Dr. Hertlein Joins Our Practice Dr. Matt will graduate from Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine and start work at Maria Stein Animal Clinic this month. He grew up in Thornville, Ohio, which is East of Columbus and graduated from Ohio State in Animal Science. He was then a partner in a dairy farm for 15 years. He worked as a bull handling technician for two summers at Select Sires. Matt was an Eagle Scout and received the American Saciety of Animal Scholastic Achievement Award in undergrad. He was active as a student member in all things bovine in Veterinary College including AABP, AVMA, Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Bovine Club, and Theriogenology (Repro) Club. He interned at Maria Stein Animal Clinic during the summer of 2023. He is an active long distance runner often running 20 miles before herd checks in the morning. Dr. Hertlein will be engaged in mixed practice but has a special interest in Dairy. Please, welcome Dr. Matt to our practice.
Dr. Hardesty attends North East Production Medicine Symposium in Cortland, NY Topics included Tough Conversations, Prevention of Repetitive Stress Injuries, Foundational Repro Programs, Pet Pigs, Lung Ultrasound, Controlling Mastitis at the Feed Bunk, Consequences of Heat Stress in Dry-Pregnant Cows, Growing Heifers, and Post Weaning Dairy Calves, Hypocalcemia Update, and Interpreting Clinical Trials.
Pre-calving Cooling - It costs a lot to not do it Heat stress in a major threat to the dairy industry with 60 days in Wisconsin, 90 in New York and 270 in Florida. Non-lactating animals are typically overlooked. To many, they are not a priority for heat abatement because there is no immediate production loss. It is perceived they don’t need it, it is not profitable, and there is a lack of space or infrastructure.
The dry period overlaps with the last trimester of gestation. Heat stress causes decreased dry matter intake, decreased milk production, decreased immune function, decreased calf birth weights, decreased calf performance, increased body temperature and respiratory rates. The fetus relies on the dam for temperature regulation and the dam relies on the environment. Maternal heat stress leads to fetal hyperthermia. This results in decreased development of the fetal daughter and the development of the granddaughters’ oocytes. The daughter's decreased development includes the Gl tract, ovaries, skin, and mammary gland.
In utero heat stress heifers consumed less grain and had smaller average daily gains. They had decreased organ development at birth and had les ovarian and mammary gland development at weaning. They had fewer cells proliferating in the jejunum and with smaller ovaries, delays in follicular development and atresia. These heifers have a short undercoat and longer topcoat trapping more heat at the surface. They also have smaller udders and less mammary cell proliferation at puberty.
As first breeding animals, in utero heat stressed heifers required more services per conception and have less milk secretory cells per alveoli. They produce 4.8 less pounds during the first lactation, 5 pounds less in the second lactation, 14 pounds less in the third lactation.
Pre-weaned calves need cooling too. Less than three weeks of age, they have very little ability to self thermo regulate so we need to control their environment within their thermo neutral zone.
There is more work to be done in this area, but measuring your calves summer and winter, you can quickly spot difference on your farm that may be costing calf performance.
Are you in the FLOW?
Dr. Andy Lefeld
Many dairies have invested in data capture over the last few years. Along with the adoption of collars or eartags we've seen the addition of meters in parlors as well. How do we utilize this information to inform decisions on dairies? We can utilize it for more than just deciding who will be on the cull truck next week.
Parlor meter data can tell us a lot about how efficiently we are milking out our cows. Teat end damage happens during periods of low milk flow, so while units are attached, we want to be harvesting milk as fast as possible. Longer unit on times jead to teat end edema and damage, increasing the risk for mastitis, and making for some kicky cows.
Some goals to look at with parlor data:
Pounds of milk in the first 2 minutes of milking: 15 Ibs.
Percent milk in 2 minutes: 50% of milk should be harvested in the first 2 minutes.
Time in low flow: 60 seconds per day (20seconds for 3x herds), (30seconds for
2x herds)
Percent time in low flow: Less than 10%
Commonly milk flow is recorded every 15 seconds for the first 90-120 seconds of milking. The numbers aren't as important as the continual increase of the numbers in every time
frame.
What if they're not at the goal? Milk flow in early in the milking process is typically related to stimulation or timing of our prep procedure. For 3x herds the prep/lag time should be >90 seconds. For 2x herds >60 seconds. We also need 6-8 seconds per cow of stimulation. Some dairies run in to difficulty because we strip each teat 1-2x and rush through the stimulation step. Time in low flow can be related to a stimulation/timing issue, or a take-off setting issue
What if | don't have meters?
This same information can be gathered just visually watching the claw bowl during milking. We should not see a full milk bowl, followed by an empty or trickling milk flow, followed by a full claw bowl. This is visually how a bimodal milk flow looks on observation. Teat end damage occurs during this phase of milking, and can lead to inefficient use of parlor time, and lead to teat end damage. We have equipment and experience to document these measures more precisely. We can track them over time and document results when you make adjustments in routine or equipment. Do you have kicky cows? Cows can show us that something is wrong with our routine if we notice kicking early in the milking, or at the end if units are on too long.
Why does it matter?
