Webinar 5 Milk Components Welcome everyone to today s webinar brought to you by Josera, where we care, you grow. I am your host today, Dr. T. Turner, your Josera Dairy Specialist. I welcome back all our returning members, as well as send a hello to our new attendees. Our goal with these Webinars is to extend our sales support to you by provide practical service tips and product placement aids. Today s topic Milk Components Managing for Efficiency. This is an important topic, as this information provides valuable management information to improve farm efficiency. Please hold your questions to the end, and we will have a round table discussion. Let us begin. 1
To start, I am sure everyone is familiar with monthly milk controls performed on individual cows. But the question is, how many of your farms participate in individual Milk Control Data collection? The Bulk Tank Records give an overview, but there is valuable management data available in the individual milk control tests. Milk control data should be used as a proactive tool to improve the situation on the farm. We will look today at what information is reported, what factors influence these values, and how can we use this data to improve the efficiency on the farm. In most cases, the solution is through a combination of service tips and selecting the right product for the right situation. In this webinar, we will discuss how to use these tools to improve customer service and sales. Briefly, Positive increases including MY, MF, MP whereby healthy cows will produce their optimal milk yield and milk components. Decreasing % MF or %MP as Milk Yield increases is not necessarily negative, as yield goes up, naturally % goes down. To measure real farm success, use g/d MF & MP as these move positive with Milk Yield. Some milk processors will pay bonuses for higher milk component content. Some processers give penalties when milk components are below a certain level. Either way, it is in the farm manager s best interest to keep an eye on these levels and set production goals. Milk somatic cell counts (SCC) are your indicators of the stress level the cows are experiencing. SCC are white blood cells, indicating an immune response. The question is 2
if the response is due to internal or external stimulation. By external, I mean bacteria entering the teat canal post-milking. Internal is related to the cow s ability to cope with the day to day stress the cow encounters, which make her more sensitive to stimuli and prone to infection. Total bacteria counts does not necessarily mean a problem with the cows, but more likely a problem with the workers and/or equipment. Bacteria can be introduced to the milk via poor milk parlour standard operating procedures (SOPs), eg clean teats, and careful equipment cleaning and handling practices. A further point to make is that bacteria can grow in the holding/bulk tank, meaning if the tank is not clean, or if it cools too slow, the bacteria levels can grow at a logarithmic scale. Many milk producers give penalties if the SCC or Bacteria levels are too high. Best to review on-farm milk parlour SOP s with workers to minimize the problems. Work with the producer to find solutions and point out critical control points the manager may have overlooked. Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN) reflects the balance between available energy and protein in the rumen. This generally means a misbalance in the diet formulation, either in feeding level, or digestion characteristics of the ingredients. In economic terms, if MUN is outside the optimal range, the cow is not efficient and this means potential profits are lost. Likewise, ratios, such as MP/MF (metabolism inefficiencies), MF/MP (ketosis) and MP/MUN (protien utilisation) can all be used to identify inefficiencies or problems on the farm. 2
What factors influence milk components? Breed is an obvious influence on milk components; do you have Holstein or Jersey, clear difference in expectations. Within breed genetics are also contributing factors to milk components, and highly heritable. Unfortunately, Yield and milk components are negatively correlated with fertility (Fig 1). In reality, Genetic influence accounts for 5 to 10% of performance (Fig 1), the real influence comes from factors surrounding the cow, which impact day to day life/performance of the cow. That does not mean good genetics are not worth the investment, just that good genetics perform best with good management. 3
What factors influence milk components? Nutrition is the next hurtle making good silage is time and money well invested. From harvest time, to covering, to ensiling. Josilac products help conserve the quality that is harvested. This reduces the inputs from concentrates and reduces the risk of metabolic disorders which can impact milk yield, milk components and health status of the animals. Without proper Silo care, forage nutrition quality decreases. Naturally, rations must be balanced to optimise performance, with regular forage analyses being part of this, and as we discussed in a previous Webinar, farms looking to maximize their Income Over Feed Costs (IOFC) should routinely perform TMR Audits. Please review this Webinar with your sale staff for helpful hints and product placement. 4
