AnS 434 Dairy Systems Management

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AnS 434Dairy Systems Management
Dr. Howard Tyler
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Instructor Introductions

• Howard Tyler
• Michaela Spring
• Amanda Robinson

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Topics Covered

• Industry Issues
• Breeding/Genetics
• Feeds and Feeding
• Reproduction
• Lactation
• Housing
• Cow Comfort
• Management Systems
• Integrates all disciplines

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Class Assessment

• Tests work in teams, all essay, problem-solving
  emphasized
• Quizzes individual work, short answer, multiple
  choice
• Integrate new concepts with previously learned
  material (therefore somewhat comprehensive)
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar WILL affect
  your grade

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• You are evaluating a calf raising program for a
  local heifer grower. They raise calves for many
  producers, receiving them at two to five days of
  age and raising them until calving. They have
  approximately 50 Holstein calves, 25 Jersey
  calves, and 25 from all other breeds. Birth
  weights range from about 45 pounds to 125 pounds,
  with an average of about 80 pounds. To encourage
  rumen development, they feed a full bucket of
  calf starter as soon as they arrive, with more
  added as needed to make sure to encourage feed
  consumption. They are feeding a finely ground
  concentrate mix to facilitate speed of digestion
  in the tiny rumen of these young calves. In
  addition, they are feeding some mature alfalfa
  hay mixed in with the starter to provide scratch
  factor and speed up rumen development. Since
  they are feeding milk, no water is provided to
  calves until after weaning. They are concerned
  that providing water might discourage calves from
  drinking their milk, and figure they are meeting
  their water needs with the water that is in the
  milk replacer, anyhow. Calves are fed two liters
  of a 20 protein, 20 fat milk replacer twice a
  day. Some calves seem to eat more starter than
  others, making it difficult to pick an age for
  weaning. They like the idea of early weaning,
  and have tried weaning calves at three weeks of
  age, but they seem to lose quite a few calves
  when they wean them that young. They have had
  their best luck with lowering health problems and
  death losses by weaning at 12 weeks of age, but
  their rate of gain from birth to weaning is
  roughly 0.5 pounds per head per day. Discuss ALL
  the advantages and disadvantages of this program.
  What is happening in the rumen of these calves on
  this program? Why is there so much variability
  in starter intake? Explain how rumen development
  occurs. Outline any recommendations you would
  have for changes to this program. Be sure to
  explain your position thoroughly and use complete
  sentences. (25 points)

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Student Resources

• Textbook
• Powerpoint slides
• Covers book material plus additional info
• Instructor access
• htyler_at_iastate.edu
• [phone] (office)
• mmspring_at_iastate.edu
• afordyce_at_iastate.edu

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Approach to Class

• Manage the cows well to manage the business
  profitably
• Profit income - expense
• Sources of income?
• Sources of expense?
• All decisions are based on economics
• The challenge is to decide what factors to
  include in the economic model

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Economic Relationship Between Milk Yield and
Profit Within A Herd
Within any particular feeding program, higher
producing cows tend to be more profitable,
although feed efficiency will also affect
profitability rankings, especially if there are
multiple breeds within a herd
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Economic Impact of Increasing Feed Costs to
Increase Milk Yield
Milk
You can always alter a feeding program to get
more milk from cows, but more milk doesnt
always translate into more profit
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Relating Rolling Herd Average and Profitability
Across Herds
Rolling Herd Average
Profit per 100 cows
Herds with higher herd averages are not
necessarily more profitable
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Why is this important?

• Herd managers with higher herd averages are not
  necessarily better managers
• In addition, managers that are strong in one area
  are not necessarily strong in other areas milk
  production, reproduction, health programs, calf
  management, heifer management, and transition
  cow management all have different skill sets
  they overlap, but they are different
• Profit does not usually come from maximizing
  animal performance, but from balancing
  performance and cost (optimal performance)
• Can carry this same philosophy over to ALL
  management practices and hopefully we will
• Maximal heifer growth rates are not necessarily
  optimal
• Zero risk vaccination program not necessarily
  optimal

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Culling and Profit Another Recurring Theme

• Involuntary vs. voluntary culling
• Involuntary is culling for problems
• Four major reasons?
• Voluntary is culling for profit
• Improves rolling herd average
• Removal of lower producers
• Improves cash income
• Sales of good cows (milk or show)
• What is a lactation worth?
• Heifer sales
• What does it cost to raise a heifer?

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Economic Relationship Between Milk Yield and
Profit Within A Herd
Within any particular feeding program, higher
producing cows tend to be more profitable,
although feed efficiency will also affect
profitability rankings, especially if there are
multiple breeds within a herd
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Culling, Milk Yield and Profit
By culling the least profitable cows, the
remaining cows will shift in terms of their
relation to the herd average (because the
production average goes up), but their
profitability stays the same, so that overall
herd profitability is increased.