Medical technology

GenoSource Has Grown Into One of the Most State-of-the-Art Dairies You'll Find in the U.S.

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 22:11:18 GMT

The Milk Business Leader in Technology Award is given to a farm that focuses on the implementation of technology to improve dairy operations in terms of ROI, labor, time management, etc. GenoSource was named the 2024 Milk Business Leader in Technology Award Winner during the 2024 MILK Business Conference in December.
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At first glance, these two might just look like typical business partners, but peel back the layers, and it’s clear Tim Rauen and Kyle Demmer are more than just that.

“We’re coworkers, we’re partners and we’re best friends,” says Kyle Demmer, COO of GenoSource. “Pretty much everything we do, we kind of bounce ideas off each other and just feed off each other.”

Tim Rauen, CEO of GenoSource, and Kyle Demmer, COO of GenoSource, give a tour of their facilities where they milk 4,000 cows milk in a 90-stall rotary parlor. Their cows are milked 3x/day and average 90 lbs/day with a 4.5% Butterfat and a 3.5% Protein.

(Mike Byers )

It’s a partnership in every sense, but the dairy is also anything but typical.

GenoSource all started with a dream a decade ago; a dream to have a company created by dairy producers for dairy producers. The vision seemed simple but was complex in reality. The dairy farmers wanted to create a modern cow but one that excelled in a freestall environment, had fewer health issues and could convert feed at an efficient rate.

“And now we’re 10 years into this partnership and GenoSource, and I don’t think anyone would change a thing about it,” says Tim Rauen, CEO of GenoSource.

The partnership now involves 8 families, whom all have a love for Holsteins and share a goal of creating a more sustainable future for the next generation.

(GenoSource)

An Early Believer in Genomics
A decade into the partnership, GenoSource has grown into more than these families ever imagined. The partnership now involves eight families, who all love Holsteins and share a goal of creating a more sustainable future for the next generation.

“Being an early believer in genomics, I followed technology, graduated college in 2008, and I told myself we got to follow technology; we’ve got to lead technology for the industry, and we drove right into it,” Rauen says. “We had a lot of naysayers that said, ‘Hey, this isn’t going to work. You shouldn’t go this direction,’ but we did. We put our foot on the gas, and we put the hammer down with it.”

To achieve the highest possible results, GenoSource prides their operation on the integrity of their day-to-day work, their capability to fill the next industry-leading demand and the philosophy of breeding a more profitable cow by investing in some of the world’s greatest genetics. GenoSource believes that genetic advancement is what will help develop the ideal cow for the future.

(Russ Hnatusko )

By homing in on the genetics early on with genomic testing, it’s their ability to grasp onto a plethora of technologies that’s taken this dairy to the next level.

“From a genetics standpoint, we took the herd that we bought, we put embryos into them and ran an extensive embryo program from day one to roll the herd over to the kind of cows we believed in milking,” Rauen says. “We were milking 2,200 cows at the time, and when we came in to it, we were milking about 70 lb. per cow with a 3.4% butterfat and a 2.8% protein. So since then, we’re at 95 lb. per cow. We’re at a 4.6% fat in a 3.5% protein.”

A Growth Mindset
GenoSource expects to be milking 4,800 cows by next summer, as GenoSource excels at improving genetics, cow comfort, nutrition and management, all through technology.

“On the genetics side of things, I look at genomic testing, I look at IVF work,” Rauen says. “Then, I go into cow comfort. We utilize the tunnel ventilation side of things. I go into the parlor. There’s many tools inside the parlor that the technology has advanced over the years. And then on the management side, there’s many things from the database side of things and monitoring tools that are cow monitoring collars. There’s multiple levels of that. So, all four of those have many, many layers of technology, and I don’t think you can ignore any of those. And you just got to look at all of them and see how you can improve the herd.”

Barns Packed With Technology
Their barns are also packed with technology. The dairy installed tunnel ventilation and smart control in 2021, as the dairy was forced to rebuild after the devastating derecho tore through their farm in august of 2020.

“Prior to the derecho, we were looking at putting tunnel ventilation in,” Rauen says. “We were looking at adding another barn to the facility as we want to grow and melt more cows. And it was that time where when we had to do that remodel, it pretty much forced our hand and said, ‘Hey, let’s go get tunnel ventilation done to our barns.’”

