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Posts Tagged ‘agriculture’

  1. “In placing this class of Holstein 5 Year Olds, 1-2-3-4…”: Judging Contests and the Art of Oral Reasons

    March 6, 2014 by ang5294

    I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that nobody reading this post (besides me) has participated in or witnessed a dairy judging contest, so now it’s time to explain what you’ve been missing out on!

    Whether you’re judging dairy cattle or some other form of animal, the really unique part of a judging contest is that the animals are not the ones competing.  Shows are competitions in which animals compete against each other and a judge determines which animals are the best.  Judging contests are competitions in which people compete against each other by judging animals (kind of like how a judge would in a show); the best judges are those whose placings of the animals match up the closest to the placings of an “official judge” and those who can effectively defend their placings through oral reasons.  So basically, people get judged on how well they can judge, cool, huh?

    Before we get into an in-depth explanation of oral reasons, let’s first go over the logistics of the contest.  Contestants will judge multiple “classes” of cattle.  Each “class” consists of four animals numbered 1 through 4.  These animals will be of the same breed and age so that they can accurately be compared against each other.  Contestants are given 15 minutes to look at the animals in each class and place them from best to worst.  For example, if I liked 1 better than 2, 2 better than 3, 3 better than 4, and thought 4 was the worst cow in the class, then my placing would be 1-2-3-4.  Contestants typically have to judge 6 to 10 classes of cattle depending on the contest.

    Sometimes contestants are asked to present oral reasons on a class, which basically means that they have to explain to a judge why they placed the class the way that they did (why they liked 1 better than 2, for example).  This is where all those fancy terms used in the previous posts come into play.  During the 15 minute judging period, contestants will write down notes for their reasons that they will use later for reference.  After all of the classes have been placed, contestants will go to a different location to present their reasons.  Contestants will be given at least 15 minutes to prepare for each set of reasons; during this time, contestants can use their notes to organize their thoughts and memorize what they want to say into a clear and concise 2-minute set of oral reasons, which is then presented to a judge (or judges) completely from memory (without notes).  This can be an especially daunting task when you have to give multiple sets of reasons!  Fortunately, you are guaranteed at least 15 minutes of prep time between each set.  After you have given a set of reasons, the judges may ask you questions about the class to see how much you actually remembered about the cows, rather than just your notes.

    Learning how to give a great set of oral reasons is an art-form that takes lots of time and practice to master (or come close to mastering).  The important things to remember is that it is YOUR OPINION, so as long as you back it up with accurate facts and use COMPARATIVE terms (as opposed to descriptive terms), you’ll be well on your way to success!

    I think that this pretty much wraps up my dairy judging unit!  If you’re interested in learning more about dairy judging, consider taking AN SC 225 (Introduction to Dairy Judging) in the spring or AN SC 426 Section 2 (Advanced Judging) in the fall!  As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

    Category Passion | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 3 Comments

  2. “Wow, She Has Such A Nice Frame!” (Not The Picture Kind)

    March 6, 2014 by ang5294

    It’s finally time to cover the last category on the PDCA Scorecard–Frame!  Although Frame is worth the least amount of points (15 points to be exact), it is still a very important factor to evaluate in a dairy cow.

    The most important category under Frame is the rump.  To discuss this concept, let’s look at an image that was included in the previous blog post:

    rump

    When looking at a cow’s rump, it is important to look at the hook bones and pin bones and the relationship between the two.  The ideal cow will be nearly level from hooks to pins with the pins slightly lower than the hooks.  If the pins are higher than the hooks, this could create major calving difficulties, as the calf would have to go up through the birth canal and then down instead of just going straight down.  If the slope of the rump is too great, then the thurl placement (discussed in the previous blog) could be offset, which could present walking difficulties for the cow.  This is why a nearly level, slightly downward-sloped rump is preferred in a cow.

    In addition to looking at the rump from the side, it is important to look at the rump from the rear.  A cow should have plenty of width between her hooks and especially between her pins to allow for easier calvings.  I have personally faced many instances when cows had difficulties calving because their pins were not wide enough for the calf to pass through without some major pulling.  It is much easier on both the farmer assisting with the calving and the cow if a cow is wide in her rump.

    An ideal cow should also have a wide and deep front end (or chest area).  Having more space in the front end means that the cow is stronger and has more room for her heart and her lungs, therefore making her a much healthier, productive cow.

    The spine (or back) of a cow is called her “topline.”  An ideal cow will be straight and strong over her topline.  This strength will help to hold the cow together, as her back is her central support.  This is important characteristic for a cow to have in order to last in the herd until old age.

    Finally, stature is an important trait to look for in an ideal cow.  Cows should be tall at the point of withers (top of the shoulder, which is where height is measured on a cow and many other farm animals) and long from nose to tail.  A cow that has greater dimensions is simply more cow in every respect, as she has more room for her internal organs, a calf, feed, her udder, etc.

    So now, I bet you’re an expert at judging dairy cows (or at least you have a general idea of what to look for)!  To give you guys a break from all of the technicalities, my next post will focus more on the format of a judging contest, rather than the judging process itself.

