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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™

Volume 20, No. 23

VenƟlaƟon: Not only a warm weather concern By Jennifer Coyne & Danna Sabolik Staﬀ writers

PERHAM, Minn. – Summers in the Midwest are unpredictable, with extreme weather uctuations affecting cow comfort and health on dairy farms throughout the region. The concern for animal welfare does not end when the sun begins to set sooner. In fact, the same challenges with temperature and moisture are present throughout the winter months, and the solution lies in proper ventilation. “Being in the Upper Midwest, we get a wide temperature range; so how do we manage that?” said Kevin Janni, professor and engineer with the University of Minnesota. Janni gave a presentation on proper barn ventilation during a Moo University workshop Jan. 14 in Perham, Minn. As cold weather sets in, barns are buttoned up; but it is crucial ventilation through the facilities remains to deter lingering stale air and the build up of unwanted moisture. “While a higher temperature in the barn will keep manure from freezing, it also raises relative humidity and increases the risk of pneumonia in the herd,” David W. Kammel said. Kammel, a professor of biological systems engineering with the University of WisconsinMadison, has worked with the state’s extension as an expert in livestock housing since 1985. During the winter, farmers should manage the barn climate to the point when manure is likely to freeze and adjust accordingly with weather conditions and the needs of the animals. Naturally ventilated barns provide a temperate climate conducive for animal welfare nearly all year-round. However, winter cold snaps make them less efcient, and for this reason mechanically ventilated barns are growing in popularity.

Turn to VENTILATION | Page 6

January 26, 2019

Dairy endeavor starts early for Mallow

High schooler maintains separate herd on parents’ dairy By Stacey Smart Staﬀ Writer

IXONIA, Wis. – Even though Ann Mallow farms side by side with her parents, Joe and Karen Mallow, at the same location, the ambitious 18-year-old milks a herd of her own, one she has been building since her 14th birthday. “I love the dairy industry and really enjoy working with animals,” Mallow said, “and I wanted to branch out on my own.” The high school student began milking her own 23cow herd Nov. 1, 2018 on her family’s dairy near Ixonia, Wis. Most teenagers do not ask for a calf for their birthday, but that was Mallow’s only wish the year she turned 14. Growing up on her parents’ farm, Mallow loved working with the calves and had a

STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR

High schooler Ann Mallow milks 58 head that include Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Holsteins and a variety of crossbreeds near Ixonia, Wis. Mallow began building her herd at the age of 14. strong desire to start her own herd. Knowing of Mallow’s plans to save up money to buy her rst calf, two nearby farms gifted calves to the young dairy girl. “It was really nice to get

that start,” Mallow said. Then, with money she received for her birthday, Mallow bought a bred heifer. “Within three days, I had three heifers and grew from there,” Mallow said.

Mallow’s 23-cow herd is housed in a freestall barn built especially for her last summer, separate from her parents’ 30-cow herd. The two farm Turn to MALLOW| Page 7

New year, new milk market

Lafayette County dairyman helps himself, neighbors By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Robert Pierce milks around 30 cows on his LafayeƩe County dairy farm outside of Darlington, Wis. Shortly before Thanksgiving, Pierce learned he would be losing his milk market as of the rst of the year, and struggled nding a new home for his milk, largely because of the small size of his herd.

DARLINGTON, Wis. – Thanksgiving did not bring good tiding for 16 farms in southwest Wisconsin. Those dairy producers received the dreaded notice that they were being dropped from the milk market with the Wisconsin Cheese Group as of Jan. 1. Included in this were 12 Amish farms, 11 of which had Grade A permits, and four non-Amish farms that were selling milk with Grade B permits. Robert Pierce was one of the affected dairy farmers. Pierce milks about 30 cows on his dairy outside Darlington, Wis. A problem-solver by nature, Pierce did not waste time in beginning a search for a new market, not only for himself but for his neighbors as well. “Two of us that were Grade B, including myself, Turn to PIERCE | Page 5

Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com

ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Amanda Thooft 320-352-6303 amanda.t@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Danna Sabolik - Staff Writer (320) 352-6303 • danna.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.

The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.

North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside

Dairy Prole brought to you by your

Well, it’s ofcially winter. It sure feels like it anyway. With teeth-chattering wind Favorite quotes from this issue: chills in the upper Midwest, I think everyone is looking forward to springtime. This cold spurt hopefully won’t last long and before we know it we’ll “Many dairy farmers might be be back in the elds wondering where those slower winter days scared to get out because of the have gone. This issue we’ve put together a variety of stories, repercussions of pride, criticism or having to deal with the aftermath, from basketball hobbies to the Persian Gulf. In our From Our Side of the Fence feature, we asked dairy but we had to cut the emotional side the business side.” – Darienne farmers about their maternity pens and birthing procedures. from Frickson (First Section, Page 10) Read about their habits and techniques they use on their farms on pages 15 and 16 of the rst section. “The goal of the calf program is to Traveling far and wide, we spoke with a dairy farmer from not only put weight on the calf, but Revillo, S.D., who sent 102 bred heifers to a small country in By Mark Klaphake the Persian Gulf, called Kuwait. Kevin Souza of Victory Farms is to raise a cow.” – Dr. Anne Proctor (First Section, Page 38) Editor learned about the idea from his Select Sires representative, who suggested he work with a broker from North Carolina who was looking for 100 head to export to a dairy farm in Kuwait. You can nd that story on By the Numbers page 12 of the rst section. We spoke with a dairy farmer from Arlington, Minn. who enjoys his winters The highest price because that’s when he coaches elementary school girls basketball. Read about his per hundredweight blue ame and how he keeps all gears grinding this time of year in the third section. equivalent Jean-Marc After attending the Minnesota Organic Conference on Jan. 11, we wrote up a Quiniou, of France, couple stories about what we heard. David Jones spoke about high-quality forages and the economic impact they have on an operation. Hettenbach presented on recordreceived in 2018. keeping - an essential part of being organically certied - and offered tips on how (Second Section, to maintain accurate records for organic certication. Read both those stories in the Pages 14-15) second section. In a previous issue, we did a story about a young girl who wrote a letter to the Hours in a day president and got a response. Per reader’s requests, we’ve included a copy of the letter cows spend lying President Trump wrote to Hannah Olson. You can nd that on page 11 of the rst section. down. (Second We featured a large family of seven kids this issue for Kids Corner. Read about Section, Page 20) this big, happy family and how all the children are involved on the farm in the third section.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 3

It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider

Pages 8-9 First Section

Our expansion project Page 26 First Section

Gilman

First Section: Page 28

First Section: Pages 34 - 35

Parents, children keep 1,000-cow dairy humming

The Transition Pen Page 27 First Section

Owen

Shell Lake

Ramblings from the Ridge

Dairy’s Star Youth: Matthew Fischer

Swartz’s enjoy challenges of dairying

Bayeld

Douglas

Third Section: Page 6

Iron

Page 30 First Section

Stratford

Maple Ridge Dairy maintains 38 percent preg rate

Ashland

From Our Side of the Fence

Page 31 First Section

First Section: Pages 15 - 16

Just Thinking Out Loud

Burnett

Polk

Sawyer

W as

Dodgeville

Something to Ruminate On

Price

First Section: Pages 18, 20

Rusk

Barron

Taylor St. Croix

Dairy Good Life

Pierce

Page 33 First Section

Dunn

Pepin Buffalo

The “Mielke” Market Weekly

Pages 10 - 11 Second Section

Darlington

Success is anything but incidental at Thompson’s Random Luck Taps First Section: Pages 23, 25

Chippewa

Marathon Clark

Eau Claire Trempealeau

Page 32 First Section

Rosendale

Women in Dairy: Debbie Mess

Wood Jackson

First Section: Page 38

Adams

La Crosse Monroe

Juneau

Fond Du Lac

Vernon

ford

Richland

Columbia

Sauk

Craw

Dane

Iowa Grant

Zone 2 Darlington

Lafayette

Green

Dodge

e eff

Rock

Pierce helped himself, neighbors

Ixonia

Mallow starts her own business on parents’ dairy

First Section: Pages 1, 5

First Section: Pages 1, 6

For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com

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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 5

ConƟnued from PIERCE | Page 1

are almost considered to be seasonal farms, and are too small, especially at this point of the year for most places to want to pick us up,” Pierce said. “The other farm bought more cattle to produce enough to get into a market, but that wasn’t an option for me.” Pierce began making calls, looking for a new market. He investigated options of buying a milk truck to create a route for the farms in question since hauling seemed to be a large part of the issue. During this time, the affected Amish producers decided to form their own cooperative to create a market for themselves. However, they were not willing to let non-Amish dairy producers join their newlyformed cooperative. A solution to the problem seemed to have been found early in December when an Illinois-based cheese plant said it was willing to add farms to its

“Ironically, I had found a market for the others, but not for myself. So I started back on the phone.” ROBERT PIERCE, DAIRY FARMER

routes provided the farms could reach a production level of 700 pounds of milk per pick-up. That relief turned out to be shortlived, as Pierce received another holiday surprise when the plant changed its production requirement to 1,500 pounds of milk per pick-up. Of the four non-Amish producers, Pierce was the only one excluded from pick-up with that creamery because of the production requirements. “Ironically, I had found a market for the others, but not for myself,”

Pierce said. “So I started back on the phone. It’s not necessarily easy to reach people during the holidays.” After making many phone calls, Pierce had the fortune to connect with a DFA eld representative the Thursday before Christmas. Pierce learned that despite the small size of his herd, DFA would be willing to take his milk if he could obtain Grade A permitting, because they were already picking milk up within 2 miles of his farm. Pierce spent his holiday working on making the adjustments required in order to pass a Grade A inspection. “It wasn’t anything really big,” Pierce said of what he needed to do to obtain the Grade A permit. “It was just a few small maintenance-type things that got put aside and overlooked. I had to do some painting and tidying up, and update some hoses and x a crack in the bulk tank lid.” When the rst of the year rolled around, Pierce had not yet been inspected to receive his Grade A permit. He dumped his milk for the rst nine days of the new year, which he estimates was about 2,800 pounds. In the week following the rst load shipped to DFA, Pierce has had 10 more cows freshen, putting his pickups over the 1,500-pound mark. “It was a really stressful couple of months,” Pierce said. “Not knowing where you are going to go with your milk, wondering what your options are, waiting to nd the right answer.” The third generation of his family to dairy farm, Pierce has kept his farm going by keeping his inputs simple and his cost of production low. “I’ve kept things simple,” he said. “I feed my cows for components as opposed to pushing for high production. I have older equipment. I do my own repairs and maintenance, and just make things work. I can’t imagine not milking cows.”

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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

ConƟnued from MALLOW| Page 1

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Ann Mallow and parents, Karen and Joe Mallow, farm side-by-side at the same locaƟon, but maintain separate herds, freestall barns, bulk tanks and feed. signs on the milk house are proof of Mallow’s independence. She has her own producer number through Family Dairies USA and receives her own milk check. The original stanchion barn has been converted into a double-4 at barn milking parlor and holding area. Mallow and her parents share the parlor but send their milk to different bulk tanks. A milk house addition was built last fall to accommodate Mallow’s tank. Mallow’s parents fully supported her decision to farm separately. In fact, they encouraged it. They wanted Mallow to have her own cattle and earn a separate milk check, making it easier for her to get a loan if, and when, she needs one in the future. “That was a big reason for doing this,” Mallow said. “My dad felt it would make it easier for me to be on my own one day.” The arrangement allowed Mallow to start her own herd with the security of an established infrastructure. Although some resources are shared, the operations are independent in terms of cattle ownership, income and decision-making, maintaining separate milking herds, freestall barns, bulk tanks and feed. “We each make our own decisions,” Mallow said. “My parents can do their own thing, and I can do mine. Yet, we’re there to help each other out. It’s the best of both worlds.” Mallow helps her parents milk, and then Karen helps Mallow milk while Joe feeds the heifers and cows, and cleans the barns. “It’s just the three of us, and we split labor everywhere,” Mallow said. The farm has been in the family for more than a century, with Mallow as the fth generation of Mallows to farm on the same location. Due to health issues, Mallow has attended school online for the past six years. She said she latched onto the farm once she started online schooling. “I’ve always loved the farm and these girls,” said Mallow, who admitted her cows are spoiled. “And I realized I wanted to make a career out of dairy farming.” Balancing her growing herd and additional duties on the farm with school work was tricky at rst. But things got easier once she settled into a routine. Mallow, who will graduate in May, said she does school work at night or during the day in between chores. Mallow’s diverse herd contains Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Holsteins and a variety of crossbreeds, including JerseyHolstein, Brown Swiss-Holstein, Brown Swiss-Jersey, and Norwegian Red-Red and White Holstein. Mallow’s components are much higher than her parents’ herd, which has given her milk check a healthy boost. Mallow’s cows average 60 pounds of

milk per cow per day with a 4.6 percent butterfat and 3.6 percent protein. “When I got my rst check, we couldn’t believe the difference my components made,” Mallow said. “Higher components earn a substantially higher milk price, and that really helps.” Including youngstock, Mallow’s herd totals 58 head. At this time, most of her calves and heifers are combined with her parents’, but the plan is to eventually convert a building to house her youngstock separately. Mallow has built relationships with various farms while growing her herd, purchasing animals from many local Jersey, Brown Swiss and Holstein farms. Mallow recently bought nine head of registered Brown Swiss and hopes to expand the registered portion of her herd going forward. Mallow does a lot of A.I. breeding, and currently, about one-fourth of her herd is homebred. “It’s fun because I choose to crossbreed,” Mallow said. Mallow is also raising a Brown Swiss-Jersey cross bull to supplement her A.I. breeding as a means for keeping costs down. The Mallows farm around 300 acres, and Mallow’s parents raise all of their own feed. Mallow buys some of her feed, including Western alfalfa from South Dakota. She does not feed a TMR like her parents; rather, Mallow’s cows are fed dry hay and grain. Mallow handles all of her own expenses and pays rent for her freestall barn and bulk tank, both of which were paid for by her parents, as well as rent on anything else she uses. “They’ve been great,” Mallow said of her parents. “It’s nice to have that support system. Actually, a lot of people have been supportive of this.” In the next couple years, Mallow’s goal is to ll her 46-stall barn and continue developing her herd, focusing on Jersey and Brown Swiss breeding, and crossing breeds, to accentuate components. “Some people think I’m crazy for doing this,” Mallow said. “But I’m determined to make it work. This is the industry I chose, and I still have hope for it.” From eldwork to cows, Mallow loves everything about farming. “I enjoy having a variety of things to do,” she said. “Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, I’m always busy doing something. I especially love harvest – it’s one of my favorite times of the year.” Mallow does not feel she is missing out on anything that other 18-year-olds might be doing. “I have health issues that limit what I do anyways,” Mallow said. “But more so than that, I just enjoy being on the farm. This was my goal – to have my own freestall barn and separate herd. And now here I am, and I’m so happy.”