What factors influence milk components? Cow Health -Healthy cows are happy, productive cows. What we do as managers can put this health at risk and often is expressed in the form of low intake, lower milk yields and components and higher SCC. We need to rethink our management strategy towards preventative nutrition to reduce the stress and causative factors affecting the cows. This is where DairyPilot, LactoStart and Keragen products can support the cows, to enable them to better cope with external factors affecting production. 5
What factors influence milk components? Lactation influences milk component percentage. Older cows give more milk, which dilutes out the percentage milk components, but the fat and protein yield (g/day) increases. 6
Similar, Days in Milk (DIM) can also affect milk components. Again, a dilution effect. Early lactation, the %fat and %protein is lower, and milk urea is generally higher due to rumen turnover. High rumen turnover decreases the cows ability to absorb nutrients, which is problematic as it is early lactation where she needs the most support. This is why Keragen products provide increased mineral and vitamin availability. In later lactation the %fat and %protein increases as milk yield decreases, but urea levels generally decrease due to better utilisation. 7
What factors influence milk components? Environment can have a big impact on milk components, especially summer heat stress. In our Heat Stress webinar, we discussed this phenomenon, how it is a combination of management and biological stress response that decreases milk yield and components. We now have a number of farms in different lands that have demonstrated a clear benefit from utilising DairyPilot to help mitigate summer production slumps. 8
We will focus today on nutrition and service advice as this is where we together can support our customers. Feed Efficiency measurements are one of the simplest and most economically important calculations. It is 4% Energy Corrected Milk (ECM) divided by dry matter intake per day. Calculating ECM is easy, once you have the calculation. This calculation is used by the IFCN (international Farm Comparison Network), a global body used to compare agriculture production in different countries. Possibly the most difficult measurement to obtain is DMI. It sounds simple, but how many producers collect a sample, dry it and record what the cows ate (weighback/orts). There is a big difference between what you think is in the TMR wagon, vs. what is, likewise, how much remains on the feed bunk. In the table we see Feed Efficiency is affected by stage of lactation and lactation number. These are values are to indicate where a problem may exist, and set goals to improve. In single groups, we have a mixed population, and target a herd average. We know lactation affects milk yield, and naturally, older cows are not growing, so more nutrients are directed towards milk production. This is why Josera focuses on increasing the longevity and lifetime productivity of the herd with our products. First calf heifers are still growing, so naturally, their efficiency is lower. In later lactation, yield decreases, thus feed efficiency decreases. An alarm level of <1,17 is set for all stages, as this clearly indicates cows are eating but not producing enough ECM to be economically viable. 9
Milk quality as measured by the milk control can be affected by stage of the milk flow. Here we see the structure of the udder (Fig 1). Strip tests are not representative (low milk fat at beginning of let-down/milking, high SCC). Fat accumulates in alveole, meaning incomplete milk out will leave fat in udder. This is why complete milk-out should be routinely checked by workers. Incomplete milk-out can cause unnecessary back pressure, which kills secretion cells for this lactation. On the other hand, over-milking can cause epithelial irritation and damage, increasing the risk of bacterial infection and high SCC. The more relaxed the cows are at milking, the more consistent, faster and complete is the milk flow. This comes back again to the multitude of stress factors the cows encounter daily, some obvious, but many not. To be the most informative milk samples need to be representative of entire milking. Most modern systems perform this automatically. Producers only have to be aware of this if performing manual collection. 10
