period of time she must first visit the AMS before going to the feed bunk.  A free system simply lets cow enter the AMS as they please.  The only enticement they receive is concentrate provided by the AMS.   Research has shown that the cows in the guided system visit the AMS more frequently but visit the feed bunk less.  Cows in a free system tend to have a higher dry matter intake and produce more milk.

Read more
New methods examined to prevent and treat early lactation disease
By Amanda Lee
 
In the Animal Health: Dairy Transition and Reproductive Health session at the JAM 2016, researchers presented data demonstrating the newest methods of evaluating and preventing early lactation diseases, and the potential costs of diagnosis. A few presentations from this session are highlighted below.
 
As is well accepted, metritis can be a costly and detrimental disease that can be difficult to diagnose correctly. Although typically defined as the presence of a flaccid uterus containing fetid fluid within the first 10 days postpartum, producers and farm staff can easily underdiagnose a case of mild metritis. Researchers with Elanco Animal Health collected Dairy Comp records from one operation that reports no, mild, and severe cases of metritis and analyzed the data to determine how reporting quality records can impact economic loss. By not reporting the incidence of mild metritis, modeled data suggested producers could lose an additional 110 kg of milk/cow/lactation resulting in an 18,000 kg loss for a herd. Overall, misclassification can reduce economic profits and severely underestimate the diagnostic and treatment cost of each incidence.
 
While proper data reporting is crucial to determine economic loss, technology can be used to aid in the understanding of disease incidence on cost. One example of disease monitoring through technology was presented by researchers from Colorado State University. Using AFIMilk (Kibbutz Afikim, Israel) to explore milk fat:protein and fat:lactose ratio in postpartum cows, researchers explored how milk yield and component fluctuation can be used to predict disease. Looking at 5 days prior to diagnosis, cows with a higher fat:lactose ratio had an increased risk of developing milk fever and metritis. However, cows with a higher fat:protein ratio had increased risk of developing ketosis. Additionally, the sensitivity of AFIMIlk to predict hypocalcemia was 100%, when compared fat:lactose was compared to data from 3 to 5 days prior. Although sensitivity and specificity varied by disease, comparing cows to cows within the same group proved the most effective method to determining how milk component ratio effects cow disease.
 
Although most current research focuses on disease detection, predicting disease prior to incidence may prove to be more useful in preventing sick and cull cows. Researchers from the University of Alberta have been using direct inspection by mass spectrometry to determine metabolites in blood, milk, and urine to predict metabolic disease and lameness. Metabolites are typically small molecules functioning as intermediate products of metabolism. Unlike traditional testing, the presence of metabolites does not require cutoff points to indicate the presence and severity of disease. Cows were examined 8 and 4 weeks before calving, at disease diagnosis, and 4 and 8 weeks after calving to determine incidence of disease. Researchers discovered 180 metabolites mostly associated with ketosis and 154 metabolites associated with lameness. Metabolite correlation to ketosis and lameness ranged from .95 to 1.00. While this process is extremely costly, future research to create cowside and cost-effective monitoring techniques for metabolites.

Amanda Lee is originally from Palatine, Illinois.  She completed her BS at Knox College in 2013, and is currently working on her MS in Animal Sciences at the University of Kentucky.  Her research focuses on using precision dairy technology to predict metabolic disease and better understand heat stress.
On-farm breakfasts dish up consumer trust
By Barbara Wadsworth

Increased consumer trust was the theme for presentations about Breakfast on the Farm in the Extension Education session at JAM 2016.  Breakfast on the Farm is used as a tool to increase consumer engagement on farms, consumer knowledge of farms, and transparency of farms.  Allied industry is instrumental in the efficacy of Breakfast on the Farm and in the teachings of consumers.

The first presentation from the University of Vermont discussed Breakfast on the Farm as an effective learning tool for consumers.  Breakfast on the Farm saw 550 people attend the 240 head dairy farm that utilized automated milking systems, feed pushers, and manure scrapers.  Before the event, 25% of attendees had never visited a farm.  Surveys were distributed to gain knowledge of consumer's perspective.  An increase in strongly agreeing that cows are humanely cared for on farms increased from before visiting the farm to after visiting the farm.

The second presentation from Michigan State University discussed Breakfast on the Farm as an effective tool for increasing consumer perspective on dairy cattle housing.  Breakfast on the Farm in Michigan saw 2000 attendees on a 3,500 head dairy farm.  Before this event, 37% of attendees had never visited a farm.  Overall, consumers level of trust that producers were housing animals correctly increased by 0.50 points on a likert scale.  In first time attendees, this value increased to 0.86 points.