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 7

Con�nued from VENTILATION | Page 1 Steve Driessen and his family updated their 1991 naturally-ventilated freestall barn to a tunnel-ventilated system about ve years ago. “Before, we were always dealing with frozen teats and frozen manure,” Driessen said. “Now, there are no frozen teats and the manure doesn’t freeze either.” The Driessen family milks 200 cows near Porter, Minn. Since renovating the housing facility, the Driessens have noticed the barn remaining consistently warmer. However, to ensure proper airow, vents are open on the sidewalls to let fresh air in, as well as a vent on top of the barn to let warm air out as it rises through the building. Oftentimes, the trickiest part of managing any housing facility is maintaining a temperature in which the animals can thrive. Within a herd, the temperature range in which an animal is comfortable varies based on age, Janni said. The thermal neutral zone for cows is between 5 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. For calves, they are comfortable at temperatures ranging between 50 to 77 degrees for those less than 1 month old and 32 to 73 degrees for those older than 1 month. Outside temperatures in the Upper Midwest can vary from minus 20 degrees to more than 100 degrees, so maintaining a consistent climate in the barns is essential. As a benchmark, naturally-ventilated facilities should remain about 5 to 10 degrees greater than the temperature outside to provide minimum air exchange to prevent manure freezing, yet a quality air environment for the cows, Kammel said. “We think the temperature needs to be more than it really does for cows,” he said. “As long as they’re out of the drafts, they can handle it. The key is to manage temperatures to the point where manure would freeze as best as possible.” There are four components of indoor

temperature to consider when determining if the barn is adequately ventilated – relative humidity, temperature-humidityindex, air velocity and ammonia levels. Relative humidity and dew point temperatures both benchmark points in which moisture is in the barn. While both values indicate moisture in the air, relative humidity is the percent saturation at a given temperature. Once the relative humidity reaches 100 percent – the air is entirely saturated – then the dew point is reached. “Personally, as an engineer, I prefer to work in dew point temperatures,” Janni said. “I like to keep relative humidity at a point where no condensation or frost will form in the barn.” Farmers should aim for 50 to 80 percent relative humidity in their housing facilities. If relative humidity and dew point are not managed with effective ventilation, moisture accrues and will pose health risks for the animals. “I was in a calf barn with a metal roof and no ventilation,” Janni said. “The ceiling was frosty in the morning, and as the sun rose and heated the roof, the frost melted and it was raining on the calves.” Adequate air velocity should measure at 60 feet per minute at the calf level. In tunnel-ventilated and cross-ventilated barns, farmers should aim for 528 feet per minute, or 6 miles per hour, whereas the inlet air velocity should be between 800 to 1,000 feet per minute. Aside from numeral benchmarks, the animals within the barn will also show signs of adequate airow. Respiration rates, milk production and cost lost in milk production are all indications something is not right in the barn. “If animals are exposed to high humidity for a long period of time, it can be detrimental to their health,” Kammel said. Janni agreed. “Monitor the cow with the highest production as a baseline,” he said.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Baﬄes help direct airow through the Driessens’ barn near Porter, Minn. Proper ven�la�on in the winter is essen�al for providing adequate air quality for the animals, while also controlling the barn temperature at a manageable level. Visual cues in the barn, such as fog or wet trusses, may also indicate there is not enough ventilation. “If the steel surfaces are dripping or frosted, then the humidity is too high and the materials are too cold,” Kammel said. “Same thing if it’s foggy in the barn. You need to open up inlets of the curtains and bring in an exchange of cold, dry air.” Janni agreed. “Air is lazy; it takes the easiest path,” he said. “When trying to manage ventilation with bafes, avoid open aisles or the wind will all go there.” Damp conditions also cause added wear on the facilities, creating weak points in the structural soundness of the barn and impacting the building’s longevity. Wintertime poses its own set of challenges, regardless of barn design. “Everyone brags about cow comfort in the summer and how you don’t lose milk [with tunnel ventilation], but no one

talks about the winter,” Driessen said. “The barn is a lot darker and it does get warm.” Driessen also mentioned that while they no longer see frozen teats, some stalls become lled with snow when the north wind hits the barn. “We’ve made an old barn work with a new system, but it’s tricky,” Driessen said. In the Upper Midwest, there is no easy way to deal with cold temperatures that is conducive for both animal health and farm management. “Cows can tolerate stress from poor air quality for a little while, but eventually it will come at a cost,” Kammel said. “The options are to suffer through frozen manure for a few days or treat pneumonia later on. You have to be ready to deal with manure build up in a different way so that ventilation is at its best for cow health.”

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Page 8 â€˘ Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, January 26, 2019

Trump tells farmers the greatest harvest is yet to come For a second straight year, President Donald rose more than $10 billion, or 22 percent. Due to the strong demand for farm loans, liquidity at Trump paid a visit the American Farm Ag Insider agricultural banks trended lower and colBureau Federation Convention. Trump lateral requirements continued to tighten. spent most of the speech focused on borLoan delinquency rates edged higher but der security. The Waters of the United remain low from a historical perspective. States rule was also addressed. â€œWeâ€™re going to keep federal regulators out USDA extends MFP application deadof your drainage ditches, puddles and line ponds,â€? Trump said. In closing, Trump USDA is extending the deadline to assured the 6,000 Farm Bureau members apply for Market Facilitation Program in attendance that better times are ahead payments. The original deadline was Jan. for U.S. agriculture. â€œTo all of the farm15 but is being adjusted due to the govers here today and across our country, the ernment shutdown. According to United greatest harvest is yet to come.â€? By Don Wick States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Columnist Perdue, the deadline will be extended for Duvall outlines policy priorities a period of time equal to the number of The American Farm Bureau Federation is celebrating 100 years, with several policy wins business days FSA ofďƒžces were closed. for agriculture. At the opening general session, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall Government shutdown impacts Wisconsin dairy highlighted the policy successes of the organization. farmers Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin said the parWhile farmers and ranchers faced struggles in 2018, Duvall said the year also brought great policy change tial government shutdown has added to the problems for the future. That work and success will continue seen by dairy farmers. â€œThe U.S. Department of Agthis year. â€œWith all this discussion about a wall and riculture is not implementing these programs that will all this discussion about immigration reform, weâ€™ve bring relief to the very dairy farmers and other farmgot to solve the biggest problem facing the American ers in Wisconsin who desperately need that relief,â€? farmer and thatâ€™s farm labor.â€? Duvall also emphasized she said. trade, regulatory reform and the need for broadband DNR authority restored technology. A Milwaukee County judge has restored the DNRâ€™s authority to enforce water quality standards Fed releases ag credit outlook In the fourth quarter of 2018, the number of non- requiring large dairy farms to prevent pollutants real estate farm loans was up 8 percent from a year from entering public waters. After a legal challenge ago. In addition, the size of individual loans increased. in 2017, the DNR settled with the Wisconsin Dairy The Federal Reserveâ€™s Agricultural Finance Outlook Business Association to adjust the regulatory process said the year-over-year volume of operating loans for large dairies. Four environmental activist groups â€“

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Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin, Friends of the Central Sands, Milwaukee Waterkeeper and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation â€“ challenged the legal settlement. High court to rule on permit for Kinnard Farms The district appeals court has asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to make the ďƒžnal ruling on the proposed water permit for Kinnard Farms in Kewaunee County. Nearly a year ago, the Supreme Court sent the case to the district court in Waukesha rather than Madison, Wis. This ongoing saga has been underway for seven years. Kinnard Farms was originally given a permit to expand from 4,000 cows to 6,200 in 2012. The permit was challenged in the courts and over the years has faced intervention from the DNR, the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the attorney generalâ€™s ofďƒžce. Dairy robot company to build headquarters in Iowa Lely North America is increasing its presence in North America. The dairy automation company plans to build a new North American headquarters and production facility in the Pella, Iowa area. Lely is based in the Netherlands and has been involved in the U.S. and Canadian dairy market for over 25 years. Pfaff announces appointments Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff has named Randy Romanski as his deputy secretary and Angela James as the assistant deputy secretary. Romanski was the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection deputy secretary and secretary

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 9

ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 under Governor Jim Doyle. James is an attorney with broad experience in water quality and permitting issues.

was the trade policy manager for the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.

Mundt wins AFBF discussion meet A Wisconsin native won the American Farm Bureau Federation discussion meet. Jackie Mundt, who is originally from Pittsville, Wis., represented Kansas in the competition. Mundt is now the communications and marketing manager for a Wichita farm cooperative. Mundt was a Wisconsin FFA ofcer and served as the National FFA president in 2004-05. Kelly Wilfert, who is from Manitowoc County, placed third in the AFBF discussion meet. Wilfert won the state contest in December and is a law school student in Madison, Wis.

Trivia challenge Finland leads the world in milk consumption, with average per-person consumption approaching 35 gallons of milk per year. That answers our last trivia question. What is the term for a cheeseburger with the cheese in the middle, rather than on top? We will have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.

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In this photo taken in 2017, the Fricksons â€“ Darienne holding Jolena and Andy holding Paislee â€“ stand in the ďƒ&#x;at parlor they built on their dairy near Dakota, Minn. The young couple recently sold their cows due to the tough dairy economy.

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DAKOTA, Minn. â€“ Although Andy and Darienne Frickson hoped to make milking cows their lifetime career, the downturn in the dairy economy made them change their path, forcing them to sell their herd of 115 dairy cows Jan. 4. â€œWe realized we were burning the candle on both ends,â€? said Andy Frickson from Dakota, Minn. â€œLast year (in 2018) we went on the hope of the milk price turning around. They didnâ€™t. We said, â€˜Thatâ€™s the end.â€™ We werenâ€™t willing to risk anymore.â€? They are not the only ones. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, in 2018, Minnesota lost 262 dairy farms, bringing the total in the state to 2,814. What should dairy farmers do if faced with this situation? Having an exit strategy is important, said Jack LaValla, farm business management instructor at Riverland Community College. The ďƒžrst thing to do is have accurate and current ďƒžnancial information available, LaValla said. â€œBe real about the current situation,â€? he said. â€œPeople arenâ€™t enjoying looking at balance sheets, â€Ś but we need to know what the numbers are. In the long run, that will be helpful.â€? With this information, LaValla said dairy farmers should then meet with others who have an invested interest in the dairy. This could include lenders, dairy improvement team, silent partners, other family members, farm business management instructors or others deemed capable to help make a decision about the future of the dairy. â€œHaving the key players together is really important,â€? he said. Together, this team of people can look at scenarios for the future of the farm. â€œDo some projections and run through â€˜What if â€Śâ€™ situations,â€? LaValla said. â€œFarmers have a lot to do day-to-day on the dairy. This group can challenge them to come up with other ideas for income.â€? LaValla has seen dairy farmers add beef herds to their dairy or ďƒžnd off-farm income; however, he has seen other producers make a switch from the industry. They have become custom dairy raisers by leasing their facilities or raising animals for others. They have also become crop farmers by selling their forage equipment and investing it to grow a cash grain enterprise. There have been a few dairy farmers who sold their herd and retired.

â€œEveryone has a different situation and different equity,â€? LaValla said. The Fricksons regularly met with LaValla, who is their FBM instructor, and helped them crunch numbers for their farm. Knowing their cost of production helped them determine the right path for their dairy. â€œWhen you put pen to paper and itâ€™s not working anymore, you have to know when to cut the ties,â€? Darienne said. â€œBy selling the cows, weâ€™re still in a positive equity position, and we want to keep it that way.â€? The Fricksons started their dairying career in 2009 with a herd of 10 cows in a rented facility. They added to their herd when they could and upgraded equipment as income allowed. Eventually, they bought their own farm in 2013, and in 2016 built a double-10 ďƒ&#x;at parlor, saving cost by doing work themselves and buying used equipment. Their herd had been milking up to 90 pounds of milk per cow, per day with an average somatic cell count between 50,000 and 80,000. LaValla said this low in the milk price is not like others he has seen in his 17 years as a FBM instructor. â€œIn this most recent downturn, so many people, like the Fricksons, who have done things right are struggling,â€? LaValla said. â€œHow do you get more efďƒžcient when youâ€™re doing things right? The industry is changing. We are seeing what I didnâ€™t think we would see. Itâ€™s starting to look like the swine and poultry industries, especially on the size and scale of farms.â€? Even though selling their herd was the right decision, it was not easy for the Fricksons. â€œThere were lots of tears shed,â€? Andy said. â€œOur whole families were there and it was an honor to have my grandpa be the auctioneer at the sale. The day was a blur.â€? The Fricksons planned their sale for three weeks, making sure to advertise with all records available and getting the cows ready by clipping and hand brushing them. â€œIf you put effort into your sale, it makes a difference what you get for your cows,â€? Darienne said. Now that the cows are gone, the Fricksons are raising steers, adding a beef herd and plan to crop farm their land. Andy has a job as a sprayer applicator at a local agronomy business, and Darienne plans to do childcare for their two daughters, Paislee, 3, and Jolena, 2, along with one other family. â€œMany dairy farmers might be scared to get out because of the repercussions of pride, criticism or having to deal with the aftermath, but we had to cut the emotional side from the business side,â€? Darienne said. â€œItâ€™s a business. Itâ€™s one of the hardest things weâ€™ve done, but we didnâ€™t give up on agriculture. We are just doing something different.â€?

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 11

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Learn to put the brakes on milk production Dairy farmers, as a lifelong veteran of our great Midwestern dairy industry, I am greatly saddened by what we are witnessing in our rural communities. Many good, hardworking families are choosing, or are being forced, to exit the way of life they had chosen as the way they wanted to support their families. Who can we blame? We are the labor, but we are also responsible for management. Do we really manage, or do we reluctantly react? We hear terms like, “Get big or get out.” Farmers tend to over expand, or quit, neither of which helps our communities. Many times, I have heard the excuse, “When milk is low, farmers need every pound they can get, and when milk is high, they want every pound they can get.” That does not sound like a sound management strategy for the 21st century global market we are in. As independent managers of individual operations, we must learn to expect and manage around market volatility. Dairy farmers have been led to believe that maximum output always leads to the best margins, and since we don’t look at our inputs annually, or seasonally, it is easy to neglect to make market-based input decisions. Minnesota is fortunate to have an excellent farm record system available through farm business management. If people look at the analysis for 2014, when the milk price was high, the high input farms did well, but in 2016, when milk was low, the moderate input farms outperformed those with higher production. I believe more farms would benet from adjusting costs to survive low prices instead of always adding more cows to help recover losses when prices recover. I believe prices crash harder and longer because not enough producers are exible enough to manage their margins by adjusting inputs based on price and not only based on production. Crashes can be reduced if producers learn how and when to apply some brakes. Race cars have big gas pedals right next to the equally important brake pedal. A good example of this is given in an article in the Dairy Star by Dave Vanderkooi. He reacted to market forces by removing cottonseed from the mix. It is not as cheap as it used to be, but milk is. He did a great job of doing the math that proved that less could be more. How many farmers do their own math? Do we eventually react because he have to, or should we learn to manage inputs to protect our margins because we want to? As we engage more in global markets, it becomes more critical we all learn to ex to serve it. When will we learn to serve the market according to demand instead of spending too much on inputs that create an oversupply and small margins? Hopefully, if we learn to use some brakes, we will have some neighbors left in the race when we are done. Joe Borgerding Dairy farmer Belgrade, Minn.

President Trump’s letter to Hannah Olson

The leƩer above was sent to Hannah Olson in response to her leƩer to the President in requesƟng aid for dairy farmers. Dairy Star is prinƟng the leƩer in response to readers’ requests.

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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

Sending cattle overseas

Victory Farms sells 102 bred heifers to dairy farm in Kuwait By Jerry Nelson

jerry.n@dairystar.com

REVILLO, S.D. – On the morning of Jan. 6, dairyman Kevin Souza did something unusual. He loaded 102 head of his bred Jersey heifers into waiting trucks, launching them on a journey that would take them to the Persian Gulf emirate of Kuwait. “It was the rst time I had done anything like it,” said Souza, who manages Victory Farms, home to some 4,400 head of Jersey cows near Revillo, S.D.

