The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for feeding Rumensin(r) to dairy cows in component-feeding systems. These systems include supplements that are fed in the parlor, in electronic feeders or as a topdress. The minimum feeding rate for these supplements, which can be fed both to dairy cows on pasture and dairy cows in confinement, is one pound per head per day.

The new label for Rumensin has updated mixing and feeding directions for these supplements, which the FDA calls Type C medicated feeds.

Source: Elanco Animal Health/ News Release, Jan. 4, 2006
Source URL: http://www.elanco.com/

Californians may be looking at the wrong species when it comes to improving the quality of the air in the state’s Central Valley. Instead of looking to reduce the number of dairy cows, the air might be better if the state chopped down its oak trees.

Current estimates by regulators and environmentalists say dairy cows emit volatile organic gasses (VOCs) at rates that surpass vehicles.

Source: Western Farm Press/ Harry Cline, Jan. 4, 2006
Source URL: http://westernfarmpress.com/news/1-4-06-dairy-cows-pollute-less-than-trees/

Most entrepreneurs dream of offering their wares to national or even multi-national companies. In a twist on that notion, a trio of Washington University alumni is opening a dairy in Missouri that will cater to mom-and-pop ice cream and custard stands.

The partners will invest $4.5 million into Pacific Valley Dairy, including a 36,000-square-foot facility set to be finished in April. 

Source: St. Louis Business Journal/ Heather Cole, Dec. 23, 2005
Source URL: http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2005/12/26/story7.html

November 2005 milk production made another 4% plus rise, up 4.6%, for the 7 straight monthly increase above that mark. October milk production was revised down by 17 million pounds to end up with a 4% milk increase. Milk per cow was up 59 pounds (3.7%). Dairy cow numbers were 60,000 higher than Nov 04 but only 2,000 more than Oct 05.

Source: Iowa State University/ Iowa Farm Outlook/
Source URL: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/outreach/agriculture/
periodicals/ifo/IFO_2005/IFO122805.pdf

In late December, corn and soybean futures prices moved above key chart resistance areas but stalled out a few cents below the next level of resistance. The price strength came despite seriously negative fundamentals for both crops, and was partly in response to short-covering by commodity fund traders. Limited farmer marketings also were a factor behind the price strength, along with reports of some dry areas developing in the northern part of Argentina’s soybean belt. Unless there are significant surprises in up-coming USDA reports or a strong recovery from this season’s depressed U.S. export sales, chart resistance points that capped the December rally appear likely to strongly temper up-side futures price potential in the next several weeks.

Source: Iowa State University/ Iowa Farm Outlook/ Robert Wisner, Jan. 3, 2006
Source URL: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/outreach/agriculture/periodicals/ifo/IFO_2005/IFO122805.pdf

Strong alfalfa prices are predicted to continue into the first half of 2006, but lower milk prices and tighter profit margins for milk may lower demand for alfalfa in the second half of the year to levels below that of 2005, according to Leslie Butler, a University of California, Davis economist.

December 2004 carry-over was already at the lowest level since 1997. In 2005, supplies were reduced with bad weather hampering fall planting for 2005 harvest plus lower yields due to heat and armyworm infestations. Strong alfalfa prices and the financially unattractive alternative crops in California have also raised forage acreage.

Source: Western Farm Press/ Harry Cline, Jan. 4, 2006
Source URL: http://westernfarmpress.com/news/1-4-05-strong-alfalfa-prices/

Feces from cattle fed bromegrass hay or corn silage diets were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, and the survival of this pathogen was analyzed.

These data suggest that phenolic acids common to forage plants can decrease viable counts of E. coli O157:H7 shed in feces.

Source: Effects of Common Forage Phenolic Acids on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Viability in Bovine Feces. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 7974-7979. J. E. Wells, E. D. Berry, and V. H. Varel.

Dairy operations can be viewed as a system of processes directly or indirectly impacting one another and ultimately creating the quality of the end product, raw milk. This makes the quality of the milk produced on a farm a reflection of the performance of all the processes that constitute a dairy operation. Therefore monitoring that quality is critical for the herd manager and all employees to know how the herd is doing.

Dairy managers receive data on a daily basis regarding dairy productivity and quality. However it is often difficult to take full advantage of this information.

Source: National Mastitis Council/ Udder Topics—October 2005, December 2005
Source URL: http://nmconline.org/articles/spc.htm

In this paper we examine the role of secondary advantages conveyed by antimicrobial resistance genes.

Our results demonstrate that the antimicrobial resistance genes are not responsible for the greater fitness advantage of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli in calves, but the farm environment and the diet clearly exert critical selective pressures responsible for the maintenance of antimicrobial resistance genes. Our current hypothesis is that the antimicrobial resistance genes are linked to other genes responsible for differential fitness in dairy calves.

Source: Antimicrobial Drug Resistance Genes Do Not Convey a Secondary Fitness Advantage to Calf-Adapted Escherichia coli. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2006, p. 443-448, Vol. 72, No. 1. Artashes R. Khachatryan, Dale D. Hancock, Thomas E. Besser, and Douglas R. Call.

Hydromer, Inc. (OTC BB: HYDI) (BSX: HDO) announces a successful clinical trial on its patented T-HEXX® Dry Teat Protection Sealant ("T-HEXX® Dry"). The trial, "Effect of a Non-Intrusive Peripaturent Protocol to Decrease Somatic Cell Count at First Calving" reports that clinical mastitis cases are reduced by over 50%, far exceeding results seen from antibiotics or other teat sealants.

The clinical trial abstract has been accepted for publication in the 45th National Mastitis Council ("NMC") Annual Proceedings at its Jan 22-26th, 2006 meeting in Tampa, Florida.

The complete clinical trial study will be released within a few months thereafter.

Source: Market Wire/ Hydromer, Inc./ News Release, Jan. 4, 2006
Source URL: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=105150