Milk Yield and Milk Components are connected to rumen function. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) produced in the rumen drive metabolism and milk production. We see the shift in microbial populations in relation to ph. Fibre digesting at neutral ph (7) is predominated by acetate production (milk fat precursors) and starch/sugar digesting at lower ph supporting proprionate production (lactose, milk yield). To put this into perspective, managers are searching for the right balance between acetate and propionate production. To further complicate this, if ph slides too low, lactate formation increases, leading to sub-acute acidosis (SARA) occures. This results in an increase in acid resistant e.coli, and increased passage of lipopolysaccarides (LPS) out of the rumen. During SARA cell walls in the rumen also separate, allowing tiny particles to pass into the blood steam. Combined, this increases the stress on the cow, decreases feed efficiency, and is associated with increased inflammatory diseases like laminitis and mastitis, as well as liver damage. 11
These are standard breed averages taken from European countries (with the exception of Holstein). I have included Holstein from USA because this is a benchmark for which European producers can achieve. Genetics have been imported to EU, now it is management and nutrition. Denmark and Sweden have achieved this. But management and nutrition is where I feel the biggest shortfall on most European operations lies. 12
So let us start with what information is available to us and how we can influence this. Milk Yield When we speak about volume, we are talking about how much propionate is converted to lactose. Lactose levels control milk yield. Nutrient intake is the first hurtle, but it has to be digested in a controlled manner. Starch and sugars are the best sources of propionate. We know too much soluble carbohydrates can cause acidosis (lactic acid buildup) and this causes a host of problems. The Keragen mineral line includes NaHCO3 (buffer) and MgO (alkalizer) to help maintain rumen ph. DairyPilot contains high levels of live yeast, which can actually convert lactic acid to propionate, providing extra buffering support. Additionally, FlavoVital can help protect against the damaging effects of LPS. This provides a two-way protection for high production herds. Fat can also be used as energy, but do not get the wrong message here. Fat must be converted to energy via the liver, and this only successes if the liver has the capacity! Accessibility to clean, fresh water can also be a limiting factor. Cows will drink the most immediately after milking and then they go to eat. If there is no space at the waterer, or the feed is not fresh, she will lay down. Maintainance requirements will always take priority over milk. Physiological development is one of the factors limiting milk production in 1st lactation cows. 13
Note- MF kg/d, and MP, kg/d increase or remain steady, depending on milk volume increase and nutrient supply. A decrease indicates a metabolic disbalance. Lastly, morning milking generally means more milk volume, and lower proportion of components. This is generally due to a 10:14 hour time split from morning to night milkings. 3x day milking makes sense for larger farms with adequate staff. A milk parlour sitting empty does not make money. This is why robots are generally popular and cost effective for small and medium size farms (especially, when skilled labour is not readily available). 13
Depending on the DIM of the herd, metabolic problems can be masked, which is again why individual milk data is valuable. In fresh cows, diets are switched from high fibre, to high starch, this disrupts the rumen microbial populations, synthesis (low milk protein), and function (fibre digestion). This contributes to low intakes and increased mobilisation of body fat, and increasing the risk of ketosis. We see the pattern in the figure. To reach maximum milk production in a lactation, we need to take care of the fresh cow, which means supporting the rumen function and liver function. At Josera, we propose the following fresh cow: DairyPilot before and after calving to support rumen function as well as managing the inflammatory responses surrounding the transition period. This will help buffer against the high starch diets, reducing the strain on the microbes and mitigating the negative energy balance (NEB) period. The cows cope better and achieve higher peak lactations. For the producer, this means greater efficiency and return on investments, as well as less stress due a healthier herd. LactoStart fed during transition provides Propylene glycol to stimulate intake and reduce body fat mobilisation. Body fat mobilisation can be reduced by inducing an insulin shock. The SoyPass supplies by-pass metabolisable protein to support milk production by compensating for limited rumen microbe synthesis in early lactation. Reduced microbial synthesis can be due to diet change or increased rumen turnover. 14