The team decided to expand the barns to add additional rows, which Rauen says was a big change. And while it was frightening financially to make that decision, he’s glad they did.

New construction across GenoSource are signs of more progress underway today, with GenoSource in the middle of putting in a new methane digester, a new maternity barn and a dry cow calving facility.

(Mike Byers )

New Construction: Signs of More Progress Underway
Today, new construction at their dairy is a sign of more progress underway, with GenoSource in the middle of building a methane digester, as well as a new maternity barn.

“We’re also building a new dry cow calving facility. We feel it’s so important when these cows come out day one that everything’s done properly from the cleanliness to colostrum. And also taking care of that cow, so she’s ready to make milk for a full lactation,” Rauen says. “The barn is going to be fully ventilated and have a sprinkler system. There’s a lot of new ideas we’re putting into those facilities, because we’re always looking for ways to increase the cow comfort side of things.

With technology at their fingertips, GenoSource is constantly monitoring their operations.

(Russ Hnatusko )

Work Smarter, Not Harder
The progress hasn’t always been easy, but just look around GenoSource’s state-of-the-art facility, and you can see those investments are paying off.

“Sometimes you need to work smarter, not harder,” Demmer says. “We have the smart sort gate, we have the collars; it makes a lot of people’s jobs a lot easier, and you can be way better at your job.”

With tech like Farmfit, which helps them constantly monitor their animals, it’s that technology that helps the dairy produce a better a better environment for the cows, and it also helps them retain employees.

“Three years ago, we used to lock every all the cows up and give repro shots, vaccines, breed everything out here in the barns,” Demmer says. “Now, we never lock the cows up. We put them in the sort gate and let the cows come to us. As far as injuries and employee safety, it’s all huge. You don’t have to worry about chasing the cows around. I think there’s a huge cost savings, too, and it’s way safer for the cows and the people.”

Cow Comfort is Key
GenoSource has created an environment where these cows are content, which might be the biggest sign of success any dairy can have.

“Some things that excite me the most are the cows are happy,” Rauen says. “So, when you have happy cows, they help pay the bills, and you can come out here 365 days a year, and cows are out here making milk. I always have the motto, ‘you take care of the cows, they’ll take care of you.’”

A dairy that knows no limits, it’s embracing technology that’s allowing GenoSource create new opportunities on their farm.

“Honestly, technology helps you get through some of those challenges, and we’re able to pull the data from different things,” Rauen says. “I think we’re ready for the next 10 years.

That is why GenoSource is the 2024 Milk Business Leader in Technology Award winner.

How Dairy Producers are Boosting Profitability

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:00:00 GMT

In the ever-competitive world of agriculture, dairy producers are continuously exploring new avenues to ensure the sustainability and growth of their operations. In the face of fluctuating market dynamics and economic pressures, innovative profitability strategies have become crucial, particularly in the dairy industry.

Alternative Profit Strategies
With the spotlight on profitability, many dairy producers have turned their attention to alternative profit sources. This shift has been especially significant during times when milk prices are less than favorable. Robin Schmahl from AgMarket.Net highlights the beef-on-dairy strategy as a pivotal approach to increasing income. By integrating beef genetics into dairy herds, many producers have successfully split their breeding practices between sexed semen and beef, leading to substantial income boosts over recent years.

Understanding Market Dynamics
Market dynamics play a critical role in shaping milk production. According to Phil Plourd, head of market intelligence at Ever.Ag Insights, the unfavorable economic conditions have historically squeezed milk production. Despite this, he remains optimistic about the upcoming 12 months, suggesting they present the best profit potential for dairy producers in recent times. His observation that “Historically, more money generally means more milk,” underlines the intricate relationship between economic conditions and milk yield.

Challenges with Dairy Replacement Heifers
The adoption of beef-on-dairy practices has, however, led to a decrease in the availability of dairy replacement animals. This scarcity has driven up prices, presenting a challenge for producers, especially those planning for expansion. Larger operations are now strategizing ways to secure replacements either through internal growth or external purchases well in advance.

“I don’t think they’re going to wake up three days before they open the new dairy and say, ‘Oh, wait, I need heifers,’” Plourd says.

