ALUMNI CORNER: CHANGING DHIA – STILL RELEVANT?

The roots of Dairy Herd Improvement Associations (DHIA) began over 100 years ago; much has changed within that time. With so many changes in the industry and so much new technology available today, is DHIA even still relevant? read more

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK – SUMMER’S COMING

Spring so far in Northern New York has seemed cooler than usual. Despite this cool weather, summer’s heat has been on my mind for a number of reasons. First, summer inevitably arrives and it always brings with it at least some hot, humid days that we need to be prepared for. Second, we are considering revamping the cow cooling equipment in our barns. And finally, heat stress has been on my mind because Dr. John Smith, the recognized leader in heat stress and housing, passed away recently. read more

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT LOW CALCIUM IN FRESH COWS?

In the December 2012 issue of the Farm Report I highlighted work indicating that fresh cows experience low blood calcium more than previously thought. In a survey of 480 herds in 21 states, 47% of cows had subclinical hypocalcemia (aka subclinical milk fever) within 48 hours of calving. Subclinical hypocalcemia is a threat to transition cow health and farm profitability. A cow doesn’t need to be “down” to be negatively affected by hypocalcemia. It results in decreased early lactation milk yield, increased risk for ketosis and displaced abomasum, and reduced fertility at first service. read more

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE FARM

As the weather warms and the soils thaw it’s no surprise that Miner Institute’s crop crew – Jake Ashline, Shawn Bechard, and Henry Meseck – are keeping busy preparing for the growing season ahead. Knowing little of what this process entails, I dropped in at the shop to find out what was what. read more

RUMINATION RUMINATIONS AND SLEEP

We know that rumination is highly influenced by the amount of physically effective fiber (peNDF) a dairy cow consumes. The amount of NDF, particle length and digestibility all affect how long she needs to chew on that fiber. We also know that some things can depress rumination such as illness and anxiety. Sick cows stop ruminating and nervous cows stop ruminating. read more

NRC, CPM, CNCPS, AMTS…
DECIPHERING THE ALPHABET SOUP OF RATION FORMULATORS

After arriving at Miner Institute and being entrusted with a nutrition study I began searching for the tried and trusty NRC ration formulation software on my computer. Quickly did I learn that NRC was out at Miner Institute and a combination of CPM and AMTS were in. Mentally I began going through the ration formulation software I had heard of — AMTS, CNCPS, CPM, Dalex, Molly, NDS, NRC — realizing that these letters quickly started to look and sound like a bowl full of alphabet soup. read more

THE COLD HARD FACTS ON CORN SILAGE DIGESTIBILITY

Record grain prices have increased the interest in high-forage rations, which begin with highly digestible forages including corn silage. Among the ways farmers can improve corn silage digestibility are to fine-tune hybrid selection, plant population, and harvest maturity. Harvest maturity offers a great opportunity for quality improvement simply because so many farmers routinely chop their corn at least a week before the ideal stage of maturity. When I started advising farmers in the mid-1960s one of the most common problems was immature, low DM corn silage. read more

PHOSPHORUS (P) FERTILIZER OPTIONS: DOES SOURCE MATTER?

Soil and agronomic factors (e.g., soil test P level, pH, organic carbon content, texture) have a well-known influence on P availability to crops, but what about the type of P fertilizer? When it comes to predicting P availability, research indicates that agronomic factors are much more important than the source or form of P fertilizer. read more

HEALTHY CALVES

Disease in calves comes with a high cost as it impacts growth rates, treatment occurrences, and future production losses. The three most common symptoms of calf disease are diarrhea (scours), pneumonia and septicemia which together are responsible for over 80% of calf deaths. The key steps to reducing disease are to identify, prevent and react. read more

2013 DAIRY NUTRITION SHORT COURSE
June 3 - 6, 2013 at Miner Institute, Chazy, NY

The Dairy Nutrition and Management shortcourse is designed to expose nutritionists, allied industry professionals, and veterinarians to the latest research and its application within dairy nutrition and management. This shortcourse is taught in odd-numbered years at Miner Institute by Cornell faculty, Miner Institute staff, and guest speakers from other Universities.
Registration opens Monday, April 15
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/dm/dncourse/

For more information about logistics and registration, contact:
Heather Darrow, Cornell University
Phone: (607) 255-4478
Fax: (607) 255-1335
E-mail: hh96@cornell.edu
For more information on course content, contact:
Dr. Tom Overton, Cornell University
Phone: (607) 255-2878
FAX: (607) 255-1335
Email: tro2@cornell.edu