    Category Passion | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  3. Agriculture and the Environment

    March 6, 2014 by ang5294

    As I was surfing the web for inspiration for this week’s civic issues post, I came across the following New York Times article:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/27/us/fertilizer-limits-sought-near-lake-erie-to-fight-spread-of-algae.html?ref=earth&_r=1

    This article discusses the negative effects of fertilizers and other pollutants on Lake Erie, mainly focusing on algal blooms.  Algal blooms result from excess nutrients in water systems (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus).  The huge algae populations that result from these excess nutrients will eventually die off and decompose.  The presence of algal blooms can eventually create dead zones, areas in which little or no life can exist, in water systems.  Not only is this becoming a major concern in Lake Erie, but dead zones are also prevalent in the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico regions, as well as other coastal water areas.

    As the article focuses on fertilizers as a major source of the excess nutrients that lead to algal blooms, I thought that this would be a good opportunity to highlight key points in the intricate relationship between agriculture and the environment, including fertilizer use.

    When growing crops on a farm, whether for human consumption, animal consumption, or fuel, farmers must make management decisions based on three major nutrients that crops depend on for proper growth and development: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (sometimes referred to as N-P-K).  Because responsible use of these nutrients is so important, both from an agricultural and an environmental standpoint, farmers are required by government regulations to write and follow Nutrient Management Plans.  These plans provide details regarding how the farmer will use responsible practices to effectively utilize these nutrients to grow crops while minimizing adverse effects on the environment.  Some common components of these plans are:

    1. Manure Storage/Handling/Application: Farmers must store manure from their animals in controlled locations, normally manure pits.  Manure is applied to fields at optimal times for nutrient uptake by the crops.  Applying manure to fields when the ground is frozen or when there is heavy precipitation should also be avoided to prevent run-off.

    Manure Pit

    Manure Pit

    2. Nutrient Testing:  The levels of nutrients in soil and manure should be tested.  In Pennsylvania, the Penn State Cooperative Extension program works with farmers to perform these tests and provide farmers with nutrient and crop management advice.  By comparing the nutrient needs of a specific crop with the current level of nutrients in the soil, the farmer can then calculate how much manure and additional fertilizer needs to be applied to meet the crop’s nutrient needs without supplying an excess of nutrients.

    Soil Testing

    Soil Testing

    No-Till Drilling/Conservation Plowing: Rather than traditional plowing, which involves complete up-turn of the soil and can cause major erosion problems, many modern farmers now employ alternative techniques.  Conservation plowing involves only a partial up-turn of the soil, while no-till drilling is a method that drills holes into the soil to plant seeds without plowing the ground at all.  Both of these methods decrease erosion and prevent excess nutrients from entering water systems.

    No-Till Drilling

    No-Till Drilling

    4. Cover Crops: Cover crops are non-traditional crops that are typically planted in fields when they would otherwise be barren.  One of the most common cover crops is winter wheat, which (as the name implies) is typically planted in the winter.  The roots from the cover crops work to keep the soil in place to prevent erosion, while using up some of the nutrients in the soil to prevent them from leaching.

    Winter Wheat (Cover Crop)

    Winter Wheat (Cover Crop)

    5. Crop Rotation (with Legumes): Legumes are plants that have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules.  Some common agricultural legume crops are soybeans, alfalfa, and peanuts.  These plants are able to replenish the soil with nitrogen that they obtain from the atmosphere.  Because non-legume crops deplete nitrogen levels in the soil, rotating the crops planted in each field (and not consecutively planting the same crop in the same field) can work to better utilize nutrients in the soil, and when done with legumes, can increase nitrogen levels in the soil without having to add manure or fertilizer.  Crop rotation also helps to improve crop yields for reason other than improved nutrient utilization, such as decreased susceptibility to diseases and pests.

    Soybeans (Legume Crop)

    Soybeans (Legume Crop)

    6. Strip Cropping: This erosion prevention practice involves dividing a field into “strips.”  Neighboring strips contain different crops, typically in an alternating fashion.

    Strip Cropping

    Strip Cropping

    7. Grassy Waterways: These are strips of grass found in low points in a field that serve as a buffer to prevent erosion into water systems.

    Grassy Waterways

    Grassy Waterways

    8. Buffer Strips: Similar to grassy waterways, buffer strips are strips of grass that prevent erosion, but these are found directly bordering a stream or other water system rather than in a field.

    Buffer Strips

    Buffer Strips

    9. Wind Breaks: These are lines of trees found at the edges of fields that help to prevent wind erosion.

    Wind Breaks

    Wind Breaks

    As you can see from these examples, the agriculture industry employs a wide variety of management techniques to uphold their roles as stewards of the environment.  Although agriculture is a major contributor to water pollution, along with industry, transportation, etc., farmers and other agricultural professionals utilize these practices to try to reduce their impact on the environment.  These practices are far from perfect and water pollution remains a major problem in most watersheds, but work is being done in an attempt to improve conservation practices to reduce future levels of pollution.