Adapting to Market Signals
While there is potential market growth with higher milk prices, current dairy heifer inventory doesn’t entirely align with this trend. However, Schmahl points out that the increased milk prices offer producers more flexibility, allowing them to invest in replacements or retain older cows to maximize their output.

Risk Management in a Volatile Market
Efficient risk management strategies are crucial to navigating the ups and downs of the market. Schmahl emphasizes the importance of engaging in risk management without capping potential gains. He recommends option strategies or revenue protection, advising producers to remain flexible and informed as they plan for the future.

“You don’t want to limit your upside,” Schmahl insists, while cautioning producers about using futures, encouraging a balance between protection and opportunity.

As the dairy industry continues its evolution, staying informed and adaptable is essential for producers looking to capitalize on emerging trends. By employing innovative strategies and maintaining a sharp focus on market signals, dairy producers can navigate economic challenges to secure and enhance their profitability.

Your Next Read:
A Promising Turnaround: U.S. Milk Production Sees Unexpected Growth

Secrets to Success with Precision Cow Monitoring Systems

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:18:26 GMT

Activity and rumination monitoring systems -- precision cow monitoring -- can revolutionize the way a dairy manages its cows. Or they can pile up frustrations and create greater expense without adding value, according to Dr. Melissa Cantor, Assistant Professor in Precision Dairy Science at Penn State University. She noted the following requirements to make the systems worth the investment for dairies:

A commitment to embracing technology – Successfully using precision cow monitoring requires a combination of common sense, cow sense, and tech sense. Cantor said it’s not necessary for anyone on the dairy to be a technological whiz, but at least one person must be committed to learning the system, monitoring the data, and making decisions based off of it. “A lot of times what happens is people will buy these systems for estrus detection. This is fine, but farmers often pay for the algorithms for transition cow monitoring too because it is also a really attractive feature,” she stated. “However, if no one is acting on that data, you’re paying for something and not using it. Make sure you allocate a worker to transition cow monitoring with the system for maximum benefit.”
Customizing alerts – Cantor said many precision cow monitoring systems were developed in Europe. Thus, the default settings were validated in herds of less than 100 cows that are usually housed quite differently than typical U.S. herds. “A lot of people don’t realize that the software lets you play with the thresholds of alerts,” Cantor advised. “For heat detection, I advise to mostly leave those alone; they work really well. But for transition cows, see what thresholds fit best for your farm. If you’re being alerted and the cows look perfectly healthy, the software needs to be adjusted. The same is true if you’re not being alerted until the cows are really sick and could benefit from earlier intervention. Ask your equipment dealer for how to adjust the health alert settings before purchasing.”
Timely installation – Cantor shared that it takes most systems about a month for the algorithm to understand an individual cow’s activity behavior for estrus detection. Some health alert systems take at least 50 cattle to move through the system before timely health alerts are detected in the herd, and most take about 8-12 days to learn an individual cow’s behavior. This is highly dependent on which system is purchased so make sure to ask your equipment dealer about the system you are purchasing.

She said a common mistake is to put rumination monitoring collars on cows when they freshen, versus a few weeks before in the dry period. “Those first 10 days in milk are when a lot of problems happen, but those opportunities will be missed because the system doesn’t understand the cow yet,” she said. “Plus, the baseline is also off, because the system thinks those early fresh days are ‘normal’ for the cow, when that’s not the case at all.” Cantor recommends putting rumination tags on cows at 21 days before freshening for maximum results.

It isn’t commonly known, but cows at risk for metabolic disorders show changes in rumination patterns weeks before calving. Keeping an eye on rumination patterns in the dry close up period is fundamental to evaluate which cows have consistent rumination and which ones have high variation in rumination patterns (at least an hour of variation a day). The ones that aren’t consistent in their rumination patterns are the cows to keep a close eye on after calving.
Maintenance minding – Just as a point person is needed to utilize the technology, another is needed to keep it functioning. That could be the same person or two different individuals. But someone needs to be in charge of ensuring batteries are still functioning; tags are in good repair and staying on the cows; and equipment pieces are cleaned regularly. Cantor said a common problem with precision technologies in general is that they are viewed as shiny new tools that are maintenance-free. “That’s definitely not true,” said Cantor. “Virtually every dairy that hates their automated milking system, for example, is not maintaining it.”

