Buckeye Dairy News: Volume 9 Issue 3

Dr. Normand St-Pierre, Dairy Management Specialist, The Ohio State University. 

What will be the average US corn yield this year?  Is China buying corn?  Can Brazil compensate for the US acreage reduction in soybeans?  These are just a few among many questions whose answers will affect the US grains and oilseeds markets in the next year.  Because of the uncertainty, be prepared for very volatile markets.  Feed prices can change very quickly.  What was a bargain feedstuff one month may be overpriced the next month.

At the time of this writing (early September 2007), most feedstuffs were expensive from a historical perspective.  Some, however, were inexpensive relative to other feeds.  As usual, SESAME^TM (available at www.sesamesoft.com) was used to estimate implicit prices of nutrients from market prices of 29 commodities available in central Ohio (Table 1).  Net energy lactation is still at a very high price, approaching $0.14/Mcal compared to a 10-year average of about $0.07/Mcal.  Rumen degradable protein is currently very inexpensive, whereas digestible rumen undegradable protein is priced about at the average long-term price.  Non-effective neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is cheap (markets are discounting this nutrient), whereas effective NDF is priced at the upper end of its historical trends.  In short, dietary energy is currently very expensive and should impact the diet formulation strategy used by field nutritionists.

Table 1. Prices of nutrients, central Ohio.

In Tables 2 and 3, we report the results for 27 feed commodities traded in central Ohio.  Although corn price is high from a historical perspective, corn is currently a bargain compared to other feedstuffs in the market.  The price of many feeds has risen in sympathy with corn, but many, such as tallow, have overshot their economic values. 
Using nutrient prices and milk component prices, we can calculate a benchmark for feed costs and income over nutrient costs. 

Table 2. Grouping of feed commodities, central Ohio, November 2006.

Table 3. Commodity assessment, central Ohio, July 2007.

Results are presented in Table 4.  The costs of feeding for a milk yield of 75 lb/day at 3.6% fat and 3.1% protein has gone up $1.32/cow per day since May 2006.  This translates to an increase in feed costs of $1.76/cwt during the same period.  Current milk prices, however, generate additional gross income over feed cost of $5.59/cow per day when comparing May 2006 to September 2007.  At $10.41/cow per day, the current income over feed cost is substantially greater than the average of $6.25 to 6.50/cow per day that we have experienced over the last five years.  Clearly, dairy production is currently very profitable, which compensates for the disastrous year that dairy producers went through in 2006.

Table 4. Nutrient costs and income over nutrient costs, central Ohio.¹

¹Costs and income for a 1400 lb cow producing 75 lb/day of milk, with 3.6% fat, 3.1% protein, and 5.9% other solids. Component prices are for Federal Order 33, October 2006.
²NE_L = Net energy for lactation, RDP = rumen degradable protein, RUP = rumen undegradable protein, ne-NDF = noneffective neutral detergent fiber, and e-NDF = effective neutral effective fiber.

Dr. Matthew Roberts, Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, The Ohio State University

Corn yield is currently forecast at 152.8 bu/ac nationwide. This is somewhat higher than the midpoint of estimates leading up to the report, and it has caused the corn market to extend the losses that started with the June report. With the 152.8 bu/ac yield, and 85.4 million acres harvested, a 13.05 billion bushel harvest is forecast. For Ohio, the forecast is for a 143 bu/ac yield this year, 16 bu/ac less than 2006.

The increased projected yield led to increases in usage, as well. Forecasted feed demand for the 07/08 marketing year was increased by 50 million bushels, and owing to higher availability and lower global production, exports were forecasted to rise by 150 million bushels over the previous estimate, to 2.15 billion bushels, compared to 2.1 billion bushels for the 06/07 marketing year. The expected increase in US exports is being driven primarily by the severe drought in Southeastern Europe, which has reduced expected European Union-27and Former Soviet Union coarse grain production by almost 7 million metric tons.

As long as August moisture is sufficient, all indications are that the domestic soybean harvest will be adequate this fall. However, the US, and the globe, cannot plan for another 300 million bushel decline of soybean inventories. New crop 2008 soybean futures are already displaying the markets' unease with '08 prospects. November 2008 soybean futures are currently trading at $9.05/bu and December 2008 corn contracts are trading at $4.01/bu, a 2.25:1 soy-to-corn ratio. In January/February of this year, new crop corn averaged $4.08 and soybeans averaged $7.96, for a ratio of under 2:1, which led to a loss of 11.4 million acres of soybeans and a gain of 14.6 million acres of corn. Many analysts are already predicting that corn will lose up to 2 million acres in '08. I think corn's willingness to do so is entirely contingent on the level of '07/08 ending stocks. If we do have an '07 yield near 150 bu/ac, then corn may cede a few acres.

