Some of the tallies are in for the cost of last month’s heat wave in California and to no one’s surprise, dairy losses were huge. The mercury topped 110 degrees in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, slashing milk production, egg output and beef cattle losses.

Source: Modesto Bee/ John Holland, Aug. 12, 2006
Source URL: http://www.modbee.com/local/story/12579811p-13288306c.html

More and more dairy consumers are scanning milk cartons to search for the “rBST-free” tagline on the label.

The issue of hormones and how they might affect children is receiving special attention from consumers, said Jeff Golc, a spokesman for Kroger Co. Organic milk and dairy is the grocery chain’s largest area of growth. Among the two hormones most often given to dairy cows are rBST and rBGH.

Source: Fort Wayne News-Sentinel/ Jennifer L. Boen, Aug. 14, 2006
Source URL: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/local/15271158.htm

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

• Agroterrorism Exercise Demonstrates Vulnerability
• Robots Help Eastern Producer Compete with West
• Texas Drought Dries Up State Agriculture Profits
• UI Makes Crude Petroleum Out of Hog Manure

Click to read more of these and other news stories.

Milk production in the 23 major dairy states rose only 1.86% for June 06. Production per cow rose only 5 pounds for the month. Milk cow numbers continued to increase, 9000 more than May 06 and 128,000 more than June 05. Second quarter 06 milk production was up only 2.3% with the average number of cows 93,000 more than one year ago for all of the states.

Iowa June 06 milk production increased only 1.2% coming from a 40 pound per cow drop in milk production. Iowa’s dairy herd was 7000 cows larger than one year ago and the same as the previous month. Total cheese production in May 06 was up 5.1% from the previous month and 1.2% more than one year ago.

Source: Iowa State University/ Iowa Farm Outlook/ Robert Tigner, Aug. 1, 2006
Source URL: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/outreach/agriculture/periodicals/ifo/IFO_2006/ifo073106.pdf

Last Friday’s headlines were devoted to the August 1 Crop Report from USDA, but along with the national production statistics, USDA also released its latest estimates for world supply and demand. As you know international issues move the market as well, so let’s recap what was reported by USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board.

Source: Farmgate/ Stu Ellis/ University of Illinois, Aug. 14, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2006/08/take_a_satellit.html

Following are some headlines from market news and analysis highlighted this week:

• The Value of Indiana’s Dairy Industry
• Prices Indicate to Plant More Corn in 2007
• WASDE: 2006 Milk Production Lowered
• Extension Update: Crop Market Discussion
• Plus analysis by Herndon, Roberts and more

Click to read more of these and other market news.

Objective: To determine whether particular antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of bovine mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus isolates were associated with specific S aureus genotypes.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Antimicrobial resistance was uncommon among the mastitis-causing S aureus isolates identified in the milk samples. A limited number of genotypes were associated with mastitis in these herds. Antimicrobial resistance phenotypes were associated with particular S aureus PFGE types; this association may have implications for future treatment and control of S aureus-associated mastitis in cattle.

Source: Genetic diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles among mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine milk samples. American Journal of Veterinary Research 67 (7): 1185-1191, 2006. Anderson, K.L.; Lyman, R.L.; BodeisJones, S.M.; White, D.G.

Jersey and crossbred (Jersey x Kankrej) lactating cows (18) were used to evaluate the response of exogenous enzyme supplementation in concentrate mixture in their performance in terms of dry matter intake, efficiency of milk production, blood constituents and reproduction.

The supplementation of a mixture of enzymes with yeast improved feed efficiency of cows without increase in feed intake and any adverse effect on blood constituents and reproductive behaviour.

Source: Effect of enzyme supplementation on feed utilization, blood constituents and reproduction in dairy cows. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 76 (6): 471-475, 2006. Vahora, S.G.; Pande, M.B.

Assessing the body condition score (BCS) of dairy cows can be an aid to evaluate the effectiveness of dairy feeding programs. Body condition score changes throughout the lactation cycle and corresponds to changes in the cow’s energy balance (1). For example, the energy requirements for milk production beginning from early lactation and continuing to peak lactation often exceed the available energy from feed intake. As a consequence, body lipid reserves are mobilized to compensate for the shortage in energy needed to meet milk production demands and dairy cows lose condition. The net shortage in energy input relative to energy output is called negative energy balance (1). While adequate body fat reserves can promote milk production and health during times of negative energy balance, numerous studies have shown that obese cows have much higher risks of poor conception rates, metabolic problems, and increased susceptibility to a variety of infectious diseases (2-4).

Source: Michigan State University/ Michigan Dairy Review/ Lorraine Sordillo, July 2006
Source URL: http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/july06/oxidantjuly06.html

No one knows better than dairy farmers the cost of doing business. In these times of high feed costs and low milk prices, and when both situations are exacerbated by the escalating costs of transportation, dairy producers work overtime to push a pencil in an effort to find the best way to hold profits.

Drought has only complicated the situation. Feed is well-known to represent the largest expense to dairy businesses. Therefore, controlling feed expenses is critical to a profitable operation.

Source: North Dakota State University/ News Release/ J.W. Schroeder, Aug. 11, 2006
Source URL: http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu