Start to Farm: New Farmer Learning Networks were for beginning and early-career farmers looking for an edge in managing and growing their farm business. The ISUEO Dairy Team provided an opportunity to address ways to improve business practices and production techniques, tour successful farm operations, and form a community to share new ideas and profitable farming methods. The goal of the networks was to provide an open atmosphere for discussion, sharing of ideas and learning about resources for producers who are in their first 10-12 years of dairy farming. It is important to help producers make sound dairy farm management decisions that are backed by current and relevant information. Based on pre-post evaluations of all in class sessions and a follow up evaluation 1 month post workshops and dairy tours, participants attending the Start to Farm Dairy Series are making better decisions in different areas of their operation or prospective operations. They can evaluate the effect making changes has on their operation, which will increase profitability and sustainability of new and early career dairy farmers to continue in the business.

The objective of the study was to characterize non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) present in raw milk collected from one commercial dairy processing facility. Silo milk was selected because it should be representative of raw milk of “typical” lactating dairy cows. Our hypothesis was that raw bovine milk would contain immune- and developmental-related ncRNA that may support the health of the mammary gland of the cow and could aid in the maturation of the neonatal gut. Four samples of raw silo milk were collected on separate days, and total RNA was purified and profiled by using next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq). Our findings indicate an over-representation of ncRNA that target genes related to both immune modulation and growth and development, supporting our hypothesis that ncRNA in raw milk may help support the health of both the cow and calf.

Since 2011, personnel at Iowa State University (ISU) have been engaged with the southeastern European country of the Republic of Kosova (more commonly known as Kosovo). The purpose of this engagement has been to empower Kosovars to transform their agricultural sector so that this newly independent country can reduce its reliance on food imports and develop into a food secure nation. Activities conducted under terms of the international memorandum of cooperation and understanding between ISU and the University of Prishtina (UP) are described in this report. Accomplishments resulting from this partnership include: 1) guest lectures by ISU faculty to UP veterinary students, 2) teaching of workshops and courses by ISU faculty to a global population of students enrolled in UP’s International Summer University 2-week educational program, 3) on-farm consultations with Kosovo dairy farmers, 4) establishment of relationships with livestock-oriented associations in Kosovo, and 5) birth of the first-ever bovine embryo transfer calf in Kosovo. These and other on-going activities are heightening awareness of the need to improve agricultural productivity in Kosovo, particularly in the dairy sector, to stop the flow of euros out of the country for purchase of food that could and should be produced within Kosovo.

Administrating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) decreases circulating calcium (Ca) and markedly reduces both feed intake and milk yield in lactating cows. Calcium is involved in immune system activation and live yeast can increase feed intake. Whether supplemental live yeast and Ca benefits immune-challenged cows remains unclear. Therefore, study objectives were to evaluate if providing an oral supplement containing soluble Ca, live yeast and other micronutrients would ameliorate LPS-induced hypocalcemia and production parameters in lactating dairy cows. Providing an oral supplement containing Ca and live yeast prior to and following LPS administration markedly ameliorated the LPS-induced hypocalcemia and improved DMI and milk yield. Overall, utilizing an oral supplement may be a valuable management strategy to improve animal welfare and productivity during and following immunoactivation. Additionally, infusing i.v. LPS appears to be an effective technique to model hypocalcemia and to evaluate dietary strategies aimed at increasing circulating calcium in lactating dairy cows.

Three dairy open houses as part of June Dairy Month events were conducted to provide the public the opportunity to experience and learn first-hand about the efforts made daily on modern dairies to achieve cow care, cow comfort and health, hygienic milking procedures, local cropping systems that provide quality feed for the dairy herd, manure management and land stewardship, respect for family and non-family workers, and overall quality and safety of milk and dairy products. These events were a product of industry partnerships. The three events reached 4000+ participants. Surveys performed at 2 events showed many participants had trust in dairy farmers and the dairy industry prior to the event, but post tour surveys showed enhancement in their knowledge of modern dairy practices that assure animal health and comfort, product quality and safety, and environmental stewardship and preservation. (with 100% of participants improving their views and trust in modern dairy farming).

Precision management in calf care is needed as there are many ways to add value to these heifers before they join the milking string. A one-day workshop was hosted on August 31, for a first-hand look at how fellow dairy farmers are housing pre-weaned calves using technology to help manage their calf program. These included automatic calf feeders, pasteurizers, and milk cooling systems. Areas of focus included basic sanitation for automatic calf feeders, equipment hygiene, and housing and ventilation.