When looking at milk yield and component fluctations over the year, Environment can also play a significant factor. Here in the figure we see a typical summer induced decrease in milk component composition. This summer, we spoke to a number of producers about the impact of heat stress on the farms, what their management responses were and presented a strong DairyPilot information campaign. This information will be available once all October Milk Control Data is available, so please check our Josera Distributors Portal for regular success story updates. Briefly, normal cow body temperature is 38.4 to 39.1 (0,5C increase costs 1,2 kg DMI, 2 kg milk) What happens during heat stress? First, Feed intake decreases, so managers increase TMR nutrient density. This means low fibre, higher energy from starch or fat that increases risk of acidosis, high rumen turnover, ill feeling, which, further intake depression. This is a negative downward spiral cause by management. As stated previously, acidosis decreases fibre digestion, directly reducing milk fat content, likewise, high rumen turnover rate due to inadequate rumen mat, limits microbial synthesis. Low microbial activity = low nutrient availability for milk yield and component synthesis. Somatic cell counts also increase in summer, partially due to less management, a more pleasant environment for bacteria to survive, and the cows are more vulnerable due to increase stress load. Initial feedback from producers using higher levels of DairyPilot in response to temperature changes was that intake was maintained and milk 15
production losses were marginal. Other factors that occur at certain times of year, such as starting new silage silos, or periods of high rain can also affect milk yield and components, again, these are added stress factors on the cow, requiring extra support to maintain metabolic stability. 15
Focusing again on day to day factors, optimum production means maximizing efficiency, which in turn means healthier animals and greater herd longevity. All the pieces to the puzzle must come together in harmony. As a nutrition company, Josera focuses on the animals and their diets. This means rumen function is a key factor where we can have an influence. If the rumen is healthy, that means the microbes are able to degrade the low value feed ingredients, such as forages and fibrous by-products for maximum value, requiring less high value concentrates to balance the nutrient supply. In a perfect world, we have an unlimited selection of high quality feed stuffs. In reality, feeding options are somewhat limited. Forages are typically home grown, and specifically for silages, the quality is often not optimal, but must be used. This is why periodic forage testing is important. On farm blending of concentrates help compensate for fluctuations. We see in the figure, different energy feeds can be paired with different protein sources. The goal is a consistent supply of readily available energy and protein to maximise microbial synthesis. If we do not get this right, we see larger variations in milk components and less efficient production, which costs producers much needed revenue. Products like LactoStart during the transition and DairyPilot from transition through to the end of lactation can help mitigate these diet fluctuations to help improve overall feed utilisation and increase the income over feed costs. 16
Milk fat is the most sensitive indicator of rumen function. De novo fat synthesis comes predominantly from acetic acid production, which is a by-product of fibre digestion. If rumen ph is disrupted, and microbial populations shift, fibre digestion is typically affected, thus milk fat decreases. To maintain good rumen structure and function, we need to reduce TMR sorting to ensure adequate fibre intake. Good chop length, good conservation and adequate moisture will help with the uniform intake of the TMR. This is where regular TMR audits help maintain consistency. With TMR sorting, there is a risk of SARA, and increased rumen outflow of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS come from cell walls of microbes that thrive at low ph, and can cause an inflammatory reaction in the intestines. Here, again, DairyPilot can help to reduce ph fluctuations and increase microbial function as well as reduce the negative inflammatory effects of LPS. I will focus on feed fat for a moment as many managers are not sure of its role in dairy production. When feeding feed fat, producers must be careful when interpreting milk fat % as an indicator of rumen health. Feed fat can depress de novo milk fat synthesis by disrupting microbial function. But, feed fat can also be partially absorbed, thus the producer does not see a decrease in milk fat, which could be caused by acidosis or low microbial function. Feed fat that is absorbed, which can represent 0.1 0.2% of milk fat. But more importantly, feed fat can depress DMI, which can rob producers of the milk yield they are trying to achieve by feeding the feed fat. A more thorough discussion of 17
this topic will be part of a future webinar. 17
