DHIA INDIVIDUAL COW,
HERD SUMMARY, AND
QUILTING WORKSHOP
Leo Timms
Iowa State U.
HOWDY, I’M LEO
I’m a dairy guy!
RECORDS
Data is: **Accurate!!!
**Timely
**Precise measurements
** Human data entry (raw/ calculated)
Snapshots / photographs
• Who is (not) in the picture?
• What time frame? Today? Yesterday?
• Does picture represent what I’m looking for?
Interpretation depends on yesterday!!
MONITORING
IS A
MUST!!!!
Records Evaluation
• When evaluating records, always
consider how the data may be
influenced by statistical errors:
– Averages – (small numbers, wide range)
– Bias
– Momentum
– Lag
– Variation
5
Data Evaluation
• Momentum – Influence that previous
measurements have on a parameter.
• Lag – The time it takes for a parameter to
show a change in response to a problem
or management change
– Ex.
6
– Rolling Herd Av
-Calving Interval
Data Evaluation
• Variation – For all calculations there is an
underlying distribution of individual
performance.
• It is possible that the status of problem
animals can be hidden behind an
acceptable average.
• Sometimes it is important to look at the
individual data that lies behind a summary
parameter.
7
BENCHMARKING
What is a benchmark???
REFERENCE POINT!!!
• Where I’m at!
• Where I want to go!
• Where others are at!
• Maximum / minimum! Optimum!
• Realistic!!!!!!!!!!
BENCHMARKING
SCC/ REPRO / HEALTH
HERD OR INDIVIDUAL COW?
Lowest SCC
vs
Highest Preg
Rate
vs
maximal
healthy udders
Get all cows
pregnant in
timely manner
REPRODUCTION
INCOME
EXPENSES
Feed
Labor
Supplies
replacements
Milk
culls
calves
Labor
Feed
Milk
and
nutrition
production
Quantity!
Quality!
Price!
DHIA RECORDS:
What do I do with them?
OR
GOLD?
GARBAGE?
Leo Timms, Iowa State Univ., ltimms@iastate.edu
Individual cows
????
DHI – 202!!!!!!!
TWO MINUTE DRILL!!!
MONITORING MILK
PRODUCTION
• Bulk tank milk!! (slips at farm!!!)
• Meters ( individual cows)
• DAIRY RECORDS!!!!!!!
 BUT WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR?
 HOW DO YOU INTERPRET?
Daily milk / cow /day
80
75
70
65
/6
10
/1
10
3
0
/2
0
1
/2
10
7
/3
11
/1
11
0
/1
11
7
4
/2
1
1
/1
12
/8
12
/1
12
5
/2
12
date
Series1
2
/2
12
9
5
1/
12
1/
19
1/
26
1/
2
2/
9
2/
16
2/
Younger cows produce < old cows
Monitor separately!!!
How much milk
on test day?
88- 92%
Pays the bills!
Historical!
Now vs 1 yr ago
Many influences!
150d / MLM milk
Standardize cow/herd
Apples to apples!
Month / month compare!
Short term changes!
Baggage! Mask Repro!
Pays the bills!
Historical!
Now vs 1 yr ago
Many influences!
“EARLY LACTATION”
Highest
Milk
Avg. of 2 highest
of 1st 3 tests
Heifer
Repro
75-80% of
older cows
How high
are cows
peaking?
• Peak Milk = Highest milk production of the
lactation.
– When does it occur – 35 DIM, 65 DIM, 220
DIM (BST)?
– Does it include all the peaks from the current
lactations or only the cows that peaked this
test?
• What is the value of peak for current fresh cow
performance?
• Summit Milk – Average of the highest 2 of
the first 3 tests.
• 1# of peak or summit is worth ~225#’s of
milk throughout the lactation.
24
When are cows peaking?
8-10 #
Watch the
numbers!
10-12
#
12-15 #
FRESH
COWS
When are cows peaking / HOW MUCH?
