COOL DRY COWS TO IMPROVE TRANSITION SUCCESS

To the North Country’s surprise we had our first bout of heat stress this year during the first week of May! Seven out of the first eight days of the month had a maximum temperature of 75ºF or greater. This short period of heat stress reminded us of the importance of heat abatement strategies for our cows and the need to do yearly maintenance on fans and sprinkler systems. read more

ARE MUNs IMPORTANT?

When I first started my post-doc at Miner Institute the research cows’ milk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentrations had just spiked during the weekly test. After a week or so the MUN concentrations returned to normal without any intervention on our part, begging the question why did they spike and more importantly why was this increase such a topic of discussion? read more

MORE ON MUNS, MINER HERD AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCES:
SOME “VERBAL RESEARCH”

Following up on Heather Tucker’s MUN article and discussion of our recent spate of higher MUNs in the whole herd and particularly our two most recent lactating cow trials: Our DHI test results for the past 12 months shows that our herd MUNs increased from 12 to 15 mg/dL from May 2012 to April 2013. Whole herd milk remained steady at about 95 lbs, milk fat rose slightly from 3.6 to 3.8% and milk protein increased 3.0 to 3.1 (almost 3.2). Do we dare conclude that higher MUNs will result in gains in milk components? read more

COLOSTRUM REPLACER PRODUCTS:
A PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OF 13 STUDIES

Colostrum management is the most important thing concerning calf health by provision of passive transfer of immunity (PTI). The concentration of serum IgG > 10 g/L at 24 hour of birth is widely used as the criteria for adequate PTI. Typically, feeding 3 to 4 L of high quality colostrum within 2 hours after birth will do a good job at achieving PTI. read more

FINE-TUNING THE 2013 HAY CROP HARVEST

The 2013 cropping season is off to a good start in Northern NY. After a somewhat chilly April, temperatures jumped up to above-average the first week of May. This coupled with a fairly dry spring has allowed farmers to work fields early this year and get spring seedings in the ground and corn planted. read more

MINER INSTITUTE CUTS A WIDE SWATH

Since I retired from Miner Institute my main connection to the Institute is this newsletter, so it’s acceptable to toss a bouquet to its research staff. In April I gave a presentation at “Expo Leche,” a large three-day dairy conference held each year in Aguascalientes, Mexico. In their talks at least three of the other speakers alluded to the results of research at Miner Institute; in fact the Institute was referenced more than was any university. It’s nice to see the efforts of the research staff recognized, and for them to realize that what they’re doing is making a difference.

— E.T.

WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE FARM

The quietness of the winter months is over and things are gearing up for a busy summer. Between normal farm stuff, students, research and the beginning of cropping it has been busy at the farm. The close-up pen is full and cows have been calving left and right – most of them calving on their own, though, with very few dead on arrival. Our four summer interns arrived in late May and they are getting used to the routine of the farm as they work alongside us. read more