Victory Farms has three owner/partners, including the Orradre family, the Nuss Family and the Souza family. Souza and his wife, Suzanne, have two daughters. Audrey is studying veterinary science at Iowa State University. Hayley and her husband, Ryan Anderson, work full time at the dairy. The Andersons have two children, Kylyn and Jace. The idea of exporting bred Jersey heifers to Kuwait came to Souza from his Select Sires representative. “My Select Sires rep said that he had been talking to a

JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR

Kevin Souza is an owner and partner at Victory Farms, which is home to 4,400 head of Jersey cows near Revillo, S.D. Victory Farms shipped 102 bred heifers Jan. 6 to a dairy farm located in the Persian Gulf emirate of Kuwait.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Victory Farms’ heifers traveled 17 hours by jet from Chicago to Kuwait with only one fuel stop in Moscow, Russia.

cattle broker in North Carolina who was looking for 100 or so head to export to a dairy farm in Kuwait,” Souza said. “The broker was able to nd only 20-30 head at a time in his area. My rep told him that he knew of a herd where he could get all 100 head at once. That’s what led him to us.”

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into recipient animals that have been determined to be in the herd’s second tier. The bottom 35 percent of the cows at Victory Farms are bred with beef semen. The reproductive excellence achieved at Victory Farms was recently recognized with a plati-

Turn to VICTORY| Page 13

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 13

ConƟnued from VICTORY | Page 12

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SERVICE AFTER THE SALE

JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR

Victory Farms’ Jerseys test 5.04 percent buƩerfat and 3.8 percent protein, which is ideal for making cheeses and yogurts commonly found in the KuwaiƟs’ diet. num award from the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council. “We have harvested eggs from heifers that were as young as 9.5 months old,” Souza said. “We recently had a heifer whose genomics were off the charts, so we started harvesting oocytes from her as soon as she reached puberty.” The dairy herd at Victory Farms is housed in a cross-ventilated facility that features free stalls bedded with sand. The herd is milked three times a day in a pair of double-35 parallel milking parlors. After Souza agreed to sell bred heifers, the manager of the Kuwaiti dairy farm came to Victory Farms to inspect the animals. “The manager was originally from Britain,” Souza said. “He was a nice guy. We got along with him really well.” Souza assembled a pool of about 150 eligible animals for the Kuwaiti dairy farm manager to select from. The manager gradually winnowed this pool down to 102 head with a few extra as standbys. “They were looking for a group of heifers that were ve to six months bred,” Souza said. “They wanted them to calve and get bred back before it gets really hot over there.” Kuwait’s hot and arid climate is markedly different than that of the Midwest. On July 21, 2016, a high of 129.2 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in Mitribah, Kuwait. This was the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on the planet. Kuwait, the world’s seventh wealthiest nation, holds about 10 percent of the planet’s petroleum reserves. Kuwait’s population, which has a median age of 33.5, has grown from 3 million in 2010 to 4.25 million today. The Kuwaiti diet is becoming increasingly westernized, which has resulted in a growing demand for dairy products. “I was told that Kuwaitis eat a lot of cheese and yogurt, so the high components from our Jerseys makes sense for them,” Souza said. The herd at Victory Farms is averaging 5.04 percent butterfat and 3.8 percent protein. “I think that Jerseys can take the heat better than Holsteins,” Souza said. “I understand that our heifers went to a 900cow dairy that does its own processing and wants to grow its production.”

A series of health tests was the next step of the journey for Victory Farm’s heifers. “The cattle all had to be Bangs vaccinated and were tested for tuberculosis, blue tongue and leukosis,” Souza said. “Our vaccination program was better than they expected. Even so, we gave the heifers a nine-way vaccine for good measure before they left. The buyers paid for all of the testing and the veterinary work.” The nal step prior to the heifers leaving Victory Farms was a 30-day quarantine. “We have the capability to quarantine them on our farm,” Souza said. “The heifers had to be kept in a separate pen that was at least 35 feet away from other animals. The objective was to prevent any nose-to-nose contact with our nonquarantined animals.” Once the quarantine was over, the heifers were loaded into trucks and taken to a United States Department of Agriculture inspection facility in Chicago. The next morning the heifers were put into crates that held four to six head apiece. The crates were then lifted into a waiting cargo jet. “They told me that I should go to Chicago and watch the heifers get loaded onto the plane, but I was just too busy,” Souza said. “I wish that I had, though. It might have been a once-in-a-lifetime event.” After crossing the Atlantic, the plane carrying Victory Farm’s heifers landed in Moscow for refueling before continuing onto its nal destination. It took about 17 hours for the cattle to travel from Chicago to Kuwait. “The whole transaction went very smoothly,” Souza said. “We were wired the money for the heifers four days before they left. We got about $250 more per head than if we had sold them to a buyer in the United States. These days, you have to do anything that you can to get the best dollar.” Even after selling 102 head, Victory Farms still has quite a few more replacement heifers than their operation needs. It is entirely possible that more of their heifers could nd new homes overseas. “We are currently looking at a deal that might send some of our heifers to the Cayman Islands,” Souza said.

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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

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Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, January 26, 2019 â€˘ Page 15

From Our Side Of The Fence What is your procedure for delivering calves?

Jayme Fisher Lake Breeze Dairy Malone, Wis. Fond du Lac County 3,400 cows Describe your maternity pen or calving area. Our maternity pens are made of three 18- by 18-foot straw bedded pens with visual barriers for cows. We also have a 36- by 70-foot group close-up pack that is sand bedded in the spring, summer and fall but straw bedded in the winter. All pens have grooved concrete ďƒ&#x;oors with natural and linear high beam lights with high sidewall ventilation assisted with fans. What is the timeline for cows and heifers entering and exiting the pen? Animals in the group pen are selected based on a visual observation that they will calve in 24 hours. Calving animals are placed in the calving pens at stage two of calving. Close-up cows stored in free stalls are walked every hour by a calving tech looking for animals in stage two. All fresh animals are moved into one of three freshening pens before calving. On average, how many cows are in the pen at a time? The group pen has a capacity of 20 cows and the calving pens are for one animal at a time. What is your procedure for delivering calves? When do you intervene? When do you call for help? When animals are brought into the calving area, the calving tech makes a visual or physical identiďƒžcation of the positioning of the calf. Then they are isolated and left to calve. If the calf is breached or takes more than two hours, the calving tech intervenes. After a half hour of assisting with a breached calving and no progress made, the veterinarian is called. What steps do you take to maintain proper sanitation? Calving areas are cleaned once a week and maintained daily. All calving equipment is cleaned and sanitized before and after use. Also the calving tech wears gloves and sleeves. Before entering the animal, the tail and vulva are cleaned. After delivery, how do you assist the calf and cow? The calf is removed from the pen immediately via a sled or wheel barrow. The calf is placed in one of two straw-bedded pens based on their gender or breed. The calf is dried, tagged, fed, dehorning paste for heifers, vaccinated and all events are charted. Calves are fed no longer than an hour after calving and eight hours after ďƒžrst feeding. In cold weather months, calf jackets and a warming pen are in place. Once the calf has been removed from the calving pen, the fresh animal is placed in a headlock where it receives leg bands, marked for calving difďƒžculty and receives required treatments according to the number of lactations. Upon completion, the animal is placed into a free stall pen for fresh animals. Then the fresh animalâ€™s colostrum is collected and sampled for IGg concentration. The tested colostrum is labeled with the IGg concentration and stored. All extra and poor-quality colostrum is sold. The animal remains in this group until milk can be cleared for antibiotics and the animal passes a physical examination before moving to a larger fresh pen. What is the most important step you take to make a smooth transition for the cows as she enters the lactating herd? The ďƒžrst 15 days of the lactation. Fresh animals need daily monitoring of ketosis and any irregularity in body temp, manure and uterus. All animals with irregularities need immediate treatment and watched for relapses. Also cows with difďƒžcult calving need to be watched closely. Tell us about the most unique calving youâ€™ve ever had. The most unique calvings on the farm are schistosomus reďƒ&#x;exus. Tell us about your farm. Lake Breeze Dairy was established in 2003 in which 35 employees milk our cows. All feed is purchased from local farmers.

Kyle Levetzow Model Dairy Farms Dodgeville, Wis. Iowa County 310 cows Describe your maternity pen or calving area. Our prefresh pen is group housing on a bedded pack with a scrape alley at the feed manger. The bedded pack is 32- by 104feet, with two individual 14- by 16-foot pens at one end for separating cows that need assistance. We use corn fodder bales for bedding. Mature cows and heifers are in the group together. There are fans and curtain sidewalls for summertime ventilation. It is attached to the east end of our main freestall barn for access to the parlor after calving. We also feed a separate pre-fresh diet to this group. What is the timeline for cows and heifers entering and exiting the pen? We move new cows/heifers into the pen each Wednesday. Animals are moved to the pen at 21-27 days before calving. Any animals known to be carrying twins are moved into the group one week earlier than normal. We also dry cows up on this day, so the dry cow pen only gets new cows once a week as well. Fresh animals are moved to the parlor as soon as possible after calving. After the ďƒžrst milking, they go to our fresh cow pen where they reside for approximately the ďƒžrst three weeks of their lactation. On average, how many cows are in the pen at a time? There are 25-30 cows in the pen on average. We have about 40 fresh cows per month. What is your procedure for delivering calves? When do you intervene? When do you call for help? We observe the cows and try to intervene as little as possible. Cows that are known to be carrying twins are watched closely. Cows with bull calves are also monitored closely. I also use the daughter still born genomic metric to determine which heifers may need assistance calving. Vet calls for calvings are rare for us. What steps do you take to maintain proper sanitation? The pack is bedded daily to maintain cleanliness and cleaned out once a month. There is a lime base under the pack which helps keep it drier and provides better footing when it is not deep. Any time a delivery must be assisted, we wear gloves and sleeves, and use warm water and disinfectant on all hands and equipment. After delivery, how do you assist the calf and cow? The cow is given some time to clean the calf off and then is taken to the parlor to harvest her colostrum. If she has not dropped her placenta by the time she is milked, we administer an oral calcium supplement. She is then moved to the post fresh pen, where she can be monitored for the ďƒžrst three weeks of her lactation. The calf is moved to one of the pens at the end of the prefresh pen and has its navel dipped in iodine solution. We tube feed 1 gallon of colostrum to each calf, usually less than ďƒžve hours after calving. Heifer calves are given a First Defense bolus and moved to a clean hutch. Bull calves are fed and moved to a group pen where they stay until they are sold. What is the most important step you take to make a smooth transition for the cow as she enters the lactating herd? Making the calving process as stress free as possible is the most important step. Calving ease bulls are utilized to prevent as many struggles as possible. Nutrition, both pre-fresh and post-fresh, is also key to preventing problems. Tell us about the most unique calving youâ€™ve ever had. Every calving is unique; thatâ€™s what keeps it interesting. Knowing when to step in and help is more of an art form than a protocol. Tell us about your farm. I own the farm with my wife, AmyBeth, who works off the farm, and our three children. I am the second generation to own our farm at its current location, and the sixth generation to dairy in our family under the Model Dairy Farms name. Our farm is home to 355 Holsteins with a RHA of 30,300. They have a bulk tank average of 4.21 percent butterfat, 3.32 percent protein and an SCC of 81,000. We raise our replacement heifers, and crop 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat. We couldnâ€™t do it without our nine full-time employees. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16

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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Jordan T. Matthews Rosy-Lane Holsteins, LLC Watertown, Wis. Jefferson County 950 cows Describe your maternity pen or calving area. It is approximately a 10- by 15-foot bedded pack. It has a concrete oor and one 48-inch fan for the back. There is uorescent lighting. We use chopped straw for bedding. What is the timeline for cows and heifers entering and exiting the pen? Cows are managed in free stalls in the close-up pen which is next to the bedding pack. The team member that bring cows to and from the parlor walks this pen every 15 minutes and moves cows into the pack at signs of calving. Our saying is better to put a non-calving cow on the pack than leave a calving cow to calve in the manure. On average, how many cows are in the pen at a time? Eighty percent of the time it’s a single cow. There are times when multiple cows will be calving at once. What is your procedure for delivering calves? When do you intervene? When do you call for help? A cow is allowed to be on the pack for up to one hour initially. If no feet are seen, an examination is done rectally to check what status the calf is. If the calf is coming, a cleanup is done. Then a vaginal examination is done to check presentation of calf. Once presentation is conrmed, we leave that cow/heifer alone for up to eight hours without intervention. The whole idea is to let that cow fully expand the birthing canal and let that calf come out on its own. One out of 50 is what we average for those needing intervention. What steps do you take to maintain proper sanitation? Our cleanup process for examinations includes using chlorhexidine solution topically and scrubbing the area of the cow before we do a palpation. Our vet does sporadic checks to check cleanliness levels. His goal is for our milking equipment and calf maternity pen to be of food-grade cleanliness. We achieve this over 80 percent of the time. After delivery, how do you assist the calf and cow? The cow is allowed to lick and clean off the calf for around 30 minutes. We dip the calf’s navel with a chlorhexidine and alcohol solution at birth, then we move the calf to a maternity calf pen. The mother is milked, and the calf is fed colostrum from this milking. What is the most important step you take to make a smooth transition for the cow as she enters the lactating herd? The hands off approach to our calving pen. We’ve nearly eliminated metritis/RP’s from our fresh pen. We used to run over 15 percent before this change, and now for the last three years we’ve run under 1 percent. Tell us about the most unique calving you’ve ever had. Delivering triplet heifer calves when I was in college. They were tangled, but I was able to work them out alive. They all made it into the milking string. Tell us about your farm. Our objective is to nd, retain and build people. We want people who are great team members, great members of our community, and above all great to our cows. We want a cow that doesn’t need assistance. If we put great people in front of cows like this we see great returns.

Ryan and Krista Dolan Dolan Farms Dodgeville, Wis. Iowa County 250 cows Describe your maternity pen or calving area. We have three pre-fresh pens that are 27- by 36-feet of a bedded pen area, and 14by 36-feet concrete feed alley. They have lime-based ooring and are bedded with corn fodder. There is LED lighting with a manual switch, and it is naturally ventilated with fans in the summer. What is the timeline for cows and heifers entering and exiting the pen? Cows and heifers are moved into the pre-fresh pen 10-21 days before freshening. A group of 6-8 are moved into a pen at a time. They exit the pen once they have a calf. No other animals are moved into the pen during this time. We utilize the all in-all out method. On average, how many cows are in the pen at a time? Normally, there are 6-8 cows/heifers in the pen. We have put nine during times when we have big calving stretches. What is your procedure for delivering calves? When do you intervene? When do you call for help? We only assist the mother if absolutely necessary, otherwise we prefer they have them on their own. We will call the vet for assistance if it is something we can’t correct ourselves. What steps do you take to maintain proper sanitation? The pen is cleaned out completely and freshly bedded before a new group of pre-fresh animals enters it. More bedding is added as needed. The concrete feeding area is scraped once a day. After delivery, how do you assist the calf and cow? The cow and calf stay together until the mother has cleaned the calf off, or up to 10 hours depending on when the calf is born. If it is born in the middle of the night, it stays there until the next milking. The cow is then moved to a fresh cow pen with the feed alley. She is fed a different ration than the pre-fresh pen. She’s milked at the next milking and the colostrum is fed to the calf. She is vaccinated with Inforce 3, and receives a microbial bolus and calcium bolus and sprayed with cydectin. Fresh cows are milked only twice a day. What is the most important step you take to make a smooth transition for the cow as she enters the lactating herd? The age of the cow determines her length of stay in the fresh cow pen. It varies from 3-14 days. We make sure their stress level is very low, that they have cleaned, that their feed intake is up, and overall off to a good start. Then they enter one of the two milking groups based on age. They remain in that group until they are dried off again for their next calving. Tell us about the most unique calving you’ve ever had. We had a Holstein/Jersey cross that was bred to an Ayrshire. She ended up having triplets. One calf was black and white, one brown and white, and one red and white. Tell us about your farm. Dolan Farms, LLC is a partnership between Ryan and Krista Dolan and Ryan’s parents Paul and Mary. We milk 250 cows and raise our own replacement heifers. We grow our own forage and high moisture corn. We milk two times a day.

