DHI Notes...
February 2006 | Why the sudden drop in RHA milk?| Bennet Cassell
State DHI averages for important management areas in January 2006
Management area |
January 2006 |
Change from last year |
Rolling herd average milk |
21188 |
+539 lbs. |
Peak yield in heifers |
74 |
3 lbs. |
Days to first breeding |
95 |
-1 days |
Days open |
162 |
0 days |
Net Merit of proven service sires |
$303 |
* |
Herd turnover less dairy sales (%) |
30% |
2% |
Monthly average SCS |
3.1 |
0.1 |
Feed cost per cwt. (milking cows) |
$5.18 |
$0.08 |
Milk blend price |
$16.12 |
-$0.50 |
* Comparisons are not valid because of changes in the genetic base.
The table used in DHI Notes has been the same for several years. Most changes from the previous year, or previous month, are pretty minor – even boring if you try (as I do) to make a story out of them every month. After all, the numbers are averages for hundreds of herds. Many, such as peak yields in heifers or days open, use data on cows that have been fresh for months. Between December and January, though, the rolling herd average for the state took a dive from 21,428 lbs to 21,188 lbs as shown above. That’s more change for one month than I think I have ever seen. It was worth a closer look, but I can’t say I understand the reason yet. The bottom of the 202 sheets for individual herds and the state average that I see shows the average yield for the month dropped from yearly rolling herd average as well as the month added. For January, average production for all cows, milking and dry, was 57.9 lbs. Production in January of 2005, the month dropped from state RHA, averaged 56.7 lbs. Swapping a better month for the month dropped should have a positive effect on rolling herd average. Actual yield for cows in milk was 68.3 lbs in January, up nicely from 67.9 lbs in December. ME yields were up for all three age groups of cows. Peak yield increased for second and third and later parity cows and was unchanged for heifers from December. Average days open remained the same as last month at 162 days. The bottom line of all of this probably should be the good news that cows seem to be milking well in the state, regardless of the rolling herd average. The most time-sensitive piece of information on the state average sheet is the average milk per day for cows on test. Those data are completely replaced each month, and the average is up, compared to December. We will watch the rolling herd average over the next month or so to see if the January dip was an aberration or evidence that average productivity for cows in herds has started to decline. Meanwhile, it’s over 60 degrees in Blacksburg this fine early March day. With heating oil priced like it is, that’s reason to be thankful!
Bennet Cassell
Genetics and Management