Another major contributor to the acreage allocation discussion is the number of acres planted to soybeans this fall in South America. While soybean prices have rallied this summer, the fall in the US Dollar has offset some of those gains. At this point, it appears that South American plantings will rise 5% or less over last year, which is unlikely to significantly alter the balance of the global soybean market.

For at least the next year, the market will remain very tight, and much more attention than usual will be paid to deferred futures contract prices, such as harvest '08 and '09. From a marketing standpoint, I expect that this attention will be very clearly felt soon after harvest this year when attention turns to '08 harvest. Because no crops will have ample inventories by the end of the 07/08 marketing year, prices for '08 harvest will stay strong, which should create a "floor" for the 2007 crop prices, but the large number of bushels being harvested and stored this fall will nonetheless create heavy pressure on cash prices.

Therefore, feed buying opportunities will be best in November and December, when storage pressure will be highest. But by mid-January at the latest, the market will likely start the process of allocating acres for '08 plantings, a process that will probably see corn futures running up to $4.15/bu and soybeans to $9.50/bu After the March 31 report, all prices, but especially soybeans, should see price declines lasting into June, when weather worries begin.

Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Dairy Specialist, The Ohio State University 

Variation in forage quality, limited supply of forage, high prices for forage, and attempts to maximize milk yield are factors for why low forage diets are often fed to lactating cows. Certainly for this year, limited forage supply and high prices for forage (although prices for many other feeds are not going to be low) are conditions that exist. When considering the feeding of low forage diets, one must keep in mind that adequate effective fiber in the diet is critical for healthy, high producing dairy cows. Maintaining a stable rumen fermentation requires providing a minimum level of effective fiber and not exceeding a maximum level of nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC; e.g. starch). Forage NDF (FNDF) is a good indicator of effective fiber, but particle size of forage, source of NFC (e.g. corn vs. wheat), and fermentability of the NFC source (e.g., dry vs. high moisture corn) must be considered when formulating diets based on minimum FNDF. Low forage diets generally should not be fed to dairy cows during the first 30 days in milk because of the low dry matter (DM) intake at parturition and the risk of metabolic diseases. Intense feeding management is required when low forage diets are fed.

Generally speaking, diets should contain a minimum of 26 to 28% NDF using traditional diets consisting of little or no high-fiber concentrate feeds. Assuming that 75% of the NDF should be forage, 21% FNDF would be needed in the ration; however, research has revealed that lower FNDF can be fed. Based on several experiments, here are some guidelines for limiting forage in diets:

• Whole linted cottonseed (WCS) is the best concentrate source to use as a forage extender. Limit WCS to 5 to 6 lb/day per cow because of its unsaturated fat content. Dietary FNDF may be as low as 9 to 11% of DM when WCS is in the diet if dietary starch is limited to 25 to 30%. High fiber concentrate feeds, such as soybean hulls, distillers grains, brewers grains, wheat middlings, corn gluten feed, etc., can be used to limit the starch content in the ration.

• If WCS is not in the ration, the FNDF content should be at least 16 to 18% of dietary DM when using the high-fiber concentrate feeds to limit starch to 25 to 30% of the diet.

• The above suggestions are made assuming that corn silage is not the sole forage in the ration. If corn silage is the sole forage, the lower limits on FDNF should be increased 3 to 5 percentage units, and adequate particle size of the forage becomes even more important. This is because corn silage has fewer long particles than haylage and the corn grain is more rapidly degraded (more like high moisture corn) in the rumen than dry shelled corn.

• The above suggestions are being made assuming that dry corn is the principal concentrate providing starch to the ration. If more rapidly fermented starch sources are used (e.g., wheat, barley, high moisture corn, and steam-flaked corn), replace no more than 50% of the dry corn with one of these other starch sources or increase the amount of fiber in the ration.

• It is not necessary to add hay to a dairy cow ration, but hay does provide a safety net when feeding low fiber diets because of its particle size - provides for more cud chewing and a more dense rumen mat.

• Sorting of the total mixed ration should always be minimized but will especially be important when feeding low forage diets.

• Always add a buffer to the ration at about 0.8% of DM when feeding low fiber diets.