Take home message: After attending a Breakfast on the Farm event, 45% of consumers indicated they would buy more dairy products.  Overall, a shift of consumer trust occurred after attending the event.  Hosting a Breakfast on the Farm event has the potential to increase consumer awareness of modern dairy farm practices and their trust in the dairy industry.

Barbara Wadsworth grew up in Hiram, Maine, on a hobby beef farm raising replacement Holstein heifers.  She completed her BS in 2007 at Purdue University, her MS in 2014 at the University of Kentucky, and is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Kentucky.  Her research topic centers around the detection of lameness using precision dairy farming technologies.
Heat abatement crucial on farms 
By Barbara Wadsworth

The Utah heat was a great backdrop for the heat abatement poster session at JAM 2016.  Two posters highlighted two different heat abatement strategies to cool cows effectively.  While both used different cow cooling methods, both effectively cooled cows.

The first heat abatement study from the University of Kentucky focused on the effects of exit lane showers on vaginal temperature.  Forty-five cows were enrolled in the 4 week cross over study where cows either received the shower drench, or did not.  Vaginal temperatures were recorded to determine cow body temperature.  Showers were installed in the parlor exit lanes and were automatically activated as cows passed beneath them.  Overall, a 0.1 C difference in body temperature was observed up to 2 hours after the shower drench occurred.

The second heat abatement study from Kansas State University focused on the use of evaporative cooling systems on a commercial dairy farm that used a tunnel ventilated tie-stall barn and a compost bedded back barn with cyclone fans in the barn that cooled the air surrounding the cows.  Twelve cows were enrolled into 1 of 2 treatments in a switchback study design.  Respiration rate was measured 5 times/day along with time that the barn temperature was ≥ 39 C.  Overall, respiration rates were lower when cows were housed in the compost barn with the cyclone fans compared to the tunnel ventilated tie-stall barn.  Barn temperature was ≥ 39 C for 20 hours in the tunnel ventilated tie-stall barn compared to only 9 hours in the cyclone fan cooled compost barn.

Take home message: Different methods to cool cows are available.  Evaporative cooling was shown to reduce cow respiration rates and cow body temperature.  Heat abatement is crucial on farms.

Barbara Wadsworth grew up in Hiram, Maine, on a hobby beef farm raising replacement Holstein heifers.  She completed her BS in 2007 at Purdue University, her MS in 2014 at the University of Kentucky, and is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Kentucky.  Her research topic centers around the detection of lameness using precision dairy farming technologies.
Thanks to our Corporate Sustaining Members
                                 We appreciate your ongoing support of ADSA and the Journal of Dairy Science®.
Ag Processing Inc.
Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition
BioZyme Incorporated
Darling International Research
Diamond V Mills
DuPont Pioneer
Elanco Animal Health
GEA Farm Technologies
Global Agri-Trade Corporation
Grande Cheese Company
Kent Nutrition Group
Kraft Foods
Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Masters Choice
Papillon Agricultural Company
Quali Tech, Inc.
Renaissance Nutrition Inc.
SoyPLUS, SoyChlor (West Central)
Zinpro
Zoetis
Zook Nutrition & Management Inc. 
ADSA Membership Benefits                                 
                                           
Did you know that your ADSA Professional Membership provides you with:

*        Electronic access to the Journal of Dairy Science®

*        Joint Annual Meeting at member rates

*        Discover Conferences at member rates

*        S-PAC: Free access to JAM and ADSA divisional abstracts

*        S-PAC subscription at member rates

*        Access to recorded symposia library                                                                       

*        ADSA News (association newsletter)

*        ADSA Dair e-news (ADSA industry newsletter)

*        Access to member directory

*        Peer recognition through ADSA and Foundation Award Program

*        Discounted page charges in Journal of Dairy Science®

*        A strong voice of advocacy for the animal sciences, animal agriculture and agriculture research

*        Broad author recognition through ADSA/Elsevier press release program

*        Linked In and You Tube sites for ADSA

*        Quality networking with academic and industry professionals

*        Travel awards for all graduate students attending Discover Conferences

*        Opportunity to serve peers via committee and officer positions

 
For more information on your benefits please visit: http://www.adsa.org/join.asp
To join now and gain these member benefits, visit: http://www.adsa.org/join.asp
American Dairy Science Association
1800 South Oak St., Suite 100, Champaign, IL 61820
Email: adsa@assochg.org