Milk protein synthesis Cheapest form is from microbial protein. The amino acid profile of milk is very similar to that of rumen microbes. In high producing animals, protein requirements exceed that of microbial synthesis, hence diets need to be formulated for a certain level of by-pass protein. Rule of thumb is for 30 kg milk, 30% CP should be rumen undegradable protein. Protected Amino Acids can also be fed to balance the dietary amino acid profile. Generally, S containing amino acids are limiting milk protein synthesis. We should target for a dietary Lys:Met ratio of 2.8:1 for maximal protein synthesis. When balancing for the amino acids, changes in milk protein can usually be measured within 3 days, but generally only shows a 0,1% change, eg change from 3.2 to 3.3% Alternatively, the response of milk fat synthesis to amino acid balancing can result in a 0 to 0.2% change in content. Generally, methionine is the limiting factor. Adding Urea to the diet can only help rumen microbial synthesis, and only if adequate energy is available to support the microbial synthesis. I prefer to use raps meal as it contains more methionine than soybean meal. 18
Clinical and sub-clinical ketosis are the most common and often the most missed metabolic disorders on the farm. To make changes on the farm, the relative ketosis risk level on the farm must be determined. A milk fat to milk protein ratio above 1,5 in the first 14 days, but extending up to the first 45 days, is a good monitoring tool. A ratio above 1,5 generally reflects poor rumen function, and excessive body fat mobilisation resulting from severe negative energy balance. The cow is not getting the energy from the diet, so she tries to support milk production with body fat, a biological response to support her calf. Cows with higher body condition scores (BCS) and first calf heifers are at particular risk. Many farms have highly variable BCS, which can partially be attributed to poor conception rates resulting in prolonged lactations. What this ratio tells us is that the liver can not fully metabolise the body fat into energy, so high levels of circulating body fat are absorbed into the udder to help clean the system. The impact of ketosis on fertility depends on the severity, as the cow will not begin oestrus until she is out of the negative energy period. This is how we get a perpetual cycle of inefficiency on the farm. To break this cycle we need to take proactive steps. 19
One of the first steps is to determine the risk level of the herd. Milk control data give an indication at the herd level, on that day. But this is one analysis every 30 days. I recommend routine ketosis testing at the herd level (cows <45 days in milk). And more thorough monitoring of at risk cows in the 3 to 14 days in milk period. Keto- Tests are one method to test for ketone bodies in milk. Josera recommendations are that all cows will benefit from DairyPilot during the precalving and throughout the lactation period to support the cows as they change diets, move groups, and experience heightened stress periods. DairyPilot provides broad spectrum protection against all metabolic disorders. LactoStart is specially targeted for the transition period to minimize body fat mobilisation and provide extra by-pass protein in early lactation, until the cow is able ot support herself. Josera recommends LactoStart as a complement to DairyPilot, to be used in cases where mild ketosis levels are present. Unless a producer is testing for Ketones in milk or blood, it is difficult for them to determine if ketosis is a problem on the farm or not. None milk indicators of ketosis problems include: Low conception rate success (<2 ok, 1,5 excellent), (first conception should be between 60 to 75 days). The majority of cows should be pregnant by 100 days. Calving intervals exceeding 405 days relate to conception/breeding problems and are a good indication ketosis problems. 20
At the herd level, we use the milk protein and milk fat ratio to monitor efficiency. In general, the optimal profitability indicator is 82, or (3,3%MP/4%MF). If the ratio is over 0.9, this indicates milk fat is below optimal, and likely indicates a rumen problem. Common problems can be due to milk fat depression, which can relate to biohydrogenation intermediates, mainly trans 10-18:1 formation, which is an acidosis related depression. For these problems, DairyPilot is best solution to buffer the rumen ph as well as protect the immune system of the cows against the harmful effects of LPS. The manure sieve is a good tool to demonstrate hind gut fermentation (mucus casts), which indicates the rumen is not digesting the available energy. Limited energy availability is seldom the problem, however, excessive kernels in the manure indicates that the diet formulation does not reflect the actual energy availability, and adjustments should be made. At the low end, when the ratio is below 0,75, this is a good indication of protein misbalance, limited microbial synthesis or limited metabolisable protein availability. 21
In the table is an overview of the dietary changes that can be made and what effect these have on the milk components. A particular note is that recommended rumen undegraded protein is in a curve linear response to milk production. I said 30kg/30% as a basic guideline, but 33% fits to 35kg milk, and 35% to 38kg milk, and so on. It is important that there is still adequate rumen degradable protein to support microbial growth. This type of targeted feeding is only possible with multiple TMRs or transponder feeding. Normal NFC (25 to 40%) increase fat, minor effect on protein 22
