DHI Notes...

August 2006 | Cast a critical eye at the holding pen | Bennet Cassell

State DHI averages for important management areas in July 2006

Management area	July 2006	Change from last year
Rolling herd average milk	21838	+939 lbs.
Peak yield in heifers	76	2 lbs.
Days to first breeding	95	0 days
Days open	165	+6 days
Net Merit of proven service sires	$319	+$42
Herd turnover less dairy sales (%)	29%	+1%
Monthly average SCS	3.2	0.0
Feed cost per cwt. (milking cows)	$5.38	-$0.05
Milk blend price	$13.28	-$2.37

Average daily production for cows in milk on test day was 68.9 lbs. in June. For July, the average cow in milk produced 66.2 lbs. That’s 4% less milk from essentially the same cows and the same ration put before the cows, but not necessarily of the same quality or quantity by the time it got to the rumen. The reason for the difference was apparent to those of you in the barns and parlors – hot, humid days, and nights when the temperature never dropped. Cool nights have always been important for sanity on the dairy farm, both for the cows and the dairy producers! While our production figures for July were down from June, we have minor problems compared to dairy producers in other parts of the country. Most of us have heard some horror stories of major death losses and large reductions in milk production in western part of the country. While it is never possible to be fully prepared for the extremes that nature offers, there are many management practices that can be implemented in dairy herds to alleviate the impact of hot, humid weather. Look for ways to improve ventilation and evaporative cooling where your cows spend the most time. Most producers won’t consider raising the sill plates to 14 feet in old free stall barns, but most producers can take the siding off the holding pen. Yes, winter is coming. In many cases you should open up the holding pen anyway. We are fortunate that the holding pen in the Virginia Tech parlor is open and spacious, with movable panels in the parlor and curtains on the holding pen walls. That approach should be the standard for new construction, but probably is not a workable solution for a retrofit. Do look with a critical eye at the holding pen. It’s a critical area on all dairies, with close confinement, often for long periods, twice a day or more often. Often, the holding pen is unpleasantly warm for people, and cows are much less heat tolerant than we are. Give your cows a break from summer weather every chance you get. You’ll be rewarded with better performance if you do, and will pay a price if you don’t.

 

Bennet Cassell
Genetics and Management