Cantor said the capabilities of activity and rumination monitoring systems extend beyond estrus detection; they are exciting and highly valuable -- especially when it comes to transition cows – once the system is understood and customized to the dairy. “I hope more people use activity and rumination monitoring to fine-tune their transition programs,“ stated Cantor. “It’s great when it works.”

Your Next Read: Milk Production Resilient Despite Tight Heifer Supply Concerns

Unlock the Future: How Tech is Revolutionizing Dairy Farming

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Dairy producers take immense pride in delivering a wholesome product day in and day out. However, with the global population projected to surge by 30% in the next three decades and available farmland decreasing by 250 million acres by 2050, the agricultural sector faces an enormous challenge. To meet the growing demand, agricultural production must increase by 40%.

Recently at the Center of Excellence’s Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference in Harrisburg, Pa., three producers talked about their journey of innovation and technology as a way to spell longevity to their operations.

Alan Waybright’s Technological Upgrades Journey
Located in Mount Rock, Pa., Alan Waybright’s farm serves as a compelling example of how innovation can drive success in dairy farming. Purchased in 2019, the farm began with 650 cows and has since expanded to 940 cows. These cows now produce 92 lbs. of milk, with component levels of 4.2% butterfat and 3.3% protein on a four-times-per-day milking schedule.

A significant contributor to this success has been the technological upgrades implemented on the farm. The family invested in upgrading their parlor from a double-12 herringbone to a new, Delaval, 50-cow rotary milking parlor equipped with a pre-and post-dip robotic arm, enhancing efficiency, as the cows can now all be milked under four hours. Moreover, they added a new calf barn, a 210 x 240 silage pad, and a 160-stall four-row free stall barn. These upgrades not only improved productivity but also animal welfare and farm management.

Additionally, the farm works with Total Farm Marketing to mitigate risk by helping book commodities and milk futures.

“We lean on a whole team that can help us make decisions that can benefit our future,” Waybright says.

Brake’s Automation Transformation
Matthew Brake with Oakleigh Farm milks 120 Registered Holsteins and farms 400 acres, all with family labor. The family experienced a barn fire in December of 2019 that made them change the landscape – honing in on automation – as the family rebuilt and added two Lely robots less than a year later.

“We obviously never want to go through that again or wish for anyone to have to go through that, but it is really amazing to see how technology can work together,” he says, noting the curtains on the barns are automated, along with the fans in the barn. “Plus, all the data that we get from the robots. It is pretty amazing.”

Brake says that changing to robots has increased production and reduced the need for labor.

“Because of the technology, we have more flexibility and family time,” he adds.

Peckman: Embracing Diversity and Technology
At Slate Ridge Dairy Farm, Inc., Ben Peckman underscores the importance of diversity in mitigating risks. In addition to milking 170 cows, the family raises 100 youngstock, 150 steers, and farms around 1,100 acres. “Diversity is our key technology,” Peckman states

“It cannot be bought, but it pays. Diversity is our secret weapon to combat weather, markets and other risks.”

Peckman utilizes a variety of technologies including GPS guidance, planter row clutches, variable rate seeding, sprayer boom section control, and yield monitoring to optimize operations. They also use daily forage dry matter measuring and the SCiO cup and phone app for adjustments, leading to more consistent intakes and production and higher components. The farm has a robotic feed pusher that drives higher intakes on fresh feed and saves labor, and automated ventilation controls, fans, curtains, sprinklers, and a mobile calf milk pasteurizer.

Peckman notes that on their own, each of these technologies are relatively small investments.

“However, they are fairly affordable for small to medium-sized dairies,” he says. “They add up to make large impacts on our daily operations and ultimately, our profitability.”

By adopting advanced technologies and diverse strategies, producers not only enhance efficiency and productivity but also ensure sustainable and profitable operations for the future.

Livestock and mRNA Vaccines: What You Need To Know

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 01:56:43 GMT

As misinformation regarding the use of mRNA vaccines in livestock filter through social media, there are facts begging to be set straight.

Recently, a claim was made saying producers are required to inject livestock with mRNA vaccines.

According to USDA spokesperson, Marissa Perry says, “There is no requirement or mandate that producers vaccinate their livestock for any disease. It is a personal and business decision left up to the producer and will remain that way,” in response to the claim, Associated Press shared in an article .