How well are fresh cows doing compared to past?
HERD EVALUATION
LOTS
OF
MILK
U MAKE THE CALL!
KEY QUESTIONS ?
1. How is my herd performing currently?
2. How has my herd performed in the past?
3. Is performance getting better or worse?
4. What things / changes should I be
thinking about?
Bacteria counts, SCC, bulk tank cultures
(useful but after the fact!)
MILK QUALITY (SCC)
Excellent
Herd
<150,000
Cow
<150,000
> 200 – 283,000
Problem
?
Illegal
> 750,000
SCC BENCHMARKS
• SCC < 150-200,000 (ultimately)
• New infections (high SCC) < 5%
• Clinical mastitis / mo. < 2%
• % 1st lact. < 200,000 (LS 4) > 90%
• % older cows < 200,000 > 80%
• % early lact. > 200,000 < 10%
• % culled for mastitis: < 8%?
WHAT IS A PROBLEM
HIGH COW SCC?
•
INDIVIDUAL COW BASIS:
• > 200 – 283,000 SCC!!!
• Linear Score (LS) > 4 – 4.5
WHAT IS A PROBLEM
GOAT HIGH SCC?
• Early / mid lactation: > 300-400,000
• Late lactation: * > 1 million
* compare between halves
SO YOU WANNA BE
AVERAGE?
Leo Timms
Iowa State University
300,000 SCC
100,000 SCC
1 MILLION!
150,000 SCC
150,000 SCC
150,000 SCC +
8 cases of clinical mastitis
500,000 SCC
Contagious or environmental?
Or both?
49 cows < 200,000
1 cow > 20 million
w/ 100 # milk
50 cows at 500,000!
150,000 SCC(6 mo. later)
50 cows @
150,000 SCC
40 new heifers, 10 aged cows
Cows treated/dumped 1.6 mil. SCC
HERD SCC AVERAGE
• Made up of individual cow SCC’s
• Need surveillance on individual cows
• Need to define what a problem cow is!
*** SCC > 200 - 283,000?
•
How many problem cows?
• New or old?
• 32 heifers (80%) @ 50,000 SCC
• 8 heifers (20%) @ 550,000 SCC
• 10 aged cows > treated & dumped
(1.6 million SCC)
Test day 1
Herd 1
SCC
500,000
% > 300,000
2%
% new infec. 2% (1)
Herd 2
500,000
100%
0%
Test day 2
SCC
150,000
% > 300,000 0%
% new infec. 0%
150,000
36%
20%(8)
HERD SCC
100
700
100
900
Average over all cows
# WBC / ml milk
By lactation
Don’t forget
By stage of
lactation
Whole herd
over time
Weighted Average SCC (bulk tank?)
Sum (each cow SCC X milk) / total milk
Avg. SCC score = herd linear score (LS)
• no production weights
• ~ herd SCC median / milk loss $$$
LS = log of cow SCC
Range = 0 – 9+
1 LS = SCC doubles
1 = 25
2 = 50
3 = 100
4 = 200
5 = 400
6 = 800
7/8/9 = disaster!?
HOW MANY PROBLEM COWS?
Are they new or old?
Who are they?
SCC by lactation
goals
> 90
> 80
> 80
SCC by stage of lactation
What is your goal for fresh cows? < 10%
HERD EVALUATION
CLEAN UDDERS
TO START!
INSIDE & OUT!!!
SCC
U MAKE THE CALL!
KEY QUESTIONS ?
1. How is my herd performing currently?
2. How has my herd performed in the past?
3. Is performance getting better or worse?
4. What things / changes should I be
thinking about?
UDDER
HEALTH
BEYOND
PAPER
Current Linear SCC
vs. Prev. Linear SCC
New Cases 6%
Chronic 14%
Cures 6%
MONITORING FRESH COWS
7/ 2006
12%
7 / 2006
9 / 2006
< 2%
9 / 2006
Fresh cow
issues
1 / 2007
<3%
1 / 2007
1 / 2007
<3%
30%
WINTER TEAT CRACKING
CMT testing
+ cowside
+ easy
+ inexpensive
- interpretation?