• When using these guidelines, keep in mind that a balance needs to be maintained between fiber and starch in the ration. When feeding low fiber rations without WCS, a ratio of FNDF:NFC of 0.45 to 0.50 appears adequate.

Management of low forage feeding programs must be very intense; without such intensity in management, greater risk in metabolic disease and negative animal performance is assumed by the dairy farmer. Changes in forage quality or particle size can result in major problems with little notice. Watch for the following as indicators of inadequate fiber intake: highly variable feed intake and milk yield, several cows within a group with inverted milk fat and protein percentages, or increased incidence of displaced abomasum, sore feet, and loose feces.

Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Extension Dairy Specialist, The Ohio State University

The Ohio Dairy Research Fund was developed to support research by voluntary dairy producer contributions. Since 1982, about $731,000 in producer investments have funded research that has greatly benefited Ohio's dairy industry. From time to time, results of this research will be included in the Buckeye Dairy News. For this issue, the results from five recent projects are provided below.

Assessing Biotin Status of Lactating Cows
William P. Weiss and G. Ferreira, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University

The addition of supplemental biotin (a B-vitamin) to dairy diets is becoming more common. In research studies, the addition of biotin to dairy diets has consistently improved measures of hoof health. In many studies, but not all, biotin has also increased milk yield apparently independent of effects on hoof health. The objective of this study was to determine whether an index of biotin status could be identified that was related to the likelihood of obtaining a milk response. Based on previous studies, high producing cows are more likely to have a milk yield response to supplemental biotin than low producing cows. Therefore, we conducted an experiment with high producing (average yield = 95 lb/day) and low producing cows (51 lb/day). All cows were fed the same basal diet with and without supplemental biotin (approximate supplementation rate was 20 mg/day). Blood, milk, and urine were sampled and analyzed for biotin. In addition, cows were given an intraruminal infusion of valeric acid and urinary excretion of a metabolite was monitored. Valeric acid is a normal product of ruminal fermentation and its metabolism depends on biotin-containing enzymes. If biotin is limited, then providing additional valeric acid might overwhelm the normal biochemical pathways and an alternate metabolite (3-hydroxyisovaleric acid) will be produced and excreted in the urine.

Supplemental biotin increased milk yield by about 6 lb/day in high producing cows but had no effect on milk yield of low producing cows. The response by high producing cows occurred within 3 days of supplementation. Supplemental biotin increased concentrations of biotin in plasma, milk, and urine in both high and low producing cows, but responses were similar in both production groups. Urinary excretion of hydroxyisovaleric acid following the infusion of valeric acid was higher for high producing cows, but biotin supplementation had no effect. We were not successful in identifying a measure of biotin status in lactating cows that could be used to determine when cows were likely to respond to supplemental biotin.

Supplemental Rumen-Protected Choline and Methionine for Lactating Dairy Cows
Maurice Eastridge, Joanna Engel, and Claudio Ribeiro, Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University

The primary purposes of the experiments were to establish the magnitude of protection of 3 commercially available, rumen protected choline (RPC) sources [Reashure® (REA), Balchem Encapsulates, New Hampton, NY; By Pass Choline (BPC), Robt Morgan, Inc., Paris, IL; and Pro-Choline^TM 40, Probiotech, Inc., St-Eustache, QC, Canada] and to determine the effects of supplemental rumen-protected choline (REA) and rumen protected methionine (Smartamine M^TM, Adisseo, Antony Cedex, France) on the metabolism and performance of lactating dairy cows. Using in situ procedures in Experiment I , Reashure was found to be more rumen stable than the other two choline sources. In Experiment II, 56 lactating dairy cows were fed one of 4 diets at parturition: 1) control [duodenal flow of lysine:methionine (lys:met) 3.8], 2) 0.26% rumen protected choline (RPC) (REA fed at 60 g/d to provide 15 g/d of choline; lys:met 3.8; REA-L), 3) 0.52% RPC (REA fed at 120 g/d to provide 30 g/d of choline; lys:met 3.8; REA-H), or 4) 0.096% rumen protected methionine (Smartamine M^TM; lys:met 3.0; MET).  The diets were fed as a total mixed ration for 13 weeks and were composed of 52% forage (76% corn silage and 24% alfalfa hay), 9% whole linted cottonseed, and 39% concentrates.  The diets were 16.8% crude protein, 39.2% NDF, and 20% forage NDF.  Thirty-one Holstein and 17 Jersey (48 total) cows completed the trial.  Dry matter intake (45.3 lb/day), milk yield (80.3 lb/day), milk fat (4.35%), and milk protein (3.14%) were found to be the same among all 4 diets.  The milk urea nitrogen was the highest for REA-H (19.1 mg/dl) and intermediate for MET (18.1 mg/dl).  Milk choline concentration was highest for MET, but plasma choline and non-esterified fatty acids were not different for the diets.  Plasma glucose was higher for both the control and MET diets than for either REA diet.  Plasma methionine was significantly higher for the MET diet than for other diets.  Conclusions from the study were: 1) Reashure was more rumen stable than the other two choline sources, 2) milk choline is a better indicator of choline status than plasma choline, and 3) feeding MET to the periparturient dairy cow may be beneficial for reducing risks of  metabolic diseases and improving animal performance related to choline status.