National Pork Board’s Director of Consumer Public Relations, Jason Menke echoed the statement to AP, noting that the decision to use vaccines and other medical treatments to protect animal health and well-being are made by the farmer under the direction of the herd veterinarian.

To further explain mRNA vaccines and shed light on controversies, Dr. Kevin Folta, a molecular biologist and professor at the University of Florida, shares his viewpoint and experience with the technology.

What are mRNA Vaccines?

First introduced to the population through the COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines have been in development for decades, says Folta in a recent AgriTalk segment.

He adds that the technology’s potential in human health makes it a likely candidate to have a place in animal health as well. However, “the technology is being maligned in social media, and is now shaping decisions at the level of state legislature,” Folta says. This leads to the growing importance that producers and consumers become more educated on the topic.

What Folta believes began in January of this year, based on claims with very little data, certain advocates against mRNA vaccines are concerned that mRNA vaccines are in use and development in livestock. Additionally, these vaccines may then be present in the food these animals provide.

Why mRNA Vaccines Are Not Present in Food

“It’s not in your food. It’s a vaccine for the animal that, just like any vaccine, protects the animal from disease,” Folta says.

Current mRNA vaccines being used in swine are injected into the muscle, Folta explains, which causes the development of the immune response protein to then stimulate the body to work against the virus.

“In the absence of the virus, it’s kind of like giving the virus or giving the body a ‘wanted’ poster that says, ‘when this individual comes along, and this virus comes along, work against it,’ and it’s all gone within hours,” he adds.

The mRNA never leaves the cells from where it was injected. RNA is a very unstable molecule that must be kept cold, buffered and in solvent, to remain viable, Folta explains.

Additionally, any licensed vaccine comes with a minimum time before that animal can enter the food chain, also known as the “withdrawal time,” says Alan Young, professor in the Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences at South Dakota State University and founder of protein platform (non-mRNA) vaccine company Medgene.

The Animal’s Genes Are Not Altered

While mRNA vaccines include genetic code, Folta says the use of a mRNA vaccines does not alter the animal’s genes in any way.

“This [mRNA] is an intermediate between the gene itself and the products that the gene encodes. So, it’s like having a blueprint and a house. The mRNA is like the construction worker. It takes the blueprint and manufactures the house. In the case of the cell, it takes the DNA blueprint and then takes a little bit of that information to build part of the final structure. The mRNA is just that intermediate, it does not change the genes. It doesn’t change the DNA itself,” he explains.

What are the Benefits of mRNA Vaccines?

More flexibility and faster response to new disease, Folta describes as reasons why mRNA vaccines are becoming more popular.

Traditional vaccines require large amounts of a virus to be raised and purified before being injected to elicit an immune response, he adds. Meanwhile, mRNA encourages the body to make a little piece of protein to elicit the desired immune response.

“It’s much cleaner, much easier. If you’re moving parts in this machine, to make this product that induces an immune response, it’s so good in so many ways,” Folta says.

In pork production specifically, researchers are working with mRNA vaccines that will work this way against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), which is a viral disease that causes economic loss totals around $664 million per year in the U.S. (Holtkamp et al., 2013).

Additionally, the use of mRNA technology adds another tool to the toolbox, which may be helpful in combating diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF), avian influenza and other food-animal diseases.
“This stands to be a revolutionary technology if we don’t get in the way,” Folta adds.

Are There Risks to mRNA Vaccines?

Folta says everything has some sort of risk, but it’s important to weigh the benefits against the risk.
As seen with the COVID-19 vaccines, in rare cases, people experienced side effects from the vaccine. However, Folta is encouraged by the initial results in livestock.

“If you look in animals where these [vaccines] have been used, there have been no unusual effects noted. Everything potentially has risk, but it’s monitored, and especially in large animal populations, we can look very carefully at that for surveillance,” he explains.

mRNA Enters State Legislation

While some consumers spread misinformation about the use of mRNA vaccines, the ideas have also crept into state legislation.

The Missouri House Bill 1169 , with a special hearing set for Apr. 19 on the matter, aims to require a label be used on meat from animals treated with an mRNA vaccine, identifying the “potential gene therapy product.”
This bill falsely claims that mRNA vaccines would modify the genes of the organism, Folta explains.

mRNA vaccines are simply another modality that can protect animal health, which results in healthy animals producing the best and safest food products, Folta says, and provides producers with more options to help combat disease.