The Midwest Dairy Day provides a one day learning opportunity for producers, industry, and potentially new dairy producers to network and engage in a current topic. With support from the dairy industry and business community, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Northeast Iowa Community College, and Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation, this program has continued to provide valuable information.

The Secure Milk Supply (SMS) Plan provides a workable continuity of business (COB) plan for dairy premises with no evidence of foot and mouth disease (FMD) infection in a regulatory Control Area to move raw milk to processing that is credible to Responsible Regulatory Officials (local, state, tribal, and federal officials, as appropriate). Officials must balance the risks of allowing movement of raw milk against the risk of not allowing movement and thus the necessity for on farm disposal of raw milk. FMD is a highly contagious foreign animal disease that infects cattle and other cloven-hooved livestock, such as swine, sheep, goats, and deer. FMD is not a public health or food safety concern. FMD has been eradicated from the U.S. since 1929 but it is present in many other countries and causes severe production losses in animals. The SMS Plan is the result of a multi-year collaborative effort by industry, state, federal, and academic representatives. Funding for its development was provided by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The SMS Plan provides guidance only. In an actual outbreak, decisions will be made by the Responsible Regulatory Officials based on the unique characteristics of each outbreak.

A Millionaire Model Dairy Farm (MMDF) project was created by this author in the 1990’s. Its goal was to show beginning and transitioning dairy producers how to become “millionaires” within 25 years of a dairy career by practicing a hybrid grazing and confinement operation. It has been a very successful Extension program. In 2012, organic dairy producers were added and in 2015, conventional dairy producers were added to the data. In 2016, GrassMilk® or “no-grain” farms were separated into their own data set due to their competitive profitability with the Higher Profit farms. Note the small number of herds in each data set may or may not be representative of an average of those types of farms. Bottom line is that all four systems studied can be profitable. It is the opinion of this author that, in all of the systems, the labor efficiency is key to profit success, even more so than milk production per cow. It is hoped this study will assist current and aspiring dairy producers, in any of the systems, to analyze and benchmark their dairy operations to better plan for future profits. Thanks to a Risk Management Education (RME) Competitive Grant, ISU Extension and Outreach has created a 2016 comparative analysis of the following four MMDF systems: 1) 5 Conventional Dairy Farms (CONV)—milking an average of 284 cows and operating 652 acres. These farms tend to house cows in a confinement freestall facility year-round. 2) 4 Hybrid Grazing Dairy Farms (HGRAZ)—milking an average of 179 cows and operating 216 acres. These farms graze 6-8 months of the year but house cows in a freestall facility as desired. 3) 8 Organic Grazing Dairy Farms (ORG)—milking an average of 78 cows and operating 319 acres. These farms graze 6-8 months of the year and have facilities ranging from tie-stall to freestall barns. 4) 3 Organic, No-Grain Farms (ORG-NG)—milking an average of 77 cows and operating 245 acres. These farms graze 6-9 months of the year, feed a “no-grain” diet and house cows like the other organic farms. Profitability was determined based on a combination of the following measures: 1)return to unpaid labor per hour 2)cost of milk production per cwt equivalent (cwt eq) 3)rate of return on assets For each of the MMDF systems, the data was analyzed into both an Average group and a Higher Profit group. The Averages of each MMDF system are displayed in Table 1 (page 4) while the Higher Profit farms for each MMDF system are displayed in Table 2 (page 5).

Synchronization of ovulation is a common reproductive management practice in the US dairy cattle industry. The objective of this study was to compare two different sites of hormone administration (intralabial versus intramuscular) and two different manufacturers (Parnell versus Zoetis) of the reproductive hormones gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF) on the efficacy of ovulation induction. Holstein cows (n=388) were enrolled in a pre-synch/ovsynch protocol during this 14-month study. Ultrasonographic observation of ovaries was made eight days after timed artificial insemination (TAI). Overall, treatment had no effect on the proportion of cows (90.0%) that ovulated in response to treatment. The incidence of double ovulations was 20.6% but was not affected by treatment. Similarly, treatment had no effect on the incidence of ovarian cysts (8.8%). Results revealed that failure to ovulate in response to exogenous hormone treatment caused a 10% reduction in potential pregnancy rate. There was no difference in efficacy of ovulation induction due to manufacturer of products, indicating that producers have a choice of products they can use. Intralabial administration of reproductive hormones was equally effective as intramuscular injection for the induction of ovulation, and intralabial injection should be considered a viable administration site because it can eliminate injection site abscesses in carcasses at the time of meat harvest.