A two-week heat wave of triple-digit temperatures has left many California dairy producers wilted, worn out and seeking federal disaster assistance.

The heat wave—particularly in the leading dairy production area of the central San Joaquin Valley—was responsible for the death of about 16,500 cows, disrupted breeding patterns, a minimum 10-percent drop in milk production, and a total cost to the industry of about $1 billion. Disposal of dead animals added to the woes in some areas.

Source: Sacramento Bee/ Dennis Pollock, Aug. 1, 2006
Source URL: http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/14284160p-15091724c.html

Lagoons are commonly used to store wastewater from confined-feeding operations for dairy and swine. The wastewater is generally applied to land as fertilizer. But if the waste is not applied properly, excess nitrogen and phosphorus from it may eventually contaminate drinking water, impair soil quality, and cause dead zones in surface waters.

Agricultural Research Service scientists are studying a way of using those excess nutrients. The basic concept is to grow vegetation on special mats placed on the lagoons. The vegetation can then be harvested and composted and used as a soil amendment. If grass is grown, it can be removed intact and transplanted as sod.

Source: USDA/ ARS/ Sharon Durham, Aug. 1, 2006
Source URL: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2006/060801.htm

Following are some headlines from news articles highlighted this past week:

• Climate Change Heats Up Midwestern Producers
• IDFA Opposes USDA’s New Fluid Milk Definition
• WI: Grants Available for Johne’s Control
• New Assay Diagnoses 7 Diseases in Single Test
• Top Ayrshire Farmer Calls it Quits
• What’s Out There: Crop Insects in Eight States

Click to read more of these and other news stories.

Moving into the second half of 2006, dairy market prices remain well below levels seen last year, but markets are getting tighter.

Severe and sustained high temperatures are having an adverse impact on farm milk production, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As a result, heat-related declines in milk production have occurred in the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Midwest and Northeast areas of the country. In fact, late-July reports show that farm milk production in California has dropped as much as 14% to 25% during the last week.

Source: International Dairy Foods Association/ Bob Yonkers, July 31, 2006
Source URL: http://www.idfa.org/news/stories/2006/07/marketupdate.cfm

Over the first 28 weeks of 2006 the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) average cash cheese price has fallen from the just-okay of $1.35's/lb to the not-okay $1.14/lb mark. It appeared that the bottom of this slide passed during the first week of March 2006 when the CME average cheese price hit $1.11/lb. This is a price not seen since May of 2003. After recovering to the $1.24/lb mark during the first week of June, prices have retreated back to support levels. The USDA Dairy Market News reports that cheese markets are unsettled to weak. Commercial demand is slower as buyers wait for yet lower prices. However, with record heat across all of the U.S. dairy production regions, milk production gains will vanish and this will put more upward pressure on cheese prices in the coming weeks. If the heat wave does not let up soon, look for any tightness in the cheese market to be reflected in a rally in the CME cheese price.

Source: Ohio State University/ Buckeye Dairy News/ Cameron Thraen, July 2006
Source URL: http://dairy.osu.edu/bdnews/v008iss04.htm#policy

Following are headlines from some of the market analysis and articles highlighted this past week:

• Weather, Crop Conditions and Prices Go Together
• Brazil: Moratorium on Soy from Deforested Amazon
• Weekly Roberts Commodity Market Report    

Click to read more of these and other market articles.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of reduced milking frequency and increased dietary energy density in early lactation on milk production, energy balance, and subsequent fertility.

In conclusion, once-daily milking in early lactation may promote earlier resumption of ovarian cyclicity, mediated through improved nutritional status.

Source: Effect of milking frequency and diet on milk production, energy balance, and reproduction in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (5): 1478-1487, 2006. Patton, J.; Kenny, D.A.; Mee, J.F.; OMara, F.P.; et al.

Mastitis is generally regarded as the most costly infectious disease on dairy farms. For most farms, the main bacteria causing mastitis have shifted to the environmental bacteria (coliforms and environmental streptococci), which are transferred to teat ends at times other than milking.

The dry period is an important time for the establishment of environmental intramammary infection (IMI). Of environmental streptococci IMI present in lactation, 50.5% originated in the non-lactating period (Todhunter et al., 1995). Similarly, 61.2% of clinical coliform mastitis cases observed in lactation were due to organisms that originated with infection in the dry period (Todhunter et al., 1991). Together, these facts emphasize the relative importance of the dry period on mammary gland health.

Source: Ohio State University/ Buckeye Dairy News/ William B. Epperson, July 2006
Source URL: http://dairy.osu.edu/bdnews/v008iss04.htm#health

Weekly body condition score (BCS) and live weight records were used to calculate energy content (EC) and cumulative effective energy balance (CEEB) for 508 Holstein-Friesian cows in their first lactation. Cows were raised on an experimental farm and had calved between 1991 and 2000.

Results suggest that, amongst the traits studied here, BCS, EC, and CEEB in the first 3 to 4 mo of lactation 1 had the greatest genetic association with SCC and mastitis in first, second, and, to a lesser extent, third lactations.

Source: Genetic relationship between first-lactation body energy and later-life udder health in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 89 (6): 2222-2232, 2006. Banos, G.; Coffey, M.P.; Wall, E.; Brotherstone, S.

There is typically a slump for cool-season forages during the summer due to hot and dry weather conditions. Major symptoms of drought-stressed plants are slow or stunted growth, yellow-brown leaf color, and sometimes curled grass leaves or wilted legume stems. This will negatively affect plant growth and ultimately animal performance, resulting in economic loss. Here are several ways to beat summer slump for forages and pastures in Michigan.

Source: Michigan State University/ Michigan Dairy Review/ Doo-Hong Min and Rich Leep, July 2006
Source URL: http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/july06/summerjuly06.html