“To have affordable food, we need to have continual innovation in the animal, medical, veterinary space and mRNA vaccines are safe and an effective way to treat the animal that does not change the final product,” he adds.

The COVID-19 pandemic simply “broke the seal” to the development of these new modalities that will change the way human and animal diseases will be treated in the years to come.

More on Vaccines:

Genvax Technologies Secures $6.5 Million to Advance Novel Vaccine Platform

Cattle Veterinarians Have New Vaccination Guidelines

Don’t Assume That Old Refrigerator Is Good Enough To Store Vaccines

OTC Livestock Antibiotics Will Require Prescription June 11

"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:18:21 GMT

Do you remember the last time a technology excited you? Excited you so much you gaped your mouth in astonishment? For me, this happened when I first drove a car with adaptive cruise control, typed a question into Chat GPT, and streamed a movie on my TV. However, as time wore on, these all became common day experiences. This is the curse of technology. It becomes boring very quickly. Is this bad? In my eyes, boring technology is good technology. Once a technology becomes a boring experience it means it has become proven, well-adopted, and easy to utilize. As I see it, there are three boring technologies silently shaping the industry – sort gates, forage harvesters, and mechanical ventilation.

Sort Gates

Sort gates are not new, not sexy, and not exciting. However, there are very few new dairies built without sort gates as part of the cattle management system. Sort gates have the amazing capability to bring cows to you. Sort gates bring cows to the herd manager versus the herd manager finding the cows. With this, a single herd manager can exponentially increase his productivity with less time walking finding cows, and more time treating, breeding, or checking cows. Sort gates have become far more efficient and dependable and have allowed for the scalability of cow management.

Forage Harvesters

Self-propelled forage harvesters are not new, not sexy, and not exciting. Well, maybe a little sexy. As a nutritionist, it is my job to annoyingly remind my clients of the importance and impact of forage quality. In the pursuit of high-quality forage, nothing has been as impactful as large, self-propelled choppers. With forage, timing is everything. Big choppers have increased the capacity and speed at which we can execute forage harvesting. This allows us to sneak between rain windows, catch drying corn silage, and build and seal forage piles quickly. Dairies would not be nearly as productive, healthy, or large without these machines.

Ventilation

Mechanical ventilation is not new, not sexy, and not exciting. By mechanical ventilation, I am referring to cross-ventilated or tunnel-ventilated dairy barns. Anywhere you go around the world, these structures are popping up. Once just thought to be a tool for cow cooling or air quality, mechanical ventilation has changed the way we build and manage dairies. Mechanical ventilation has assisted in cow cooling and comfort in many climates. These ventilation systems allow for barns to become larger and concentrate cows closer to parlors. This, in turn, has allowed for easier cow movements, lower construction costs, and improved cow performance.

As we look forward to the next 10 years in the dairy industry, it is not the new, sexy, and exciting technology that will reshape how we do things. It will be the old, ugly, boring technology that allows us to work more efficiently, increase our cow performance, and scale our businesses.

For more on Smart Farming, read:

Wearable Technology is Not Just for People

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 03:12:01 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

Something wasn’t right. Milk was down. Feed intake plummeted. Standing time increased. The cows stood at the bunk looking listless, yet they refused to eat, sometimes for days at a time. Activity systems across the board were showing a rapid drop in rumination.

These were the conditions that we and our partnering consultants experienced at several of our client’s farms for the last month and a half.

Something was critically wrong.

But what was causing it?
Why were several herds down thousands of lbs of milk?

We’ve come a long way from the days of, “Help, I’ve fallen and can’t get up” commercials.

From the NBA to Michael Phelps to your local PTA director everyone wants the latest wearable. No longer a simple button, the term “wearables” refers to any device we can sport, from patches to smart watches that can be attached to our bodies to monitor and manage our performance.

Becoming More Precise

As wearables have grown in popularity, the science has evolved as well. By integrating complex biosensors into our lives, we are now capable of knowing more about our bodies than ever!

The beauty of this is that our dairy researchers are catching up and integrating these innovations into our industry. Building their own unique dairy versions of these technologies.

The biosensors housed within these dairy specific wearable devices allow us to continually monitor a range of biometrics such as rumination, activity, bunk time, water intake, rest time, temperature, gps location in the pen, and even stress hormone levels. We are just beginning to see the application of these devices in the dairy industry.