Bimodal milk flows can cause reduced milk harvest from udders, shorting you and your bulk tank. Researchers have put lost milk as high as 7 pounds per cow with a bimodal flow. Milk flow also matters for employees (or us) who are milking cows 2-3x per day. Who wants to milk kicky cows? If you were a cow, would you want to be uncomfortable 2-3 times a day? Good routine makes for better welfare, for everyone.
“Information is not knowledge.
The only source of knowledge is experience.
You need experience to gain wisdom.”
Albert Einstein
Dr. Hardesty attends North East Production Medicine Symposium in Cortland, NY Topics included Tough Conversations, Prevention of Repetitive Stress Injuries, Foundational Repro Programs, Pet Pigs, Lung Ultrasound, Controlling Mastitis at the Feed Bunk, Consequences of Heat Stress in Dry-Pregnant Cows, Growing Heifers, and Post Weaning Dairy Calves, Hypocalcemia Update, and Interpreting Clinical Trials.
Pre-calving Cooling - It costs a lot to not do it Heat stress in a major threat to the dairy industry with 60 days in Wisconsin, 90 in New York and 270 in Florida. Non-lactating animals are typically overlooked. To many, they are not a priority for heat abatement because there is no immediate production loss. It is perceived they don’t need it, it is not profitable, and there is a lack of space or infrastructure.
The dry period overlaps with the last trimester of gestation. Heat stress causes decreased dry matter intake, decreased milk production, decreased immune function, decreased calf birth weights, decreased calf performance, increased body temperature and respiratory rates. The fetus relies on the dam for temperature regulation and the dam relies on the environment. Maternal heat stress leads to fetal hyperthermia. This results in decreased development of the fetal daughter and the development of the granddaughters’ oocytes. The daughter's decreased development includes the Gl tract, ovaries, skin, and mammary gland.
In utero heat stress heifers consumed less grain and had smaller average daily gains. They had decreased organ development at birth and had les ovarian and mammary gland development at weaning. They had fewer cells proliferating in the jejunum and with smaller ovaries, delays in follicular development and atresia. These heifers have a short undercoat and longer topcoat trapping more heat at the surface. They also have smaller udders and less mammary cell proliferation at puberty.
As first breeding animals, in utero heat stressed heifers required more services per conception and have less milk secretory cells per alveoli. They produce 4.8 less pounds during the first lactation, 5 pounds less in the second lactation, 14 pounds less in the third lactation.
Pre-weaned calves need cooling too. Less than three weeks of age, they have very little ability to self thermo regulate so we need to control their environment within their thermo neutral zone.
There is more work to be done in this area, but measuring your calves summer and winter, you can quickly spot difference on your farm that may be costing calf performance.
Are you in the FLOW?
Dr. Andy Lefeld
Many dairies have invested in data capture over the last few years. Along with the adoption of collars or eartags we've seen the addition of meters in parlors as well. How do we utilize this information to inform decisions on dairies? We can utilize it for more than just deciding who will be on the cull truck next week.
Parlor meter data can tell us a lot about how efficiently we are milking out our cows. Teat end damage happens during periods of low milk flow, so while units are attached, we want to be harvesting milk as fast as possible. Longer unit on times jead to teat end edema and damage, increasing the risk for mastitis, and making for some kicky cows.
Some goals to look at with parlor data:
Pounds of milk in the first 2 minutes of milking: 15 Ibs.
Percent milk in 2 minutes: 50% of milk should be harvested in the first 2 minutes.
Time in low flow: 60 seconds per day (20seconds for 3x herds), (30seconds for
2x herds)
Percent time in low flow: Less than 10%
Commonly milk flow is recorded every 15 seconds for the first 90-120 seconds of milking. The numbers aren't as important as the continual increase of the numbers in every time
frame.
What if they're not at the goal? Milk flow in early in the milking process is typically related to stimulation or timing of our prep procedure. For 3x herds the prep/lag time should be >90 seconds. For 2x herds >60 seconds. We also need 6-8 seconds per cow of stimulation. Some dairies run in to difficulty because we strip each teat 1-2x and rush through the stimulation step. Time in low flow can be related to a stimulation/timing issue, or a take-off setting issue
What if | don't have meters?
This same information can be gathered just visually watching the claw bowl during milking. We should not see a full milk bowl, followed by an empty or trickling milk flow, followed by a full claw bowl. This is visually how a bimodal milk flow looks on observation. Teat end damage occurs during this phase of milking, and can lead to inefficient use of parlor time, and lead to teat end damage. We have equipment and experience to document these measures more precisely. We can track them over time and document results when you make adjustments in routine or equipment. Do you have kicky cows? Cows can show us that something is wrong with our routine if we notice kicking early in the milking, or at the end if units are on too long.
Why does it matter?
Bimodal milk flows can cause reduced milk harvest from udders, shorting you and your bulk tank. Researchers have put lost milk as high as 7 pounds per cow with a bimodal flow. Milk flow also matters for employees (or us) who are milking cows 2-3x per day. Who wants to milk kicky cows? If you were a cow, would you want to be uncomfortable 2-3 times a day? Good routine makes for better welfare, for everyone.
“Information is not knowledge.
The only source of knowledge is experience.
You need experience to gain wisdom.”
Albert Einstein
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