Becky Schefers Rice, Minn. Stearns County 500 cows Describe your maternity pen or calving area. Our maternity pen is a concrete oored pen that is 2,800 square feet with uorescent lighting and four 52-inch fans along with three 36-inch fans. It is opened to the south with the remaining sides having 6-foot concrete walls and an automatic curtain above. We alternate bedding with straw and cornstalks. What is the timeline for cows and heifers entering and exiting the pen? Depending on the calving ow, we try to get them into the maternity pen three weeks prior to calving. Prior to moving heifers into the maternity pen, they receive their booster shot of Scourguard and J-Vac, while cows receive only J-Vac. On average, how many cows are in the pen at a time? We have a combination of 21 in the pen. What is your procedure for delivering calves? When do you intervene? When do you call for help? Our procedure for calving depends on each individual case. If we see that the calf is backwards, showing no feet at all or if it’s a heifer with a huge looking calf, we help her out right away. If we try to help for 15 minutes and are unsuccessful, we call Freeport Vet Clinic. What steps do you take to maintain proper sanitation? We keep fresh bedding in the pen, clean the water fountains daily, remove the manger cleanings daily and upon each birth the calves’ navels are dipped immediately. After delivery, how do you assist the calf and cow? We allow the cow to be with her newborn for 30 minutes. During the winter months, the calf is then placed into a calf warmer for two hours and then receives a calf jacket and is moved into a calf hutch. The fresh cow is brought into the milking parlor where she receives a Bovical pill if needed. She is then moved into the milking pen. The calf is fed her colostrum within the rst two hours of being born. What is the most important step you take to make a smooth transition for the cow as she enters the lactating herd? The most important step to make a smooth transition for the cow entering into the lactating herd is minimizing environmental changes. Tell us about the most unique calving you’ve ever had. When a second calf heifer was struggling and as I reached in to see what I was dealing with, I felt something weird. I had never felt anything like it before, and it was connected to the calf. I was able to turn the calf and pull it out with the help of an employee. As it fell to the ground, we saw the weird thing that I had felt earlier. It happened to be herd check that day, and as soon as the vet arrived we discussed the situation. The calf was born healthy with her intestines outside her body. I was told the chances of her living even if we did surgery were slim. We decided to opt out of surgery. Unfortunately, by the time we were done with herd check the calf had passed even though she did successfully gulp her colostrum down and appeared to be a great looking animal. Tell us about your farm. Our farm includes a double-12 parallel parlor and as six-row freestall barn. We milk three times a day and employ seven full-time employees.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 17

Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

Repro Leaders

Maple Ridge Dairy maintains 38 percent preg rate Maple Ridge Dairy Stratford, Wis. Marathon County 1,700 cows What was your average pregnancy rate last year? Thirty-eight percent. What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? Cows are 65 DIM. Heifers are 400 days of age. What is your rst service conception rate? Fifty-seven percent. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? Pre-synch/Ovsynch with double lute. How do you observe for heat? Walk and chalk pens with headlocks. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? The vet uses ultrasound and does pregnancy checks at about 30, 60 and 200 days since last heat. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select bulls? What traits do you focus on? Does fertility play a role in bull selection? We breed for a medium sized cow and look at Turn to REPRO LEADERS | Page 20

CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

The Maple Ridge Dairy reproducƟon team – (from leŌ) Jami Schutze, Jorie Skrzypchak, Dan Preuss, Brian Forrest and Mike MarƟn – helped the herd achieve an average pregnancy rate of 38 percent in 2018. Maple Ridge Dairy milks 1,700 cows near Straƞord, Wis.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 19

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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

ConƟnued from REPRO LEADERS | Page 18

milk production, components, fertility and calving ease traits. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? Heifers get two services of sexed semen. We use conventional and beef semen on cows. What do you do to settle hard breeders? We use beef semen.

How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? Four to ve times. Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? The double lute shot. Tell us about your farm. We milk 1,700 cows three times per day on two locations.

CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

The 1,700 cows are monitored for heats using the walk-and-chalk method at Maple Ridge Dairy in Straƞord, Wis. This helped them achieve a 38 percent pregnancy rate. CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

Maple Ridge Dairy uses sexed semen to maintain a replacement herd on their 1,700-cow farm near Straƞord, Wis.

CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

Dan Preuss reviews and assists with breeding decisions at Maple Ridge Dairy.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 21

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DISKS White 273, #154578 ................................................................................... $9,500 JD 110, #155401.......................................................................................... $2,000 JD 2623, 2013, 33 ft, #149511 ..................................................................$39,500 Wishek 862-LNT, 2013, #155304 .............................................................$52,900 Wishek 862NT, 2012, 30 ft, #144471 .......................................................$49,500 JD 2625, 2013, 42 ft, Spacing: 11”, #151841 .............................................$38,500 JD 2623, 2014, 25 ft, #126286 ..................................................................$33,900 JD 2625, 2012, 5-Section Folding, Spacing: 11”, #144464 .........................$32,900 EZEE-ON 8700, 2010, 42 ft, #145714 .......................................................$32,900 FIELD CULTIVATORS JD 2210, 2008, 60 ft, 3-Section Folding, #146682....................................$34,500 JD 960, 1994, 36 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #148486 ....................................................................................................... $7,500 JD 985, 1993, 48 ft, #138938 ....................................................................$12,900 JD 1010, 25.5 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #151724 ....................................................................................................... $3,495 JD 1010, 31 ft, #150876 .............................................................................. $2,825 JD 960, 1994, 26 ft, #148845 ...................................................................... $5,500 JD 2210, 2013, 51 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #146726 .....................................................................................................$57,500 JD 2210 LL, 2014, 45.5 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #151363 .....................................................................................................$47,500 JD 960, 1988, 44 ft, C-Shank, #150157 ...................................................... $7,215 JD 2230LL, 2018, #154666 ........................................................................$54,900 JD 980, 1996, 41 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #148488 .....................................................................................................$14,500 JD 2210, 2011, #155650 ............................................................................$29,900 Case IH 690, 2014, #155651 .....................................................................$18,900 Case IH, 200, 2013, #155652 ....................................................................$33,000 JD 960, 1993, 33 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154535 ........................ $6,500 JD 980, 2001, 45 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #144448 ......................$11,300 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2012, 42 ft, C-Shank, #151915 .......................$44,500 JD 2210, 2009, 45.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #151598 .................$32,900 JD 980, 1995, 45 ft, 5-Section Folding, #145326 ......................................$14,000 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154509 .................................................................................... $59,400 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154511 .....................................................................................................$59,400 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154510 .....................................................................................................$59,400 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154507 .....................................................................................................$59,400 Case IH TIGRMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154508 .....................................................................................................$59,400 JD 980 1997, 26 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #151565 ........................ $9,900 JD 2210, 2010, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, #146707.................................$49,500 DMI Tigermate, 48 ft, #147786 ...............................................................$14,500 JD 2210, 2009, 53 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154393 ....................$48,000 JD 2210, 2014, 55.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154394 .................$58,500 JD 2210, 2009, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #154537 .................$43,500 JD 980, 1997, 26 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #153320 ........................ $9,900 JD 2210, 2009, 54 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #153415 ....................$42,500 JD 2210, 2007, 58 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #151055 ....................$32,900 JD 980, 1997, 44 ft, #145571 ....................................................................$16,500 JD 980, 1994, 33 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #151027 ......................$12,000 JD 2210, 2012, 55 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #148753 ....................$54,900 MULCH FINISHERS JD 726, 38 ft, #148373 ..............................................................................$29,500 JD 726, 1997, 30 ft, 3-Section Folding, #148851 ......................................$18,900 PLANTERS: DRAWN JD 1765, 2015, 12R30, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #138495 .....................................................................................................$69,500 JD 1775NT, 2017, 16R30, Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum,

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Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #150734 .............................$152,500 4 JD 1775NT, 2018, 16R30, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #150736 .............................$169,000 17 JD 1765, 2015, #155243 ............................................................................$54,500 7 JD 1760, 1997, 12R30, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #137790......................................................................$28,050 7 JD 7000, 1981, 12R30, Metering System: Finger Pickup, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, #149569 ...................................................................................................... $7,215 7 White 8180, 2004, #154647 .....................................................................$29,500 6 Great Plains YP2425, 2007, 24R30, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, #152236 ..........................................$65,000 15 JD DB66, 2008, #155284 .........................................................................$139,900 16 JD DB44, 2014, 24R22, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #151691 .............................$159,000 16 Great Plains YP-1625, 32R30, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, #150539 .........................................................$39,000 16 JD DB44, 2017, 24R22, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #144422 .............................$189,500 11 JD 1775NT, 2018,16R30, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #140328 .............................$149,500 11 JD 1750, 1999, 6R30, Frame: Rigid, Metering System: Finger Pickup, #153700 .....................................................................................................$19,800 11 White 6100, #155671 ................................................................................. $5,000 8 Wil-Rich 24-22, 2009, 24R22, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, Row Command, #139224 .........................................................$49,500 8 Case IH 900, 12R30, #150606 ..................................................................... $8,900 8 JD 1760, 2012, 12R30, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #154220......................................................................$54,500 14 Kinze, 2000, #155343................................................................................$15,540 14 JD 1780, 1999, #155446 ............................................................................$33,500 14 JD DB44, 2004, 24R22, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, #154547 .........................................................$56,000 PLANTERS: INTEGRAL 17 JD 7300, 1988, Row Spacing: 22 in, Frame: Wing Fold, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, #148843 ....................................................................................................$14,600 6 White 5100, #155511 ................................................................................. $6,700 8 JD DR24, 2018, 24R22, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #150773 .............................$179,500 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS 4 Hardi NAV 1100, #137543........................................................................$14,000 4 Raven 1000 Gallon, #149597 .................................................................... $6,100 2 Hardi RANGER 2000, 2014, #155294 .......................................................$20,500 10 Fast 7400, #130185 ..................................................................................$18,900 10 Top Air 60, #140416 .................................................................................... $5,000 10 Redball 580, 2006, #151074 ....................................................................$18,900 7 Summers ULTIMATE 120, 2012, #155256 ...............................................$27,900 15 Wil-Rich Blumha, #148336........................................................................ $5,500 15 Top Air TA1200, 2008, #155358................................................................$16,650 5 Hardi Commander 1200, 2002, #150043 ...............................................$14,900 5 Hardi COMMANDER 1200, 2004, #148536 ..............................................$19,900 14 Summers 500, 1996, #145350 ................................................................... $4,500 UTILITY TRACTORS 4 JD 6135E, 2016, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540, Tire Width: Wide, 60 hrs., #142602 ......................................$72,900 4 JD 6135E, 2016, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Tire Width: Wide, 195 hrs., #142599 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#124870..........................................................................$76,900 10 JD 6130R, 2016, Configuration: Narrow, Cab, Partial Power Shift, Guidance-ready: Yes, MFWD, Tire Width, 160 hrs., #124987........................$96,900 10 JD 6120E, 2016, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Tire Width, 259 hrs., #124310 .....................................................................$69,500 10 JD 6120E, 2016, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540, Tire Width: Wide, Loader, 222 hrs., #124867..........................................................................$69,500 10 JD 6130M, 2016, Configuration: Narrow, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Loader, 195 hrs., #124993..........................................$99,500 10 JD 6420, 2002, 6900 hrs., #154564 ...........................................................$52,500 10 JD 3010, 1961, 5059 hrs., #155554 ............................................................. $4,500 17 JD 6110R, 2017, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, Guidance-ready, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Wide, Loader, 364 hrs., #144495 .$99,500 17 JD 6110R, 2017, Configuration: Standard, Cab, IVT, Guidance-ready, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Mid, 257 hrs., #144497 ............................$97,900 6 JD 6135E, 2016, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Tire Width: Narrow, 258 hrs., #142600........................................................$74,900 6 JD 6130R, 2016, Cab, Partial Power Shift, Guidance-ready, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Mid, 300 hrs., #142596 ............................$99,500 12 JD 5115M, 2017, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540, 540/1000, Tire Width: Mid, 130 hrs., #140105 .............................................................$71,900 12 JD 6120M, 2016, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Narrow, 116 hrs., #141879 .......................$92,900 15 JD 6110M, 2016, Configuration: Narrow, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, 292 hrs., #144493 ......................................................$79,500 15 JD 6110R, 2016, Cab, IVT, MFWD, 338 hrs., #144500 .................................$95,900 15 JD 6130R, 2016, Configuration: Standard, Cab, IVT, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, 539 hrs., #144507 ....................................................................................$109,500 15 JD 6130R, 2017, Configuration: Standard, Cab, IVT, MFWD w/ Suspension, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Mid, 403 hrs., #144505 ..........................$109,500 15 JD 5100E, 2016, Cab, Power Reverser, MFWD, 2075 hrs., #149334 ............$46,900 9 JD 6125R, 2012, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Wide, Loader, 779 hrs., #150781 ...............................................$89,500 9 JD 5075E, 2012, Syncro, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540, Tire Width: Mid, Loader, 465 hrs., #154217 .....................................................................................................$28,900 5 JD 5100E, 2016, Cab, Power Reverser, MFWD, 1971 hrs., #145220 ............$46,900 11 JD 6110R, 2017, Cab, IVT, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, 345 hrs., #142813 .....................................................................................................$99,500 11 JD 5115M, 2016, Cab, Power Reverser, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Loader, 290 hrs., #149192 .......................................................................................$79,500 11 JD 5065E, 2015, 200 hrs., #155407 ...........................................................$30,000 8 JD 6130R, 2015, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, Guidance-ready, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Wide, 262 hrs., #142595 ..............$99,500 8 MF 3545, 1983, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Mid, 4279 hrs., #151182 ...........................................................$19,500 8 JD 6130R, 2017, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Loader, 156 hrs., #147778........................................$109,500 14 JD 6130R, 2017, Configuration: Narrow, Cab, IVT, Guidance-ready, MFWD, 213 hrs., #144504 .....................................................................................$106,900 14 JD 6130R, 2017, Configuration: Standard, Cab, Partial Power Shift, Guidance-ready, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Tire Width: Wide, 150 hrs., #144503..............$99,500 14 JD 6110R, 2017, Cab, IVT, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Loader, 100 hrs., #144499 ...................................................................................................$104,900 14 JD 6110R, 2017, Cab, Partial Power Shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540/1000, Loader, 100 hrs., #144496 .......................................................................................$99,500

141,900

JD 6155R, 2017, $ 212 hrs., #144514

Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

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Is your parlor a bottleneck?