For example, research at Cornell by McArt and Seely has suggested that rumination could be used as a substitute for much more expensive and invasive blood testing. This would allow for accurate, economic detection of subclinical milk fever. Yielding more targeted treatment and preventing secondary transition cow diseases such as ketosis, metritis, or DA’s as well as decreased milk production.

Diving Deeper into Herd Health

For the first time in history, we have the ability to intervene upon disease not just at a sub-clinical (before observation is possible) level but at the very moment of it’s inciting event.

This was what they hoped to do in this presenting case by IDing the very inciting event that had derailed these dairies.

By this point they had eliminated all the usual suspects, mycotoxins, starch levels, fiber digestibility etc. They were convinced it was a palatability issue. But what product could the culprit be? With such complex rations, highly variable protein and mineral mixes how would the team ever be able to know they picked the right product?

To aid this analysis the team of highly qualified veterinarians and nutrition professionals would have to trust these wearables. They would have to trust those “earrings and necklaces” to tell us when they were on the right track.

So, they did just that. Product by product the ration was adjusted to eliminate potential causes. After the change, they waited with bated breath and watched intakes, feeding time and rumination rates almost hourly. Hoping for that bump that suggested they had found the offender.

It was not a quick or flawless process. It was filled with frustration by owners and consultants alike. More than one hard conversation was had.

Several weeks after the inciting event, after three or four iterations of product removals, the source was found. Suddenly, intakes went up, rumination jumped almost 20%, and slowly the milk came back as well.

All this was aided by a wearable “necklace or earring” placed on a cow. The ability to ID the smallest ingredient, the smallest inciting change, and intervene, hopefully, before it becomes a bigger issue. That’s the power of biometrics. That’s the future of our industry.

For more on Smart Farming, read:

7 Steps to Create a Biosecurity Plan

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:32:19 GMT

No matter what type of livestock operation you run, biosecurity should always be at the forefront of your mind. Putting biosecurity protocols in place can help reduce the risk of disease being transferred to not only livestock, but to humans as well.

According to Joe Armstrong, DVM, University of Minnesota Extension cattle production systems educator, having a biosecurity plan can help protect your farm from external pathogens and can minimize the transmission of diseases on your operation. To build a biosecurity plan for your farm, Armstrong provides these seven steps.

1. Determine your goal.

Before you can develop your plan, it is important to determine your end goal. You can’t get to where you are wanting to go unless you know where you are at. To do this, Armstrong suggests asking yourself two questions:

Is there a specific disease that you are looking to target that you already have?
Is there a particular disease you are worried about acquiring?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, that’s okay. Reach out to your veterinarian for help.

2. Develop your team.

One of the most valuable members to have on your farm’s team is your veterinarian. When formulating your biosecurity plan, be sure to include them in on the discussion.

“Your veterinarian is one of the only people you work with that can comment on your entire system and how everything works together,” Armstrong says. “They have specific biosecurity training that can help you develop a plan that targets your most significant transmission risks.”

3. Formulate the plan.

As you begin to write down your farm’s intentions, it is crucial that you be as specific as possible. No matter how simple a protocol may be, you still need to have it in writing. Armstrong suggests creating visible materials that can serve as a reminder to you and your staff.

4. Get everyone on board.

“Biosecurity only works if everyone follows the protocols,” Armstrong says. “One person that isn’t on board can derail the whole thing. Make sure everyone understands what to do and make sure everyone understands why it is important.”

Consider having a team meeting to go over the new protocols and ask employees for their suggestions and feedback.

5. Start the plan.

Now that the plan has been given the green light, it’s time to put it in action.

“The sooner it is in place, the sooner you can refine the protocols and identify problem areas that need to be resolved,” Armstrong says.

6. Fine tune.

Because of workforce turnover and changing conditions on dairy farms, biosecurity training needs to on-going and continually reinforced. It may be helpful to ask your veterinarian to attend these training sessions to answer some of the questions your team members might have.

7. Evaluate and make adjustments.

One of the most important steps in formulating a biosecurity plan is to make adjustments as necessary. Be sure to record incidences of diseases to help measure whether you plan is working or not

“If your plan has been given enough time to work, you can decide if you need to change your plan based on your evaluation,” Armstrong says.