Here are the headlines from a few of the news stories highlighted this week:

• Ag Still Holding Up WTO Deal
• Gehl Discontinues Ag Implement Lines
• Folse Adds Milk Processing to Plant
• New International Cheese, Dairy Standards Set
• Cow of the Future could be Blip on Computer Screen
• Global Warming may Cool Milk Production
• Vermont Producers Face Tougher Runoff Laws

Click to read more about each of these and other news articles.

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), the spot, or cash, market price for Grade AA butter fell to $1.15 per pound for the week ending March 24, the lowest trading price since September 8, 2003. This is still 10 cents per pound above the price at which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases butter under the Dairy Price Support Program.

Source: International Dairy Foods Association/ Bob Yonkers, March 27, 2006
Source URL: http://www.idfa.org/news/stories/2006/03/marketupdate.cfm

Smaller-than-expected U.S. corn planting intentions will make corn prices quite sensitive to any widespread planting delays or weather problems during the growing season. With the five percent decline in potential U.S. corn planted acres, a normal yield would produce approximately 900 million bushels less corn than next season’s potential utilization. Because of large old-crop carryover stocks, that difference would not be expected to create a corn shortage, but would almost certainly push corn prices moderately above the level of the last two years. Widespread weather problems and a U.S. yield 6% below the long-run trend would produce a crop about 1.7 billion bushels below potential utilization, and would require sharply higher prices to ration usage. Early indications point to a potential expansion in corn processing for ethanol of 28 to 32 percent next season along with good export demand because of a sharp drop in Southern Hemisphere corn production. The ethanol expansion is expected to continue for several more years.

Source: Iowa State University/ Iowa Farm Outlook/ Robert Wisner, April 3, 2006
Source URL: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/outreach/agriculture/periodicals/ifo/IFO_2006/IFO040106.pdf

Here are some of the market trends and analysis presented this week:

• Dairy Products: February Production Drops
• Weekly Purcell/Roberts Commodity Market Report
• Farmers’ Planting Intentions Surprise Market
• UK: Cheese Prices Continue Stability
• New Zealand Livestock: Dairy Cow Numbers Fall 1%

Click to read more about each of these markets.

Dystocia scores were recorded by producers on 120,434 Holsteins (218,213 records) from 1985 through 1996; dystocia scores 3 to 5 were coded as difficult births. Stillbirths were recorded for deaths within the first 48 h after birth. Data were restricted to registered cows for pedigree completeness, and inbreeding coefficients were calculated using 5-generation pedigrees.

Effects of inbreeding on dystocia and stillbirths declined with parity. Effects of inbreeding were small, especially later parities, but were consistently unfavorable.

Source: Effects of inbreeding in the dam on dystocia and stillbirths in US Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (1): 307-314, 2006. Adamec, V.; Cassell, B.G.; Smith, E.P.; Pearson, R.E.

In this study, we analyzed the growth trajectory of dairy heifers that had been selected for maximum production of combined fat and protein (measured in kg; select line) or for average production (control line) in the United Kingdom.

Confidence intervals for the genetic correlations between the traits indicated that these BW traits are not under the same genetic control.

Source: Genetic aspects of growth of Holstein-Friesian dairy cows from birth to maturity. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (1): 322-329, 2006. Coffey, M.P.; Hickey, J.; Brotherstone, S.

"Steaming-up" dairy cows during their dry period by increasing grain intake has become the dominant practice for producers over the last 15 years; however, University of Illinois research indicates it is not only misguided but potentially detrimental to the animal's health.

"We have found that the practice of 'steaming-up' can help create a whole complex of disorders and diseases," explained Jim Drackley, a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences who has spent 17 years working on the question. "Among the potential problems are milk fever, ketosis, fatty liver, retained placenta, displaced abomasums, and infectious diseases.”

Source: University of Illinois/ News Release, March 29, 2006
Source URL: http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news3586.html

Lactating Holstein cows (52 multiparous and 90 primiparous) were monitored over a period of 10 mo to observe effects of grouping primiparous cows (PPC) separately from multiparous cows (MPC) on performance, feeding behavior, feed intake, feed efficiency, and milk production of PPC.

Alternative grouping strategies illustrate potentially important differential responses among primiparous cows that warrant further study.

Source: Performance and feeding behavior of primiparous cows loose housed alone or together with multiparous cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (1): 337-342, 2006. Bach, A.; Iglesias, C.; Devant, M.; Rafols, N.

Sore feet have far-reaching negative effects in the dairy industry–lame cows are infertile, give less milk, and are culled at a much higher rate than non-lame cows. Yet, on average, nearly a quarter of the cows in dairy herds are lame to one degree or another.

In an attempt to resolve this costly problem, production medicine veterinarians at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine teamed with Dr. David Rhoda, a field veterinarian from Evansville, Wis., to develop a system for identifying and handling lame cows in a herd.

Source: University of Wisconsin/ On Call Newsletter, March 2006
Source URL: http://www2.vetmed.wisc.edu/oncall/story.php?id=190&pos=1&type=features

Sometimes referred to as E. coli mastitis, coliform mastitis is responsible for between 50-70 percent of all mastitis in the Northern Hemisphere, but currently only about two percent in New Zealand.

Mastitis specialist Jane Lacy-Hulbert of Dexcel says changing farm practices such as housing cows indoors, feed pads and supplementary feeds could increase the risk of coliform mastitis.

Source: Scoop New Zealand/ Dexcel/ News Release, April 3, 2006
Source URL: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0604/S00042.htm