Gel
Or
NO gel?
INTERPRETATIONS
• Calving day
•Day 3 post calving
No gel – 100% accurate
No gel – 100% accurate
Gel: Is/was a problem!
Gel: Is/was a problem!
70% infections picked up! 80% infections picked up!
However:
However:
Only 20% gelling infected Only 40% gelling infected
Only 20% treatable
Only 10% treatable
COLOSTRUM + CMT RGT.
=
POOR MIXTURE !!!
GET YOUR FINGERS DIRTY!!
•THE MOST ACCURATE TEST IS NO GEL!
• When you see gelling, prevent before treating!
• If used for treatment, must be based on organism!
< 10% CMT+
Fresh Animals
(< 5% quarters)
HAPPY
IOWA
COWS
REPRODUCTION
Calving interval
Days open
VWP / DFB
Heat detection %
Conception rate
Services / conception
Pregnancy rate
FRESH COWS
REPRODUCTION
Gettin’ ‘em pregnant in a timely manner!
Economic Goal of
Reproductive Programs
Getting animals pregnant at a rate
that captures maximum net economic
benefits.
Pregnancy Rate measures the
SPEED at which animals become
pregnant in a given program.
REPRODUCTION EQUATION
Calving = Fertile X DFB X Heat X Conc.
Interval Animal (VWP) Det.(HD) Rate (CR)
Pregnancy rate
Essential critical
control points!
Equation can be balanced many ways!
REPRO BENCHMARKS
• Calving interval: 12.5 – 14 mo.+
• Days to 1st service: < 70 d+
• Heat detection rate: 70% (>50%)+
• Conception rate: > 40%+
• Services / conception: 1.5 H/ 2 C+
+ can be manipulated/ balanced in herd
**** PREGNANCY RATE: >20%
**** Reproductive culling: < 10%
Pregnancy Rate (Risk)
• Percentage of animals that become
pregnant within a defined period
• Influenced by Heat Detection Rate
AND Conception Rate
Pregnancy Rate (Risk)
• US Dairy average PR -12-14%
• Many farms above 20%
• Increasing Heat Detection Rate is the
easiest way to improve Preg. Rate
– Submit more cows for service
Survival Curve by Pregnancy Rate
10%
12.5%
15%
17.5%
20%
22.5%
25%
27.5%
30%
32.5%
35%
100.0%
90.0%
% Open at Cycle End
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
VWP
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
Cycle
Mark Kinsel – 2001
Pregnancy Rate (Risk)
Calculation
• What we need to know:
– Number of eligible cows
– Time frame (typically 21 days)
– Voluntary Waiting Period
– Known outcome
– Number in group (pregnant/ at risk) at the end
of the period.
Pregnancy Rate (Risk)
Calculation
• 1 cow
C1|C2|C3|Preg
Preg Rate= 1 pregnancy/4 cycles
=25%
C1|C2|C3|Preg
0%|0%|0%|100%
Pregnancy Rate (Risk)
Calculation
C1|C2|C3|C4|C5|C6|C7|Preg
1 preg/8 cycles = 12.5%
• 2 cows
C1|C2|C3|C4
C1|C2|C3|Preg
C1|C2|C3|C4|C5|C6|C7|Preg
C1|C2|C3|Preg
What is the preg risk?
2 pregnancies/12 cycles = 16.7%
REPRO GOLDEN RULES
• There are always problem breeders! But
how many? 5-10%
• GOAL: Max preg rates in normal cows
** minimize normal cows
problems
/ culls
• CAN’T CHANGE THE PAST!!!
• Rate am I getting cows pregnant TODAY!
DHIA Reproduction:
The good, bad,
and invisible!