On dairy farms, we talk about a lot of things, like “efciency” and “productivity” and “protability” and that magical spot where all of those things come together. I think a really good example of this in the milking parlor. A parlor that runs efciently will have a high throughput and will maximize labor usage. Building on that, efcient labor will also lead to a calm environment for cows, which in turn stimulates milk ow and even production. Add to that the milk quality benets of a well-run parlor, and protability ties into the whole system. Is your parlor running at its most efcient? Is what’s being done in there helping your cows stay healthy and produc- By Emily Wilmes tive? Let’s review some ways University of MN to keep your parlor in tip-top shape. Think about the environment of the parlor itself. Is your parlor a place cows want to go? Is it clean? Is it calm and inviting? Things to consider in your parlor include cleanliness, noise levels, and light. A clean parlor will help manage environmental pathogens and help keep cows and milkers healthy. A quiet, calm parlor will help stimulate milk letdown and reduce potential teat damage from milking machines pumping when little milk is coming out. Loud music or milkers yelling may cause adrenaline release in the cows, which prohibits milk letdown. Lighting in a parlor is often overlooked, but shouldn’t be underestimated. A well-lit parlor benets the cows, as they like to clearly see where they are going and what’s going on. It also benets employees, as they are able to see the udder well and ensure its cleanliness. Good lighting can also aid in the visual examination of milk when stripping the udder during prep. Next, think about the management of the parlor. How are cows brought in? How are they prepped for milking? How long does it take? The ow of your parlor matters, from the moment that pump turns on to the moment it turns off. Cows should be brought in efciently, while still allowing them to move at a comfortable pace. Consider grouping cows by milking speed, or, at the very least, keep your slowest milkers until the end. While prepping cows, are all of the milkers (if there are multiple) doing the same thing? Is the prep pattern always the same? Is it timely? A quick review of important milking preparation times: – The teat skin surface requires 10-20 seconds of stimulation for optimum milk letdown – Teat dip should be on the teats for 30 seconds to effectively kill bacteria on the teat surface – Prep-lag time, or the time it takes from initial stimulation to attachment of the milking machine should be 60-120 seconds Preparation of cows in a timely manner that allows for proper stimulation and contact time is crucial to a well-run parlor. It also has a direct impact on parlor throughput. The environment and management of your parlor play critical roles in ensuring it is efcient, productive, and in the end, protable.

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 23

Success is anything but incidental at Random Luck Farm

Taps, Phoebe cow families base of Thompson’s herd By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

DARLINGTON, Wis. – Things typically happen for a reason, but sometimes a bit of luck comes into play when breeding registered dairy cattle. With goals and dedication, the basis for Rick Thompson’s Random Luck Farm near Darlington, Wis., is formed. After years of working as a professional tter and then working as a herdsman at Sunshine Genetics in Whitewater, Wis., Thompson made the decision to strike out on his own in the dairy industry. While Thompson did not grow up with Brown Swiss, he opted to start his herd with the breed because of an afnity he developed for the breed while working with top cows at Sunshine Genetics. Thompson milks 60 Brown Swiss, Jerseys, Holsteins and Ayrshires. The Random Luck herd has become best-known for its goal to breed topquality Brown Swiss cows that primarily hail from two cow

families: the Taps family and the Phoebe family. “I was working with some really good Swiss cows at Sunshine, and then I’d walk through the Swiss barn at World Dairy Expo and see that the cows winning on the colored shavings were the bull mothers of the breed,” Thompson said. “It would have been hard not to develop an afnity for Brown Swiss.” Random Luck is also home to an award-winning group of Jerseys along with elite cows that are using the farm for its boarding service, an enterprise Thompson provides for bovine breeders who need a home for their cattle. Prior to leaving Sunshine Genetics, Thompson purchased one of the two cows that would serve as the foundation of his herd, Sun-Made Jetway Taps 2E92. Taps produced 47 daughters, many which have scored Excellent, garnered all-American nominations and gone on to become brood cows in their own right.

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Rick Thompson (right), along with his son, MaƩhew, own Random Luck Farm near Darlington, Wis. Thompson focuses on breeding and merchandising top-quality registered Brown Swiss and Jerseys, while placing an emphasis on developing cow families. A granddaughter of Taps, Random Luck B Tea Rose, obtained the breed’s maximum classication score of EX-95 last spring. “Taps ushed extremely well for us and produced those daughters without using any

sexed semen,” Thompson said. Random Luck KB Phoebe EX93 is the foundation of Thompson’s second agship cow family. Phoebe was the rst animal carrying the Random Luck prex to be born at the farm in Darlington.

While her family is not as large as the Taps family, descendants of the Phoebe family have been as successful in the showring as their herdmates. One of Turn to RANDOM LUCK | Page 25

Page 24 â€˘ Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, January 26, 2019

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Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, January 26, 2019 â€˘ Page 25

ConĆ&#x;nued from RANDOM LUCK | Page 28 Phoebeâ€™s daughters, Random Luck V Precious EX93, has been nominated all-American seven times in her show career and has placed in the top 10 at World Dairy Expo 10 times, in 10 trips to the colored shavings, including a class win, and two second-place and two thirdplace ďƒžnishes. Mating decisions are not something Thompson takes lightly, putting a great deal of thought into sire selections for each individual. While udders are a primary focus for Thompson, he also strives to breed cows that are balanced and exude dairy strength. â€œI deďƒžnitely put a focus on good udders,â€? Thompson said. â€œMy dad could never believe there were negative udder component bulls. No one wants to milk bad-uddered cows.â€? He has placed an increased emphasis on using positive daughter pregnancy rate bulls, noting those genomic numbers seem to breed true in terms of fertility in cows. In general, he picks bulls based strongly on their maternal crosses. â€œI just want to be able to breed animals that are desirable to others so that I can continue to merchandise,â€? Thompson said of his overall goals, noting he believes the showring is a good merchandising tool for his herd. With these two cow families anchoring his breeding program, Thompson has had the good fortune

PHOTO SUBMITTED

MaĆŠhew Thompson collects the accolades and awards earned by Random Luck B Tea Rose EX95 following her win in the component merit cow class at the 2018 Wisconsin State Fair. to have bred or developed over 100 all-American nominations. Random Luck B

in milking form. She joins three of her herdmates in that feat: Random Luck Prem

â€œI really feel strongly that to sustain our registered business, we need to focus on keeping the juniors involved in the breed.â€? RICK THOMPSON, DAIRY FARMER

Tea Rose EX95 was recently nominated all-American in the aged cow class, marking her fourth consecutive nomination

Talent EX93, Random Luck S Peekaboo EX92 and Random Luck Legacy Poetry EX93. Random Luck is a name

heard over the loudspeaker at the Wisconsin State Fair, as over 32 Random Luckbred Brown Swiss and Jersey cows have been named grand champion or reserve grand champion. Thompson has also bred 13 cows to capture grand or reserve grand champion honors at various national shows. Of all the showring awards his herd has garnered, Thompson is most proud of the 40 premier breeder banners that hang in his ofďƒžce from a variety of state and national Brown Swiss and Jersey

shows, including banners from the 2013 and 2015 World Dairy Expo International Brown Swiss shows. Like many registered dairy cattle breeders, Thompson has concerns about the future of both the dairy industry and the breed. â€œI really feel strongly that to sustain our registered business, we need to focus on keeping the juniors involved in the breed,â€? Thompson said. Thompson has given many years of service to the Wisconsin State Brown Swiss Association serving on the board of directors, including several terms as president. He is also a supporter of Brown Swiss youth programs and works as an advisor for the queen contest. Thompson said educating consumers about dairy farming and dairy products is also important for the future of the industry. A perennial exhibitor at the Wisconsin State Fair, Thompson sees the experience as a way to connect with the public, showing how well cared for dairy cows are and sharing knowledge about the industry. â€œIn order to make ourselves continue to be viable, we have to be willing to produce what our consumers want,â€? Thompson said. â€œWhether it is the consumer of dairy products or the consumer of your breeding program, you have to make what the market demands.â€?

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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

n I v e i r t ’ e u d o ! Y BYRON SEEDS MINNESOTA

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No place like home I have been writing about the changes that have taken place on our farm over the past few months with the ultimate culmination of our cows being milked with robots. This has been an amazing time for our family and cows. We are all still learning and nding out how things will be different from now on. The biggest change for me is to rely on technology to take over. Most of the cows will go to the robots a couple times a day. They get milked, and loads of information is created. We only need to sit back and watch. We pick out the information so we can be better managers. How we pick out what we want and need to watch for is our own choice, but there tends to be a few very important reports. To make the information easier and friendlier for me to decipher, I took time to add the By Tina Hinchley cows’ names to their ID num- Farmer & Columnist bers, since I can remember names better than numbers. That was an easy x, and saves me a lot of time. Most of the cows go to the robot, but not all. So, there is always a fetch list report to bring these girls to get milked. They tend to be the later lactation cows or ones that have a reason for not coming to the robot, such as a swollen hock, foot problems or a heat cycle. Another list we get from the robots is the daily health report. We use the information to manage the cows that might be getting mastitis. We can watch the conductivity of the milk. If a cow is not able to ght the infection, we see the progress with every milking. Being able to decipher if a cow needs to be treated or not is a big deal for us. No farmer likes to dump milk. Keeping milk in the tank is everyone’s goal. So far this winter has been all over with temperature and humidity in our barns. The health report will also help with watching milk temperatures. On this report, drop in milk and temperatures give us a warning that a cow might be coming down with pneumonia or might have an injury that needs attention. Along with all of this attention to the cows, we still have to make sure the robots are washed and checked throughout the day. If there is a problem, the system calls us and lets us know what robot and what needs to be looked at and xed. These alarms can be called to us any time of the day, since the cows are being milked all the time. We have had a few already. Most are an easy x. A couple have required looking back on the computer to see when something happened to gain more insight and solve the mystery. Any down time when the cows have to wait to be milked is often lost milk. Usually they are standing at the gate watching and waiting to enter or are simply curious as to what is going on. We have a handful of silly heifers that like to repeatedly go through the robot to get a lick or two of the pellets that are dispensed when they get milked. If they go through too soon after being milked, they robot will kick them out. Some will wait and try over and over, causing problems for the cows that need to be milked. We are still tweaking the feed ration and the pellets to get the right formula for these girls. Until that is solved, we watch them on our cameras. Our phone has a camera app that is in real time. This camera app works great along with the cows’ activity collars. Together they let us know about calves being born or a distressed cow that is having trouble calving. We can watch the pre-fresh cows, sorting pens, robots and even outside the barn to see if the milk hauler has picked up our milk. Knowing what is happening at the farm when we are not there is also a great benet of the cameras. It has given us freedom to leave the farm and know the cows are being watched. Duane and I took off for a couple days to attend a conference. Anna was still on winter break from college and was left in charge. She gladly took on the job and handled all the daily routines while we relaxed and went to some meetings. As we visited with other farmers and ranchers, we talked crops, cattle and weather. Being a dairy farmer within a big group of beef producers, they respected that we are still milking cows and mentioned when they used to milk. As the night went on, the stories rolled and the robots were brought up. A whole table passed the phone around to watch the cows being milked, and even caught Anna walking the pens, fetching cows. We were thankful for the time to be away. The phone app connected us with home. Even while we were taking a break, we could not help but check in, reassuring us there is no place like home. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 135 registered Holsteins and farm 2,500 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wis. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 27

A quick get a way The Transition Pen

By John Rosenhammer & Laura Scholtz Father/Daughter Farming Duo Some times when glancing through magazines, opportunities to attend events jump out. Looking back, I guess I actually make it to about 10 percent of these events. Of the 10 percent I am able to attend, I usually am drawn by a topic or speaker I nd interesting. Going home, more often than not, my take-home idea is not from the spokesman, but from an attendee who shared valuable information that’s probably not even related to the topic. Many times when I plan to attend workshops that interest me, I plan on going, and at the last minute some thing comes up or another priority arises to extinguish any chance of attending. Such was the case last week. A month ago I noticed the “I-29 Winter Workshops; Benchmarks for Success” meeting on Jan. 15 in Brookings, S.D. I asked Laura if this would interest her, and she quickly responded, “sure.” My underlying plan all along was to take a day off for a quick little get a way; meet other dairy people and learn something; and drive a few more miles and visit Johnny at Lake Area Tech in Watertown. Well on the 14th, the day before, I got a lot done – more than usual because I was attempting to make chores ow swiftly the following morning. We were in the midst of a slug of cows calving – way more than normal. Over night only one calved. Milking went great and things were looking good. Then, Laura checked fresh cows and noticed one that needed to have her stomach pumped. Due to lack of time we discussed waiting, but I told her I would rather pump the cow now than when we get home that night. The twinkle in her eyes expressed agreement, and in record time the cow was treated and on the road to recovery. Next, we noticed a calf that needed to have an IV. Fluids given this way seem to have better and longer lasting results. Laura started the IV and headed to our house to get ready. I remained with the calf and went over my nal list of instructions with Greg. Chores were covered and despite last minute challenges, we were on our way to Brookings. Knowing we were going to be late for the rst session did not dampen our moods because together we overcame challenges to make this little trip possible. Also along with us was Morgan, Laura’s 2-month-old daughter. Morgan won’t remember this trip, but Grandpa will, because here were three generations headed west on Highway 14 for an I-29 dairy meeting. During the last hour of our trip west we experienced quite a bit of fog, reducing our speed to around 45 miles per hour. At around 11 a.m., we pulled in to the Swiftel Center, entered and were met by very accommodating people who quickly got us registered. The format was different, but interesting. The speaker interacted with the people, presented benchmarks that have accumulated from research and why ideas have adapted or evolved over time. This was followed by discussion within each table of eight to 10 people. A sponsor represented each table and that person led the questions. That was followed by an open interaction of the results of each table. Again, no real earth shaking ideas, rather reassurance that we are on the right road and little subtle reminders that quick xes usually don’t have long term success. The speakers were very accessible and very willing to spend time with any producers. Part two of our trip began as we headed north on Interstate 29. We stopped in Clear Lake, S.D., to meet Laura’s college roommate, Rachel Friese. After seven years of college, she is now Rachel Friese, DVM. Johnny met us there around 4 p.m., just in time to witness Rachel working cattle in an outdoor chute with a digital scale at the vet clinic. Johnny likes beef cattle. As the animals entered the chute,

Johnny could guess their weight. Once done with that job, Rachel showed us the interior of the clinic and nally posted a colored calf to determine the cause of its death. Next, we headed to Watertown where Johnny showed me three elds he tilled for a local crop farmer. Johnny worked three to four nights a week for this farmer during harvest. It was his rst taste of driving a track tractor, and I think he was impressed. The amount of acres he could till in an evening is comparable to how many we cover in a couple days at home. Next, he showed me the John Deere dealer, semi trucks for sale and another horse trailer dealer. I think he does a lot of driving around Watertown because he seems to know where everything is located. It’s probably why he traded his truck for a car – to get better gas mileage. Since we were hungry, we ate at Harry’s per Johnny’s recommendation. He said the burgers were good and the food was great. Ashley, another of Laura’s friends, also met us there. Ashley is also a DVM in Watertown. Laura had some pretty smart roommates in college. They provide great support for Laura when she has questions, and I think she is always quizzing them for information. Throughout all the business

and noise, Morgan was a very good baby. It seemed like if she wasn’t eating, she was sleeping. It was her rst time meeting some of Laura’s friends, and I think she left a good impression. The eventful day came to a close as we said our good byes around 9 p.m. I suppose Johnny was a little lost in the conversation with three young ladies doing all of the talking, but a great burger at Harry’s sure beats the usual mac and cheese he’s accustomed to. Knowing I had a three-hour trip home ahead of me, I asked St. Christopher to keep me awake and safe. His help, along with the satisfaction that Laura, Morgan and I had gotten a little get away, an idea or two for the farm, and taken the time to visit Johnny and a few others, made the trip so worthwhile. After dropping Laura off at her house I realized all the effort to make the trip happen. It would have been easier to stay home, but it was very much appreciated by all! John Rosenhammer farms with his daughter, Laura Scholtz, and brother, Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.