Milk Urea levels reflect the level of ammonia escaping the rumen, or in other words, not utilised by the rumen microbes. Milk urea or milk urea nitrogen measure the same thing and can be interconverted. It is important to know which values you are looking at in order to decide if adjustments to the ration should be made. Excessive levels of MUN generally reflect a mismatching of nutrients. Generally, the high levels are of concern, as this means inefficient utilisation, and wasted money. Rumen Degradable Protein levels may be too high, or available energy too low. Excess NSC (silage sugars) or rapidly degradable non-fibre carbohydrates (starch) can cause SARA, which depresses microbial synthesis, resulting in excessive urea loss. A target for monthly milk control data is that 92% of the herd is within acceptable limits. Acceptable limits depends on lactation stage. Generally, the fresh cows will be high, due to poor rumen function. Main focus is on the majority of the lactation herd, which should be in the range of 8 to 12. Fresh pasture is not a concern of high MUN (>14), however, some studies have shown excess MUN in corn silage/soybean based diets can decrease fertility. This indicates that the negative effects of high MUN is more related to the interaction of the feed ingredients and their impact on the immune system, rather than a direct effect of the MUN itself. In pasture based systems, it is hard to have values <14, as green grass contains high levels of soluble protein. 23
MUN mg/dl= MU mg/dl x 0,47 MU mg/dl = MUN mg/dl x 2,14 Here is a quick overview of how to interpret milk urea nitrogen levels in relation to milk protein levels. RDP rumen degradable protein In general, cows outside the Optimal range are suffering from some level of metabolic stress. DairyPilot can help to some degree by buffering against some of the fluctuations and supporting rumen microbial function. 24
MUN mg/dl= MU mg/dl x 0,47 MU mg/dl = MUN mg/dl x 2,14 This is a review of a large farm in Hungary. This farm has known forage quality issues and severe fertility problems. Only two thirds of the herd are within acceptable levels, and note, we have increased the acceptable protein range. Likely, a greater proportion fall within the inefficient range. We see 36% of the herd falls within the high protein and high urea level, which means a substantial amount of protein investment is being lost in the manure, and urine as well. The fertility problems were reflected in large calving interval, and relate back to large variability in calving BCS. To see a large correcting in this farm requires significant intervention. That means DairyPilot and LactoStart, plus reevaluating the complete feeding plan. Operators do not like to hear about investments when milk production is poor, however, to correct such a situation, requires breaking the cycle, and that means drastic changes. To be realistic, it will take 6 months of intervention to see significant improvements in fertility, and that is the ultimate goal of this farm to be more efficient and sustainable for the future. 25
Milk somatic cell counts are an indicator of cow immune status and the cows ability to cope with stress factors. Somatic cells are predominantly white blood cells (immune system), and some epithelial cells as secretion cells die off during lactation. A cut-off for a cow is generally 200 000 as an indicator of mastitis. Inline milk systems that measure conductivity can show indications of mastitis infection, generally above a threshold level of 12microOhms. Caution should be used, as high conductivity is also recorded for inflammation, not only bacterial infection. BactoScans represent total bacterial counts in the milk and are generally due to factors other than the cow health (ie milk equipment hygiene, tank cooling, etc. External factors are the general cause of acute increases in SCC or Bacterial levels. Operators should review their milk records to identify any key time periods where SCC levels are elevated. In many cases, FlavoVital in DairyPilot increases the cow s resistance to bacterial inflammation. For this reason, increasing the dosage prior to a known stress factor, such as summer, or wet seasons, can help avoid any acute spikes in somatic cell counts. Milk Quality 400, 000 not fit for humans, >250 000 penalties, <150 000 an achievable goal for the majority of management systems. Ideally, a health udder is ~50 000. Bactoscan = outside pathogen source (on equipment). 26
In the figure are the common sources of many pathogenic bacterias encountered in by the cow. These can cause mastitis in the cow, leading to inflammation and production loss. 27
28
As always your feedback is valuable to us. Let us know what topics interest you and your customers. We will use your ideas to help shape future webinar topics. 29
30