A Survey of Bovine Practitioners to Determine the Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Acute Bloat Syndrome in Pre-Weaned Dairy Heifers
Dianne Shoemaker, Department of Extension; Päivi Rajala-Schultz, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine; and Lowell Midla, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine; The Ohio State University

Acute Bloat Syndrome (ABS) has been identified by 276 veterinarians across the country on a median of four farms per practitioner.  Common symptoms included abdominal distension, fluid slosh in the abdomen, colic, and dehydration.  Symptoms did not commonly include either diarrhea or an elevated temperature.  The majority of cases were seen in calves 4 to 21 days old.  Knowledge of these common clinical signs can help calf managers detect problems in calves as early as possible and to begin treatment of the syndrome.

In calves exhibiting clinical symptoms, respondents suggested effective treatments and therapies. Some combination of antibiotics, rumen tonics, anti-inflammatories, and bloat-relieving measures may be effective in some cases.  The majority of possible preventive therapies focused around the diet and feeding program.  However, no particular diet or feeding strategy in place on any of the case farms precluded a case of ABS from occurring.

Notwithstanding that management was rated as good to excellent on most farms where a case had been seen, various improvements in calf management practices (e.g. consistency in feeding time intervals) were cited as being effective at preventing future cases.  This underscores the idea that attention to detail cannot be overstated regarding calf management practices. 

 While isolation of Clostridia spp. from clinical cases in no way proves that Clostridia spp. are the causative agents of ABS, the frequency with which these organisms were isolated deserves to be noted.  Sarcinia spp. were the second most common bacterial isolate.  Sarcinia spp. have been associated with an abomasal bloat type syndrome in goat kids.  Further research to clarify the role of Clostridia spp. and Sarcinia spp. in the pathogenesis of ABS is needed. 

Capturing and Recycling Dairy Nitrogen Manure Nutrients with Winter Cover Crops
James J. Hoorman, James N. Lopshire, Chris L. Bruynis, Glen J. Arnold, Alan P. Sundermeir, and Steve C. Prochaska, The Ohio State University

Nitrogen prices have doubled, motivating producers to conserve nutrients with winter cover crops (WCC).  With increased regulations on the winter application of manure, planting WCC's to capture fall and early winter applied manure nutrients is an option for livestock farmers.  Ohio State University Extension assisted nine livestock farmers in saving nitrogen from the fall application of manure by planting WCC plots.  The WCC treatments included annual ryegrass (ARG), cereal rye (CR), and oilseed radish (OSR) compared to bare land.  Each treatment had three rates (0, 6,000, and 12,000 gallons) of dairy liquid manure applied. Measurements were recorded for soil nitrogen, soil nutrient losses, plant nitrogen, and survivability. Our research has shown that WCC are great scavengers of excess nitrogen (up to 500 lb/acre) and phosphorous (60 lb/acre). Plant biomass analysis showed that OSR and ARG absorbed significantly more nitrogen than CR (P < 0.01) and significantly more soil nitrate nitrogen (P < 0.0001) and soil total nitrogen for the next crop. Carbon was significantly higher for CR (P < 0.0001) and for carbon-nitrogen ratio (P < 0.01).

Preliminary data show that grass WCC such as annual ryegrass (ARG) and cereal rye (CR) have the potential to be utilized by livestock farmers to absorb manure nutrients and prevent manure winter runoff. The nitrogen in dairy manure can be recycled to the next crop if the WCC are killed in early April and the cover crops have time to decay and release nutrients back into the soil. Annual grass WCC are preferred to other cover crops (oil seed radish) because they provide the additional benefit of protecting the soil during the winter months from soil erosion.  Additional research is needed to quantify the effects of cover crops on recycling other manure nutrients (phosphorous and potassium), coliform survivability, water infiltration, and water retention in the soil profile.

Determining Annual Trend of H₂S and Odor Levels at Dairy Manure Storage Ponds and Downwind Property Line for Effective and Economic Air Quality Management
Lingying Zhao, X. Wang, M. Darr, R. Manuzon, M. Brugger, E. Imernan, and G. Arnold, The Ohio State University

The study results indicated that there are large seasonal variations in ammonia (NH₃), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and odor levels at the dairy manure storage pond. Warmer months, such as May to August, were generally associated with high levels of NH₃ and odor. The H₂S levels varied without a trend. During the eight-month study period, the overall gas and odor levels at the manure storage pond were generally not high enough to cause air quality concerns. The mean NH₃ levels varied from 1.2 to 7.4 ppm; H₂S 2 to 72 ppb (parts per billion); and odor level 96 to 381 OU/m³.

Since odor is a subjective perception of an individual, it is difficult to say exactly what odor level is odor free and what level is very offensive. However, the study indicated that hot months generally had relative high odor levels. If odor is a concern to neighbors and limited mitigation can be afforded, then warmer months are the critical time for odor abatement practices. 

The H₂S levels on the dairy farm studied were generally low. The H₂S dispersed well during noon sampling periods. The dairy facility did not significantly affect the ambient H₂S level at the 1000 ft downwind neighboring areas during the study period.

The NH₃ emission from the 650 to 700 cow operation was likely more than 100 lb/day in warmer months. However, H₂S was not a concern at all in reference to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act reporting requirements.

Mrs. Bonnie Ayars, Dairy Program Specialist, The Ohio State University (top of page)

With the 2007 Ohio State Fair now in the history books, I am pleased to report that all of our 4-H Dairy events were up in numbers. The 4-Hers, advisors, and exhibitors can take pride in this accomplishment! Thank you for your support, and if you have any comments and suggestions for 2008, just phone or email me.  Following is a brief description of each activity.  Click on the links below for more details and photos!

Dairy Skillathon: Even though we held only one skillathon this year, 75 ambitious youth completed all the stations with the expert assistance of our volunteers.  It was also impressive to have Ohio's First Lady, Frances Strickland, visiting and taking part in our event!  Matt Weeman of Wayne County was the Overall Winner.

Dairy Judging Clinics:  Two judging clinics were held. Each had 3 classes and one set of oral reasons. A total of over 70 participated.  In an effort to make this more of a clinic rather than just a contest, Bernie Heisner and John Ayars were on hand to discuss placing classes and also listened to reasons and providing suggestions for improvement. There was excellent discussion with the kids, but we need to find more time for our beginners too!  Look for a Reasons Clinic later this year!

Ohio 4-H Dairy Judging Teams: Seven 4-H members traveled all over the state from August 23-25 in conjunction with Michigan 4-Hers.  They placed 23 classes and gave 7 sets of reasons.  It was a test of endurance, but everyone improved despite the heat, flooding, tornadoes, and very long days.  Look for more updates on the first and second teams that will be out representing us this fall!

OSU Collegiate Dairy Judging Team: These students put their lives on hold to manage the Ohio State Fair milking parlor.  From 4:30 a.m. to at least 9:00 p.m., the eight team members did their very best to fulfill an important commitment as well as provide a service to exhibitors. They gave up some of their summer income to prove their interest in dairy judging.  Three of the students were even taking summer classes.  Some days, the parlor barely had time to close down and after the 50^th Holstein Futurity, they were still washing the line at midnight.  They should be commended for the tremendous effort put forth to help earn some income for their fall judging experiences.  It was particularly pleasing to have cards and letters of appreciation sent to them after the fair.  Also the "milk a cow" event continues to draw in hundreds of fair goers.  With the help of Dr. Eastridge and some additional students, the judging kids also took care of the animals for this and shared their expertise with all those who couldn't wait to take a turn.  As another outreach effort to consumers, facts and information from www.dairyfarmingtoday.org, were posted on the parlor windows.  It is always interesting to note the kinds of questions that consumers have about dairying and this gave the aspiring judges an opportunity to become better at reasoning.

For all of the above activities, there are photos available if anyone would like to use them in publications: http://4hansci.osu.edu/dairy.htm. A new bulletin board outside of my office also helps to tell the story of our summer activities.