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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

All in the family for the Schlonegers

Parents, children keep 1,000-cow dairy humming By Brittany Olson Staﬀ Writer

SHELL LAKE, Wis. – When Legacy Farms was started in 1976 by Rod and Brenda Schloneger, the name they chose for their dairy was not merely a name. The Schlonegers and their children – John, Josh, Noah, Olivia and Reuben – all play integral roles on their family’s dairy farm in Shell Lake, Wis. The farm has since grown to include 1,000 cows producing 94 pounds of milk per day, per cow with a 4.2 percent butterfat content, 3.2 percent protein and a somatic cell count of 120,000. The four sons are all part owners in the dairy with Rod and Brenda, while Olivia also helps with chores full-time. “We also have 20 non-family full-time employees,” Brenda said. Reuben specializes in cow care and genetics as the dairy’s herdsman, focusing on milk quality and growing the mostlyregistered Holstein herd’s genetic prole. Josh focuses on feeding cows, while John and Noah work with the crop production and machinery aspects of the farm, and can be found in the eld or the shop.

BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR

The Schlonegers – (from leŌ) Josh, John, Brenda, Rod, Reuben and Noah – milk 1,000 cows at Legacy Farms near Shell Lake, Wis. In addition to the day-to-day overall management duties overseen by Rod and Brenda, Brenda keeps a close eye on the markets to lock in prices for the dairy’s milk and inputs. “I started hedging milk 15 or so years ago,” Brenda said. “I lost a lot of money at

BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR

Reuben Schloneger is the herd manager at Legacy Farms. His brother, Josh, oversees feeding, while John and Noah oversee crop producƟon and eld work.

the beginning. … I had to decide if I was just going to quit or learn from it and try to make it protable. I’m not a quitter.” Eventually, things got better, and Brenda began to branch out. “She could probably teach a class on marketing,” Rod said. Brenda said sometimes the markets do things you do not expect, as was shown in the fall of 2018. Milk prices typically enjoy a rally in September, but this past year prices peaked in August. “Now I [hedge] feeds, fuel and grains,” Brenda said. “Sometimes I use my local supplier and sometimes I use a hedging account. I have used Livestock Gross Margin protection from my crop insurance agent. There is no quick and easy way to learn how to do this well. This year, just my savings on diesel fuel was about $25,000.” Rod, Brenda and their sons have been working together on the farm all their lives. With the exception of Reuben attending public school for his last two years of high school, all the children have been homeschooled. “Our sons have never worked off the farm,” Brenda said. “They didn’t go to college, either. They bought houses instead of going into debt for schooling. They were together so much that they

didn’t have to adjust to how to get along working together. A lot of people have been surprised at how well it has worked out.” Rod concurred, adding that they all have their own personalities. “Everyone has their own personalities and what makes them tick, but you’ve known them all along so you know how they function,” he said. Of course, not every day is easy, especially with milk prices and price forecasts looking bleak. “It was an extreme challenge to get large enough to be protable,” Brenda said. “We have had to adjust to being a business. Before, we were a farm. It has been a drastic change.” Rod agreed. “You can’t do the things you would like to do or buy what you’d like to buy,” he said. “Everyone here is upbeat, but our hands are tied.” Most importantly, they have each other and the next generation to look forward to at Legacy Farms. “It is fullling to know that they enjoy what we started,” Rod said. Brenda agreed. “I really enjoy watching our grandchildren tagging along with their dads on the farm,” Brenda said.

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Breeding for A2 milk By Brad Heins & Glenda Pereira University of Minnesota

A2 milk appears to be all the rage in the dairy industry today. In commercials on TV, online, at the grocery store and even on the farm, many people are talking about A2 milk. There have been claims in the popular press that A2 milk is easier for humans to digest, improves health and lowers the risk for some diseases. Many of these claims have not been proven by science. Let us dig a little deeper into this A2 phenomenon. What is A2 milk? Betacasein, which makes up 30 percent of milk protein, exists in two forms: A1 and A2. A2 milk only contains the A2 variant of beta-casein protein. Cows with the A2A2 gene only produce A2 milk. Jersey, Guernsey, Normande and Brown Swiss breeds have a higher percentage of A2 genes than Holstein. Some farmers have transitioned to being A2 herds, but this can take many generations depending on the status of your herd. One way to determine the status of your herd is to genomic test your cows and heifers. If you are already genomic testing, A2 status can be determined for an extra $5 per animal. If you choose to transition to an A2 herd, you can determine which cows and heifers to keep or cull once you receive your genomic results. An A2A2 animal bred to another A2A2 animal will always have an A2 offspring. Cows that are A1A2 or A1A1 will not produce A2 milk. Many A.I. studs have been marketing A2 bulls, and more information can be found online or in published bull catalogs. The University of Minnesotaâ€™s research dairy herd at the West Central Research and Outreach Center at Morris, Minn., uses Holstein, Jersey, MontbĂŠliarde, Normande and Viking Red in their breeding program. Table 1 gives the A2 status of the top 25 net merit proven bulls for Holstein and Jersey and the top proven MontbĂŠliarde, Normande and Viking Red bulls available in the United States. For the Normande breed, six bulls have daughters and the other 14 bulls are genomic only bulls. As expected, the Holstein breed has the lowest percentage of A2A2 bulls in the top 25 for net merit. The Jersey and Normande breeds have the highest percentage of A2A2 bulls. During the past year, all cows and heifers were genotyped at the University of Minnesotaâ€™s research dairy herd. The A2 status of the cows and heifers in the herd is shown in Table 2. Over 50 percent of the Holsteins in the herd are A2A2, which was not expected because we did not select for this trait. The 1964 genetic line Holsteins had a lower percentage of animals that were A2A2 at 26 percent. The crossbred cows and heifers ranged from 36 to 50 percent of animals that were A2A2. Should you care about A2 milk? Well, if the industry pays a premium for A2 milk, then you might consider selecting your herd for A2A2 animals and even start using A2A2 bulls. However, remember that selecting from the top net merit bulls is essential to maximize farm proďƒžtability, so be sure to check out that list when placing an emphasis on A2 genetics. The future will tell if A2 milk is a fad or if it will permanently have a seat at the table of the dairy industry.

Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, January 26, 2019 â€˘ Page 29

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Table 1. A2 status of the top genetic bulls by breed Number of bulls A2A2 A1A2 A1A1 ---------- Percentage ---------Holstein 25 20 76 4 Jersey 25 72 28 0 MontbĂŠliarde 17 41 47 12 Normande 20 85 15 0 Viking Red 24 54 42 4 Breed

Table 2. A2 status of the University of Minnesota dairy herd in Morris, Minn. Number of cows A2A2 A1A2 A1A1 ---------- Percentage ---------Holstein 114 56 33 11 1964 Holstein 82 26 48 26 Holstein-sired crossbred 65 49 34 17 Jersey-sired crossbred 51 47 45 8 MontbĂŠliarde-sired crossbred 98 36 47 17 Normande-sired crossbred 56 50 45 5 Viking Red-sired crossbred 136 45 40 15

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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

January jabbering

It has at long last started to act like a real WisWe should not complain about our weather so consin winter outside. Even the insides of my win- far. But, we are human so inevitably we do. When it dow panes are sporting a bit of icy décor. This means does cool down enough for the wished-for white stuff, extra layers for already marshmallow-like bundled within days it has warmed up again and turns to muck children. Cora gets to spend more time in the warm and disappears. A good dose of snow keeps my chilmilkhouse with the dogs dren entertained for hours versus being toted around in outside, makes the world We should h ld not complain l i about b the chilly barn. She seems W seem fresh and clean, and to think if I am holding her our weather so far. But, we are after all, it is cold so why she can tear off her mittens. not have snow? The boys Turns out it is more conve- human so inevitably we do. love a day of the heavy, wet nient to suck her thumb and snow. It is the perfect snow hold my hair without fuzzy for building forts into the mittens in the way. It is ridiculous to attempt to reason piles pushed up by the snowplow truck. They sneak with her about why she should leave her mittens on. outside packing shovels and hammers (the back of a For this fact, she stays put in her playpen entertaining hammer is a great ice pick I am told) from the barn. It herself with Play-Doh, scolding the dogs, begging for is common to not see them or hear a peep for hours. a cat to come or reading books. If I am lucky, she can They make tracks for their sleds through the corn go to the ofce and draw pictures under the watchful stubble in the elds as I pray no one crashes onto a eyes of our ever-helpful secretary, Linda. lethal corn stalk and loses an eyeball. They have long

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ago learned the art of bailing out so no one hits a tree or a fence post. They bring in snowballs for Cora to destroy or snack on, whichever makes her happier that day. Yes, snow is like having an entertaining babysitter for me. The phrase, “Mom, what can I do?” is not so quickly uttered when there is a good amount of Ramblings from the Ridge the white stuff outside. In the barn, I am adding things to my checklist. Warmer socks are at the top. Followed by my concerns about the teat health of the fresh heifers; frostbite nds them rst it seems. They have so much edema sometimes. It is easy to go from a bit sore to a scabbed up, cannot get milk out, very By Jacqui Davison sore teat end and then Columnist my eternal foe mastitis. I have three back in the hospital as we speak, getting some extra TLC to heal them up and send them on their way. I changed dips Saturday night and left cows in the parlor a bit longer to dry off more before releasing them to go eat and sleep. It is emphasized to every human walking the barn to check for coming calves. I think our ears are all tuned in for the I-am-calving-you-better-run bellow. It is never optimal for a calf to slide out into a pen of cows, even less so when it is -5 degrees. As soon as the calf is licked off, it needs to be put in the warmer or heat lamp hutches. We have two of the big blue calf ovens; the warmers that calves go into to dry off after birth. We also have two hutch contraptions that have a board with a heat lamp positioned over them for new calves, as well. We cover the fronts with old quilts, keeping the warmth in as best we can. We use comforters, bath towels and quilts on the calves. I like to think the little old lady who stitched the pieces together on a quilt would be content in knowing her work makes bovine babies warm every day. We have hooked up our pasteurizer again, now lling it daily for usage. We have 22 beef-cross calves that look forward to their meals of 120-degree milk to warm them up from head to hoof. It is a great use for our abundance of fresh cow and other hospital cow milk. It also makes those calves grow like crazy on three times a day feedings. One of the things I remember I did not miss from having calves in hutches was putting them in when they jump out. Those creatures are speedy in the snow. Walks to the barn become an adventure with the changing of the weather. It is a workout if I have to carry Cora, and a good lesson in being patient if I let her walk. Sometimes we compromise. It is a trick for both of us to stay upright on those icy days, and she is closer to the ground than I am if she goes down. She, like the rest of my crew, is starting to appreciate the beauty of looking at the stars and the moon on our cloudless, frigid nights, and cranes her neck back to watch a jet stream in the daytime. Keep your babies bundled, your toes warm, and do not forget to peek at the sky every once in a while. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (12), Dane (10), Henry (5) and Cora (toddler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 31

Can you feed reduced-lignin alfalfa with BMR corn silage?

High-quality forages are essential to maximize performance in lactating dairy cows, especially if your goal is to feed high-forage diets. With the introduction of reduced-lignin alfalfa, some producers ask if pairing this product with brown midrib (BMR) corn will result in too much digestible ber. While controlled research on feeding both reduced-lignin alfalfa and BMR corn silage is limited, producers are having success Something to Ruminate On with this strategy. The decision and extent to move toward lower-lignin forages are farm-specic. A complex organic compound, lignin binds cellulose bers, and hardens and strengthens plant cell walls. Lignin content increases as plants mature and gives structural support to the plants as they become taller. Lignication is most pronounced in older stems of mature plants and least pronounced in young, developing plants. The increase in lignin in mature plants negatively affects forage quality and interferes with animal digestion rates. In numerous controlled dairy feeding trials from multiple locations and years, BMR corn silage nuBy Barry Visser trient composition improvements have translated Nutritionist into greater dry matter intake and milk yield. Agronomic and yield drag concerns remain in certain locations and growing conditions. Even so, BMR corn silages have become the preferred hybrid choice for many high-producing dairy herds. More recently, reduced-lignin alfalfa varieties have become commercially available. Alfalfa forage with reduced lignin will digest faster in the rumen, allowing for increased intake. This increased rate of digestion can result in greater milk production. Alfalfa forage yield is generally highest at full maturity (full bloom), but forage quality decreases with plant maturity, generally due to the increased lignin content that accumulates as plants mature. The downside to cutting at earlier plant maturities and imposing shorter intervals between cuttings has been reduced alfalfa dry matter yield per acre, more cuttings (and harvest costs) per year and compromised stand longevity. One option with reduced-lignin alfalfa is to simply capture higher-quality forage through greater NDFD at your current harvest maturity and cutting frequency. Another option might be to widen the cutting interval to capture more yield per acre of alfalfa similar in quality to normal-lignin varieties. The latter approach can eliminate a cutting and save associated harvest costs. Reduced-lignin alfalfa varieties are showing 5 to 15 percent reductions in lignin content and up to 15 percent improvement in NDFD compared to normallignin varieties in research trials. The greatest differences have been found with transgenic varieties. By contrast, NDFD is typically about 20 percent greater for BMR corn hybrids relative to non-BMR hybrids. Usage rate for reduced-lignin forages depends on several agronomic factors,

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including land availability, input costs, rental agreements, geographic locations and soil types. Availability and cost of brous byproduct sources, such as beet pulp, soyhulls and corn gluten feed, can also play into this decision. These byproducts can be as much as 60 percent greater in NDFD compared to normal-lignin forages. Although forages have market value, these byproducts are purchased feeds and can present some handling and logistical concerns. Utilizing BMR and reduce-lignin alfalfa can provide the option to feed higher levels of forages while maintaining desired NDFD levels in your lactating dairy rations. Signicant attention to details may be necessary in situations with major lignin reductions and NDFD increases. Changes may include increasing physically effective NDF through greater dietary forage and forage-NDF content, reducing dietary starch content, and/or lengthening silage chop settings. Cow-side observations of manure consistency, cud chewing and rumination are valuable. Reduced milkfat content or feed efciency, measured as DMI relative to level of milk production, can be good group or herd diagnostic indicators that these types of interventions are necessary. Reduced-lignin alfalfa and BMR corn silage can be combined effectively to feed high-production dairy cows. Work closely with your nutrition and agronomy advisors to determine what is the most strategic and economical combination on your dairy. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.