REPRO INFORMATION
• Accurate / complete data entry!
• Some measures have momentum
(archaeic)!! CI, DFB
• Some measures lag behind!
(conception rate due to preg diag.)
PAST REPRO HISTORY
85-90% bred w/in 21 days of VWP
Compare to VWP
?
Distribution more important!
When are cows bred first time!
PREGNANCY RATE
L
A
g
Average vs.
Change over time
TODAY’S BREEDING HERD
Problem cows?
What should
this be?
HD, PR calculations
based on this!!
Don’t forget !
HERD EVALUATION
REPRODUCTION
U MAKE THE CALL!
REPRODUCTION
BEYOND
PAPER
DAYS IN MILK AT FIRST SERVICE
 95 – 100% within 21 days of VWP
 PREGNANCY RATE > 20%
 Heat detection > 60%
 Conception rate > 35%
CULLING !!!!
CULLING !!!!
WHAT %? 25-30? 35!
 % culled < 30 DIM: 4%
 % culled < 60 DIM: 6%
!!!!! ? !
8
8
<5
< 15- 20%
WHAT AGE?
WHAT REASON?
QUILTING CLASS
Integrated health /
herd management
Tieing the pieces together!
Lots of little pieces!
Each has a purpose!
Each takes time!
Can be tedious / frustrating!
Takes concentration!
Never gets done if not worked on!
WHOLE (sum)
IS
GREATER
THAN
PARTS
MILK PRODUCTION
UDDER
HEALTH
CULLING
REPRO
OTHER
DHIA
PUTTING
IT
ALL
TOGETHER
HERD EVALUATION
Putting the pieces
TOGETHER!
U MAKE THE CALL!
TWO MINUTE DRILL!!!
HOMEWORK
KEY QUESTIONS ?
MILK PRODUCTION / SCC/REPRO/CULLING
1. How is my herd performing currently?
2. How has my herd performed in the past?
3. Is performance getting better or worse?
4. What things / changes should I be
thinking about?
WHAT CAN FAT
AND PROTEIN
REALLY TELL US?
Leo Timms
Iowa State University
Breed Average Fat, Protein &
Ratio
Breed
Total Fat
Total Protein
Fat:Protein Ratio
Ayrshire
3.86
3.18
1.21
Brown Swiss
4.04
3.38
1.20
Guernsey
4.51
3.37
1.34
Holstein
3.65
3.06
1.19
Jersey
4.60
3.59
1.28
Heinrichs, J., et al., Milk components:
understanding the causes and importance of
milk fat and protein variation in your dairy
herd, Penn State University, DAS 05-97
142
143
Fat %
High
P
r
o
t
e
i
n
%
H
N
L
Normal
Low
Fat %
High
P
r
o
t
e
i
n
%
Low
H production
Normal
Wishful
thought
Low
Acidosis?
Fat:Pro Inv?
Grain fiber
Testing am/pm
Low
N production NORMAL?
Fat:fiber/TFA
High grain/RUP
High Fat
Ketosis?
Low RDP Fat/ lowRDP
L
MILK UREA
NITROGEN
(MUN)
MILK UREA NITROGEN
• Normal values: 10-14 mg/dl
• Lower value with high corn silage diets
• Breed differences: Jersey ?
• Seasonal differences: Summer?
• Look at milk protein values also!
MILK COMPONENTS:
INDIVIDUAL COW DATA
Low fat / protein! Acidosis!
Fresh cow ketosis
< 30% 1.5 F:P
MUN: 9-12
Protein to Fat Ratios
2.5
Protein to Fat Ratio
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
0
50
100
150
200
Days in Milk
250
300
350
FOR ANY FURTHER INFO:
(videos, papers, jokes, etc.)
Leo Timms
I’m all
515-294-4522
milked out!
515-294-2393 (fax)
ltimms@iastate.edu
Thanks!
That’s all folks!