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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

On a paper trail

Why do we hold on to stuff? Is it for a bridge between past and future generations? Do we see future potential and purpose in an unused item today? Or, is it a backup plan for when new technology crashes? What is stuff of value and what is worthless junk? The difference depends upon who is telling the story. There is my stuff and Mark’s junk. Mark has a machine shed lled with his saves. There are old paint cans lled with used nails, nuts and bolts. There are piles of wood scraps waiting to be used in future repair projects. There are pieces and parts of old machines lying on a sheet of plywood straddled over two wooden saw horses. I have tried to clean out the shed over the years, but I cannot even make a dent. What I call junk is redened as needed stuff and nds a new storage place back in the shed. We cannot throw it out now because we might need it in the future. We cannot tempt fate because you know the moment you get rid of something, you will nd the perfect use for it a couple of days later. It never seems to fail.

Because I could not make a dent in reorganizing the machine shed, I thought I would refocus my energy on decluttering our house. We moved down to the main farm 15 years ago this spring. I was overwhelmed with all of the closet and storage spaces compared to our old house. There was no way I was going to need all of that space. Well, I found enough stuff to save over the years and everything is full. Of course, most of the stuff being stored belongs to the kids. Totes and boxes lled with mementos from elementary to college days. Whenever they settle down and have their own place, their boxes of stuff will move with them. Until then, I needed to focus on clearing out some of the other junk. I have been keeping the farm record books since we were married. At rst, every transaction was written down in the record book and every column was manually calculated. When we upgraded and moved the bookkeeping to the computer, I still wanted to have a paper trail in case the computer crashed. For the last 20 years, I have

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over stuffed accordion les with every receipt and cancelled check stored on shelves underneath the basement stairs. This looked like a great place to start making room. I know I only needed to keep seven years of records for an IRS audit. I will keep 10 to be safe. That means I needed to purge 10 years of stuff. I went through the les and Just Thinking Out Loud started lling a couple of big boxes and bags with receipts, monthly reports and other pieces of paper long faded over time. I moved the boxes and bags to the dining room, tripping over them as a reminder for Mark to go through to see if there was anything he thought we should keep. After a couple of weeks By Natalie Schmitt with no progress, I moved Columnist everything out to the garage for disposal. Mark’s dad, Ralph, always seemed to know what to save over his career. He has handed down papers from when his father started farming this land in the ‘30s to bind the generations. Because he saved things, he was also able to prove his purebred breeding line when the Holstein Association opened up the herd book in the ‘70s. Ralph saved the sales catalog from the St. Cloud Children’s Orphanage Sale where he purchased his rst registered cow in the late ‘50s. Twenty years later with the saved catalog and all the breeding receipts, they were able to prove the lineage of their purebred cattle and started RALMA. So, what do I receive in the mail a week after I moved the receipts out to the garage? A letter regarding a milk powder settlement lawsuit for dairy producers. They estimated we produced just over 2.5 million pounds of milk from January 2002 to June 2007. They were wrong. That was our annual production level. By the third letter, they had corrected our production up to 11 million pounds. I knew this still was not right. All I had to do was pull out our year end statements from the creamery to document our correct production. Now where were those old receipts. The garage. They had disappeared from the garage and were nally disposed. No problem, everything is on the computer now. I called the co-op. Nope, they did not have records for 2002-07 production. They did not keep them that far back. Now I am on a mission. My curiosity is peaked. What was our production during that time? When one road is blocked, there is always another route. I did not have the documentation they listed on their instructions, but I did have the paperwork to support our higher production level. The one thing I did not throw out when I was purging the needless paperwork were all of the DHIA records. I have every test sheet from when they rst started to test the herd in 1974. I also had every annual DHIA state report which listed our production. I found an additional 2.5 million pounds of milk to add to their estimate. Now I do not know if all this extra chasing around will pay off or not. The settlement pot is $40 million to be paid to the lawyers rst for their work over the last nine years. The remainder will be split between the producers based on their production. It will probably be only pennies on the hundredweight. We might be able to buy a couple of pails of ice cream with the settlement but the treasure hunt of seeing those old cows again on the test sheet was worth every penny. Even though cleaning out the clutter caused some anxiety, I have not missed the paperwork. In fact, I saved those old accordion les to reuse because there is still a purpose left in those old les. Natalie, Mark and his brother Al, farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. Their four children are grown up and all involved in agriculture with hopes of someone returning to the farm. For questions or comments, please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net.

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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 33

Assigned seats

There are six chairs around our kitchen table. Each chair corresponds, roughly, with a portion of the table that is referred to by my children as a spot. As in, “That’s my spot! I was sitting there.” More often than not – despite my ongoing efforts to prevent and correct – part of the square footage of our table surface is covered in homework and/or mail. In this case, the chairs get pushed closer to the vacant end of the table and the geometry of each spot is reduced accordingly. Each night when we sit down for supper, my children Dairy Good Life race to see who gets which spot. Daphne covets the round spot on the rounded corner of our rectangular table. (We line three chairs up on each side of the table because there isn’t room in our kitchen for a chair at each end of the table.) If someone else takes Daphne’s spot, she wails, like any proper youngest child. Dan and Monika are usually indifferent to where they sit. But spot deliberations are often complicated by who wants to sit next to Mom or Dad that night. We were enjoying a Christmas visit with neighborhood friends when the topic of kitchen tables and chairs came up. Glen mentioned that when he was a kid, each member of his family had an assigned seat at the kitchen table. “You didn’t dare sit in someone else’s spot,” he said. By Sadie Frericks I had one of those “For real?” moments, as if the conColumnist cept was completely incomprehensible. In my childhood, we sat wherever there was an open seat. Composure regained, I immediately understood why. Assigned seats eliminated all of the “I wanted that spot” suppertime bickering. I then wondered, did other families have assigned seats at the table? Is this a generationsold tradition that has slowly faded? And, then, of course, my mind jumped to the parallels between assigning spots at the table and assigning stalls in the barn. When I was a kid, each cow had her own spot in the barn. Complete with her name written on a card above. Each time the herd came back in the barn, each cow knew where her stall was. One of the rst decisions we made when we moved the cows to our farm was whether or not the cows would have assigned stalls. We reasoned that it would be more trouble than it was worth to train an entire herd all at once to nd their stalls. Especially since Glen was still doing chores at the neighbors, and I was loading the barn by myself. And, so, a generations-old tradition faded away. We were talking about assigned stalls with the kids and their incredulous reactions mirrored mine at the mention of assigned table seats. “So you mean each cow went in the same stall every time?” they asked in wonder. I realized they’re missing out on an opportunity to observe how intelligent cows really are and how much they love routine. I still notice our cows’ tendencies. Even though our cows no longer have assigned stalls, many cows choose the same stall or, at least, the same section of the barn. We can often tell when a cow is in heat or isn’t feeling well because she’s out of place in the barn. Some cows prefer stalls in the front of the barn, while others choose the back. Some stand in south-facing stalls. Others choose north. I suspect this is because cows become accustomed to making either right or left turns. Or sequences of turns. Some cows always take a right out of the entryway and then a left into a stall. If they happen to get jostled or blocked and end up taking a left out of the entryway, they still take a left into a stall. So they tend to stand in kitty-corner sections of the barn. When we milked in a parlor, we noticed that some cows preferred the left side of the parlor, some preferred the right, and some really didn’t give a moo which side they entered. Milking in the parlor also conrmed my theory that cows can count. We milked in a double-4 parlor. Each spot in the parlor had a grain bowl, which allowed us to entice them into the parlor with a small amount of grain and top dress the cows that needed it. Each bowl had a hopper above that was operated with a rope and pulley system. The hopper in the last stall had a sensor on it, which detected when the hopper was empty and then turned on the auger to ll all the hoppers. It didn’t take long for one of our cows, Danka, to learn that if she was the fourth cow into the parlor on any given turn, she would be in the spot with the sensor-equipped hopper. She’d run the lever on the hopper, which emptied the grain into her bowl. She would repeat this until she heard the auger turn on, which would deliver more grain to her hopper. Voilá! Endless buffet in the parlor. After that, without fail, Danka would be the fourth cow into the parlor. Every single time. We quickly learned that we had to turn the feed system off when Danka came into the parlor. I always gured that cows used counting to nd their stalls. As in, my spot is eight stalls down on the right. And, really, I’m OK with cows being able to count. I’m just glad they can’t talk. Seriously, can you imagine the arguing that would take place in a barn without assigned stalls? “That’s my spot!” “Hey, I wanted that stall.” “Get out. I’m just going to wedge myself into this stall with you until you move.”

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Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 11, Monika, 8, and Daphne, 5. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife. com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.

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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

Ten years of trials, living a dream

Swartzes enjoy challenges of dairying By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

GILMAN, Wis. – In her 10 years of dairy farming, Megan Swartz has faced more than her fair share of challenges. Despite those challenges, she is condent she is exactly where she needs to be. Megan embarked on her dream of dairy farming, renting a farm near Mount Horeb, Wis., during the depressed milk prices of 2009. She kept her dairy dream alive through the drought of 2012 and the high feed and hay prices that followed. In 2016, she lost her milk market and had to dump her milk for two months before nding a new one. That led her to hold her rst auction in February 2016. Then things started looking up when she met her future husband, Tristan, in

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Megan and Tristan Swartz milk 50 cows near Gilman, Wis. Megan began her dairy farming career in 2009 in Mount Horeb, Wis., while Tristan began his dairy in 2013, moving from Missouri to Gilman, Wis. In 2017, they combined their heads and married.

late 2016. Megan held another auction, and then moved the remainder of her herd, which primarily consisted of Linebacks, and machinery nearly 200 miles northwest

to join Tristan on his 500acre registered Holstein farm outside Gilman, Wis. Tristan had moved from Missouri to follow his dairy farming ambitions in 2013.

The pair married later that fall. Today, they milk 50 head through the winter because of space limitations in the barn. The rest of the year,

the milking herd numbers more than 80. They strive for longevity in their cows and have quite a few cows over 12 years of age. The oldest cow on the farm is a Holstein Megan brought with her, named Nibbles. Nibbles was born in 2002 and is due again to calve this summer at 17 years of age. “I’ve really come to admire the resiliency of the Linebacks and the crossbred cows,” Tristan said. “I wouldn’t go back to purebred Holsteins.” Combining their herd was not necessarily an easy task. The two had differing management styles and philosophies. Tristan was feeding TMR to his Holsteins, while Megan relied heavily on dry hay in her cows’ diets. Over time, they merged their management styles and began focusing on letting the cows be cows. Megan cares for the cows, while Tristan takes responsibility for the eld work and machinery maintenance. Turn to SWARTZ| Page 35

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 35

ConƟnued from SWARTZ | Page 34

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The Swartzes’ have begun leaving their calves with their dams for about three months. They say their calves are bigger and healthier than calves they’ve raised removed from the cow.

“Megan is great with the cows,” Tristan said. “Her approach to any ailment is to give them as much dry hay as they will eat, and they usually work out whatever problem they have. My vet actually stopped in and asked if he’d done something wrong once, because I hardly ever called him anymore. He mainly just comes out for preg checks now.” The herd is fed a TMR mix that consists of corn, protein, silage, haylage, mineral and salt. The cows also have unlimited access to dry hay. They are predominantly using Lineback bulls, working to get the denitive Lineback color patterns established in their cattle. Once they have that pattern established, they plan to bring Holstein blood back into their matings to help keep milk production up.

“I’ve worked too hard over last 10 years to quit now. We’ve just got to be hopeful for the future.” MEGAN SWARTZ, DAIRY FARMER

“Overall the health traits are better,” Tristan said. “Any of the problems I used to have in the herd are non-existent now. I used to have the hooftrimmer here three times a year. Some of these crossbreds have never even been in the chute.” They focus on breeding and managing their cows for high components over production. The current herd average is at 70 pounds of milk, per cow, per day; and the bulk tank averages 4.3 percent butterfat

and 3.8 percent protein. Feet and legs are also a priority. They have also begun raising their calves by leaving them on the cows for about three months. Since beginning that practice, they have seen a great increase in the size and overall health and vigor of their calves. “The calves are big enough that we could wean them at four weeks,” Megan said. “But we don’t want to do that. We actually nd that a lot of them will wean themselves before three months. We gure why mess with nature. They know what they are doing.” Megan said she feels the calves learn to be cows from being with their mothers, saying they have calves eating TMR and hay at 1 week old. While neither Megan nor Tristan have had smooth sailing during their dairy farming careers, neither one can imagine throwing in the towel and calling it quits. “We’re both proof you can still make it today in this industry,” Megan said. “Starting out at $9 milk taught me to learn to budget there to have that mindset. I think that has helped me get through everything.” Tristan said he was always taught to farm like prices were low. “We’re hurting, but our bills are paid,” Tristan said. “You just have to be willing to sacrice and gure out what you’re willing to live without to do what you love.” The future of the dairy industry has them concerned, but they have hope small farms like theirs can remain viable because of increasing consumer desire to know where and how their food is being produced. “I’ve worked too hard over the last 10 years to quit now,” Megan said. “We’ve just got to be hopeful for the future.”

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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

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Family: My husband, Austin, and I have three children: Kaylee, 16, Sam, 14, and Leah, 10. Tell us about your farm. Austin and I both grew up on dairy farms and met at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We both knew we wanted to own a farm someday. After an unsuccessful attempt to farm with my in-laws, we decided to purchase our own farm. We bought our current farm on 10 acres in 2005. We’re unique because we purchase all our feed, and focus on the cows and raising our heifers. We milk three times a day and currently have no outside help. We are working on getting our herd registered and have mostly Holsteins – about a quarter of them Red and White – a handful of Brown Swiss, a few Linebacks and a Jersey. We have been able to grow the herd, improve our genetics and surpass a 30,000-pound rolling herd average, something we never thought possible in our facility. I take care of calves, matings and bookwork. Austin is in charge of feeding, and we both make a great team when it comes to cow health, chores and milkings. Our kids also help daily with milking, feeding and chores. What’s the busiest time of day for you? That can be any time of day since the next milking is usually only a few hours away. Mornings can be tough to get the kids off to school and get calf chores done in a reasonable amount of time. When you get a spare moment what do you do? Spare moments are rare, but when I get a chance, I like to clip coupons. I like to challenge myself and see how much I can save. I also like to bake and cook in my remodeled kitchen.

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Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. In April 2016, we received an unexpected letter from Grassland Dairy, the company that was buying our milk at the time. The letter stated they would no longer be able to pick up our milk come May 1. Canada was no longer buying ultra-ltered milk from them so they were dropping dozens of farms. It was a stressful month as we were turned down by multiple processors. So many neighbors and friends were putting in good words, making phone calls and writing letters trying to help us. One day late in April, a DFA rep, who I also know through 4-H, came to our house and told us that DFA was going to pick us up. What a relief that day was! What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I still get excited when a new calf is born. Watching her grow and turn into a great cow never gets old for me. In the same way, I’m glad my kids are getting the experience of growing up on a farm and are learning the value of hard work. I look forward to milking with one of my kids each night and listening to how his or her day went at school. All three kids also show dairy and market hogs. Watching all their hard work at home and in the show ring turn into successes sure makes me a proud mom. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I keep involved in my kids’ activities and area organizations. I am the general leader of the Busy Bee’s 4-H Club, I am a board member on the Fond du Lac County Dairy Committee, a member of the Agri-Business Council and Fond du Lac Holstein Breeders, I chaperone at Wisconsin State Fair for the dairy kids, and I support my kids in FFA and the Wisconsin Junior Holstein Association. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? Why? My parents, John and Sue Pranskunas, have inspired me. Growing up on their farm has taught me the value of hard work and to not give up on my dreams. They made it through challenging times and that gives me condence that I can, too. They are the reason I love and appreciate the dairy cow. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be and why? No one in particular comes to mind, but I’d welcome anyone not familiar with what a farmer does on a daily basis. It is important to share what goes on in my barn every day. We strive to keep our cows healthy and comfortable. We put as much concern into taking care of our cows as we do with our kids. It is important to convince skeptical people that all their food is safe. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? The best vacation would be the only vacation we have taken with our kids. We went on a Disney Cruise through the Caribbean in 2013. It was the kids’ rst time on a plane and on a cruise ship. We swam with dolphins and sting rays, snorkeled, saw sea turtles and enjoyed our time on the cruise ship. What are some words you like to live by? Do what you love, and love what you do. Take care of the cows, and they will take care of you.

Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, January 26, 2019 â€˘ Page 37

Wisconsin Holstein youth celebrated Tolzman, Breunig take home top honors By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. â€“ The annual Wisconsin Holstein Association Junior Convention took place Jan. 4-6 in Sheboygan, Wis. Junior Holstein enthusiasts from across Wisconsin gathered to take part in a variety of activities and contests at the groupâ€™s annual gathering. The associationâ€™s top junior awards, the Wisconsin Outstanding Holstein Boy and Girl, were presented to Zachary Tolzman of Dodgeville, Wis., and Allison Breunig of Sauk City, Wis. Tolzman, 20, is the son of Scott and Denise Tolzman. Tolzman is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where he is majoring in dairy science with an emphasis on agriculture business. He is involved in the Pioneer Dairy Club, has served on the Pioneer Dairy Classic Sale committee and is a member of Alpha Gamma Rho. He is also a member of the Pioneer Bass Fishing team. â€œIt was really surreal to be named the outstanding Holstein boy, because I didnâ€™t grow up on a dairy farm,â€? Tolzman said. â€œI hope that this will show other non-farm members they can achieve whatever they dream and work for.â€? Learning to become a leader and developing communication skills are life lessons Tolzman said he has learned being a Junior Holstein member. He served two years on the stateâ€™s junior activities committee. The area of genetics and reproduction have always intrigued Tolzman. Following his undergraduate studies, he plans to pursue a masterâ€™s degree in one of those areas, and is considering working towards a doctorate degree as well. He would like to pursue a career as a sire analyst. A memory that shines special in Tolzmanâ€™s mind is time spent with his grandfather studying dairy bowl and dairy jeopardy questions before his grandfather passed away. â€œItâ€™s really special to me to have the memories of those times I got to spend with him, sharing what we loved,â€? Tolzman said. The best advice Tolzman said he could give younger members is to not be afraid to challenge themselves and try new activities. â€œI was really a shy kid, and through my activities in the Junior Holstein Association, I was able to break out of my

shell,â€? Tolzman said. Breunig, 20, is the daughter of Mitch and Jacquie Breunig. Her family operates the 460-cow Mystic Valley Dairy. She is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying life sciences communications with certiďƒžcates in digital studios, entrepreneurship and agricultural business management. She is involved with the Badger Dairy Club, Association of Women in Agriculture, Badger Meat Sciences Club and the National Agri-Marketing Association. She is working as an intern at Filament Marketing and will intern this summer with BASF working in their agricultural chemical sector. â€œI was so shocked and happy,â€? Breunig said of the award. â€œIt was a dream I was able to achieve, and it is just surreal. Iâ€™m so thankful for this organization; it has really helped me to grow as a person. I wouldnâ€™t be where I am today if not for the Junior Holstein Association.â€? Breunig grew up being involved in both the Wisconsin and Dane County Junior Holstein Associations, and served as the 2018 Wisconsin Holstein Association Princess. Breunig has been a successful competitor in the dairy bowl and dairy jeopardy competitions, having competed in both at previous national Holstein conventions. Bruenig encourages youth to take full advantage of everything the Holstein Association has to offer. â€œIâ€™d encourage youth to start ďƒžlling out award applications at the younger levels,â€? Breunig said. â€œThe earlier you start, the easier it is each time to just update things. Iâ€™ve only ďƒžlled out award applications twice, which is something Iâ€™ve come to regret.â€? Future goals for Breunig include working in agricultural marketing, particularly in the areas of consumer outreach. â€œItâ€™s really important that we reach out to the public and teach them what farmers really do,â€? Breunig said. â€œMy year serving as the Holstein princess really gave me a platform to do that to be able to reach people.â€? In addition to Tolzman and Breunig, Wisconsin Distinguished Junior Member awards were presented to Jenna Broege and Nicole Broege of Janesville, Wis.; Kaianne Hodorff and Kalista Hodorff of Eden, Wis.; Ben Kronberg, of Milton, Wis.; Rachel McCullough, of Juda, Wis.; Courtney Moser, of Westby, Wis.; Hannah Nelson, of Ellsworth, Wis.; Kylie Nickels, of Watertown, Wis.; and Brooke Trustem of Evansville, Wis. Young Distinguished Junior Member awards were presented to Colton Brandel, of Lake Mills, Wis.; Ava En-

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dres, of Waunakee, Wis.; Jacob Harbaugh, of Marion, Wis.; Hannah Hockerman, of Westďƒželd, Wis.; Kaydence Hodorff, of Eden, Wis.; Brianna Meyer, of Chilton, Wis.; Ainsley Noble and Drew Noble of Lancaster, Wis.; Ashlyn Sarbacker, of Edgerton, Wis.; Lauren Siemers, of Kiel, Wis.; Erin Strauss, of Lake Mills, Wis.; Emily Stumpf, of Appleton, Wis.; Clarissa Ulness, of Valders, Wis.; and Kaelyn Weigel, of Platteville, Wis. Juniors selected to receive the 12 and under member recognition award were Macie AbraPHOTO SUBMITTED ham and Campbell Booth of Plymouth, Wis.; Ash- Alllison Breunig, of Sauk City, Wis., and Zachary Tolley Brandel and Katie zman, of Dodgeville, Wis., are this yearâ€™s Wisconsin Brandel of Lake Mills, Holstein AssociaĆ&#x;onâ€™s Outstanding Holstein Girl and Wis.; Cathryn Gunst and Boy. They were presented the award Jan. 4-6 at the Christopher Gunst of groupâ€™s annual convenĆ&#x;on in Sheboygan, Wis. Pine River, Wis.; Logan Harbaugh, of Marion, Wis.; Levi NelThe juniors elected four new represon, of Ellsworth, Wis.; Macie Noble, sentatives to their junior activities comof Lancaster, Wis.; Cameron Ryan and mittee: Nathan Daniels, of Cobb, Wis., Dylan Ryan of Fond du Lac, Wis.; and will join Emma Buss, of Belmont, Wis., Tessa Schmocker of Whitewater, Wis. representing the southwest district; Lauren Siemers of Kiel, Wis., was Hannah Nelson, of Ellsworth, Wis., named the 2019 Wisconsin Holstein will join Hannah Ullom, of Bloomer, Princess, and Mikayla Endres of Lone Wis., in representing the northwest Rock, Wis., was named the princess at- district; McKenna Coffeen, of Detendant. Pere, Wis., will represent the northeast Wisconsin Holstein Youth Adult district along with Mason Jauquet, of Leader awards were presented to Erica Pulaski, Wis. In the southeast district, Ullom of Bloomer, Wis., and Brenda Matthew Gunst, of Hartford, Wis., will Long of New London, Wis., in honor of join Joshua Gerbitz, of Milton, Wis. their work with Holstein youth in their counties.

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7250, 2012, 556 Hrs, RWA..............................$195,000 6810, 1996, 4925 Hrs, 2WD ..............................$42,500 6710, 1993, 4006 Hrs, RWA..............................$54,000 5460, 1978, 4542 Hrs, RWA..............................$16,500 Steel Deal Pricing Claas 970, 2008, 1948 Hrs, RWA ...................$127,000 Steel Deal Claas 890, 2002, 2290 Hrs, RWA .....................$96,000 Pricing

All hours listed are â€œcutter hoursâ€?.

8500 900 Hrs, RWA, Kernel Processor, 900R42, Rear Bumper, Refrigerator, Leather, Reconditioned, Powertrain Warranty

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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

Successful calf weaning hinges on rumen

Proctor, Altman share tips for raising youngstock By Krista Kuzma

krista.k@dairystar.com

WELCH, Minn. – Dr. Anne Proctor said the three weeks before and after weaning can make or break a calf raising program with the success of this transition time revolving around the development of the rumen. Proctor, dairy technical specialist, and Amanda Altman, nutrition and production specialist, shared tips on raising calves during their seminar, “Tips for Top Calf Performance” Jan. 18 during the 2019 FormA-Feed Professional Dairy Conference in Welch, Minn. “If we can hit the sweet spot, we can avoid the post weaning slump and calves will continue to gain after they are weaned, which is the ultimately the end goal,” Altman said. “The sooner we can get them off milk and do it successfully, the sooner they can get into the milking herd.” Proctor started the seminar talking about milk and starter intake. Growth is energy intake minus maintenance costs. Maintenance is when a calf is idle, but it can also be affected by environmental temperature, activity level, immune system and management decisions. As a newborn, milk is a calf’s rst and only source of energy. A calf’s thermoneutral zone is 68 degrees. Cold temperature increases the amount of energy a calf requires. The solution to meeting that energy level can come through increased feedings from twice daily to three times a day, more volume of milk per feeding or higher milk

concentration. Is a higher fat milk replacer the answer? A 20-24 milk replacer will provide a 10 percent energy increase compared to its low-fat counterpart of a 28-15 milk replacer, Proctor said. “A one unit increase in fat content will offset slightly more than 1 degree drop in temperature at a 1 pound feed rate,” Proctor said. “We need to do some other things in addition to changing the fat or energy level of our milk replacer.” Dr. Anne Proctor Research has also shown concerns of a higher fat diet for calves, Proctor said. She said calves do not digest fat well. “As we increase the fat in the diet and there’s more fat and energy in the milk portion, it offsets the starter intake, and we have a net decrease in total energy intake,” Proctor said. Rather than increase fat, Proctor has a different solution. “My personal philosophy is to feed more powder,” she said. Based on her Amanda Altman calculations, Proctor said a 100-pound calf will need 2.27 pounds of 28-15 milk replacer in order to gain 1 pound per day at zero degrees. “The goal of the calf program is to not only put weight on the calf, but is to raise a cow,” Proctor said. “In order to raise a cow, we need rumen development.” In order for the rumen to mature, mi-

crobes are needed in the gut and the rumen’s physiology needs to develop in order to absorb fatty acids. The rumen’s anatomy must also change, developing papili and muscular capacity in order to churn feed. “We’re developing a smaller version of a cow’s digestive system,” Proctor said. “This process begins when we get both starter and water into the rumen of that calf. The milk and starter program interact dramatically. Those two things have to be in agreement with each other that when we start the weaning process, the rumen is ready to sustain the calf and meet her nutritional needs without the contribution from milk.” Starter intake will determine when a calf is ready for weaning. Proctor said the benchmark used to be when a calf eats 2 pounds of starter three days in a row. Now, a calf can be weaned when it consumes at least a quarter pound of starter each day for 21 days in a row, Proctor said. “Average daily gain should increase during and after weaning,” Proctor said. “I want to see better growth on calves after weaning than I do before weaning. The day you take milk away, they ought to still be gaining well. If we do that, we can avoid the post weaning slump where they’re at risk of particularly respiratory disease. We can get that calf through that weaning stress easily if we have the right rumen development.” Altman nished the presentation talking about management pieces that are critical while feeding milk and starter. “We can have the best milk and starter, but if we don’t properly manage it, we can still fail,” she said. A good starter contains starch, she said. “I like to see a whole corn or rough cracked corn, which reduces the amount of nes,” Altman said.

It also should be low in molasses. “There has been research that molasses will hinder intake on calves,” Altman said. One of the most important aspects of starter is that it is available to calves at an early age. “Put starter in front of the calves that rst week of life,” Altman said. … “Give them a handful. Maybe they’ll accidentally eat a little bit, like the taste of it, and they’ll come back tomorrow and eat a couple more bites. Starter is important for rumen development.” Water is also important. It should be warm, clean and fresh. “Even in the winter, calves should still have water … especially if it is colder, and we’re going to increase the amount of powder we feed on a daily basis, we want to have water available for them,” Altman said. Other ways to reduce maintenance energy is having deep bedding and calf jackets in the winter. It is also important to keep the calves as dry as possible and x any holes in their housing that may cause drafts. Healthy calves also reduce energy needs. Use good sanitation and ventilation, and create an up-to-date vaccination protocol with a veterinarian. During transitions, only introduce one stressor at a time. This can include dehorning, vaccination and moving. Try to keep pen sizes small with six to eight animals in the rst few weeks. Also, move groups of animals, not individuals, Altman said. All this will help avoid the post-weaning slump, she said. “The most expensive pound is the one you have to put on twice,” she said. Overall, Proctor and Altman said giving a calf its energy needs through milk and starter along with good management will help grow a good calf to enter the milking herd.

Dairy prole

Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019 • Page 39

with Dean Binder of New Ulm, Minn.

Dean Binder New Ulm, Minn. Nicollet County 85 cows

It’s always a joy when a good cow comes in and puts out a lot of milk, and she has a nice udder and feet and legs. For as long as I can walk and talk, I’ll have cattle.

How did you get into farming? My dad farmed here. I’ve always been interested in cows, so after college I came back and farmed with my dad. We did that until four years ago when he passed away. He helped until the very end.

What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Farming is different than it was 20 years ago. Don’t borrow a lot of money in case things go south. Take it slow and be careful. Spending money on things is OK, but be careful in case you get out of business.

What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? There are going to be a lot of farmers in their 50s calling it quits in the next ve years. It takes a lot of money to keep the owner/operator farms in business. We’ve already seen consolidation starting. My concern is about large herds controlling production and the rest of us hurting. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We now use soil grid sampling to get a better of idea of where to put manure and know what the elds have in them. We found a few elds with low pH. We’ve always wondered why those spots didn’t do well with alfalfa, and now we know. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? Ten years ago, I was breeding one-fourth of my cows to Angus. Then, when dairy fell out of bed last year I moved that up to half. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? I haven’t bought much new since four

BEST

What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your dairy farm? For days like today, the skidloader with the cab. Otherwise, the slinger spreader. It’s pretty hard to wreck anything, and it takes all kinds of manure. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? That I’m still milking cows. When I was in high school, there were 25,000 dairy farmers left in the state and now that’s less than 3,000. It’s no easy job, especially being the owner/operator. It’s a hard grind, and when I’m pushing 40 years, it’s no easy job. years ago. I’ve cut back on what I buy because I’m pretty good at maintenance. I also try to leave money in the bank for hard times like these. It’s been a big help that I don’t have debt. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? I have one full-time guy who’s been with me since Dad left. Neither one of us are big ghters or arguers. We get along. He gets paid well, and I give him time off. He grew up on a farm and knows what it takes. Wilrich 657 11 Shank Chisel/ Ripper Combo 2012, 2 Bar Coil & Basket

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S E U L VA

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Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I’m a cow guy. I diagnose most sick cows and only have the vet out for herd checks or a DA, maybe a calving problem I can’t do myself. We don’t have much for sick calves, because I’m pretty meticulous when it comes to feeding. I don’t like to see cattle suffer. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Seeing a cow milking well is enjoyable. We have meters in the parlor.

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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 26, 2019

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