    In the meantime, there still exists the problem of current pollution levels creating algal blooms and dead zones in areas such as Lake Erie and the Chesapeake Bay.  I know that many Chesapeake Bay clean-up projects exist (I’m not sure if there are any for Lake Erie) and that many agricultural organizations are supporting the efforts to help with cleaning the bay.

    So how can YOU help solve this problem?  Well, if you plant a garden at home, try to use some of the same erosion prevention techniques described above.  If you use fertilizers on your lawn, be sure to use them wisely.  Don’t spray fertilizer if your lawn doesn’t really need it, and don’t spray when the ground is frozen or covered in snow.  You also shouldn’t spray fertilizer right after a rain or before it is predicted to rain.  If you’re interested in helping out with the Chesapeake Bay clean-up, check out the following link: www.cleanchesapeakecoalition.com.

    I hope you guys found this interesting and learned something new about agriculture and the environment!

     

    Category Civic Issues--Environment | Tags: ,,,, | 2 Comments

  4. I “Udderly” Love Judging Cows <3

    January 29, 2014 by ang5294

    Welcome back to my blog!  I hope that you’re all prepared to learn more about the dairy industry!

    This semester, I’m taking AN SC 225, which is a one credit class entitled “Introduction to Dairy Judging.”  I’ve been judging cows since I was 10 years old and I absolutely love it, so I am really psyched about this class.  Because I would like to share my enthusiasm with all of you, my next several posts are going to focus on, you guessed it, dairy judging.

    The purpose of dairy judging is for breeders to be able to compare cows and determine their superior traits and their traits that need to be improved upon.  All cows are judged based off of the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association (PDCA) Dairy Cow Unified Scorecard.

    The following is a link to scorecard: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usjersey.com%2FReference%2FPDCA_Dairy_Cow_Unified_Scorecard_2009update.pdf&ei=ubbpUvmPL4qrsQSexoCwDg&usg=AFQjCNEAEJPCMWqNlwGwgWiEjFK5aSmcPA&sig2=EL2WlueFz_Fxzk_Sbj7q8g&bvm=bv.60444564,d.cWc

    The major breakdowns of the scorecard are:

    Udder–40 points

    Dairy Strength–25 points

    Rear Feet & Legs–20 points

    Frame–15 points

    In order to understand these breakdowns, it’s important to know the parts of a dairy cow.

    Parts of a Dairy Cow

    At this point, you may be wondering, why were the previously mentioned categories picked to be on the scorecard?  Well, each of these categories contains many sub-categories which encompass different parts of the cow.  If these parts are structured a certain way, then they result in a healthier, more productive cow.

    I’ll first start by describing the characteristics that make a desirable udder in a dairy cow.

    Obviously, the udder is the organ that produces milk, so it is worth the most points.  An udder that can hold more milk is more desirable.  Hence, the ideal cow will have a high and wide rear udder attachment and a strong and smooth-blending fore udder attachment.  Even though breeders want cows with capacious udders, they should also be youthful, meaning that the udder does not hand too low.  Typically, the udder floor should be held above the hocks (the joints on the cow’s rear legs).  An udder that is too deep can easily get stepped on or injured and is more difficult to milk.  With each calf a cow has, the udder will get deeper, so it’s good for the udder to have room to grow.  A cow should also have a strong, clearly defined udder cleft.  The udder cleft is the ligament that divides the rear udder in half.  It is a major support system for the udder, so a cow with a strong udder cleft will typically be healthier and last longer in the herd.  The ideal udder should also possess a lot of bloom, meaning that it looks like it’s full of milk, and veining.  Cows need a lot of blood to pass through their udders to produce milk, so the more veins visible on the udder, the more blood flowing through the udder and the more milk produced.  Another important trait that should be analyzed on a cow’s udder is her teats.  A cow should have medium-sized, uniform teats that hang square to the ground.  Teats that are too fat, too skinny, too long, or too short will not fit into the inflations on the milking equipment correctly.  In addition, teats that are too big can easily be injured.  Breeders also want cows to have teats that hang perpendicular to the ground because it is difficult to milk teats that are too close together or too far apart; in some cases, the milker will not even stay on the cow.

    I hope that you all learned a lot from my dairy judging rant.  Next week, expect to learn about other traits seen on the PDCA scorecard and why they are desirable in a dairy cow!

    Category Passion | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,, | 3 Comments

  5. Got Milk?

    November 20, 2013 by ang5294

    Dear Loyal Readers,

    I am slightly depressed that I won’t get to rant to you about my cows anymore, but on the bright side, it was fun while it lasted and now I’ll have more time to do other things on Wednesday evenings.  Throughout these past nine weeks of blogging, we’ve discussed the importance of agricultural education, basic background information on dairy cows, showing, and the long and complicated life of a dairy cow.  Although there are countless more aspects of dairy farming that we could take about, I think it’s fitting to end this blogging adventure with some facts on the end product of dairy farming–MILK!

    Did you know…?

    1) Milk is Pennsylvania’s State Beverage.

    2) The dairy cow is referred to as “the foster mother of the human race.”

    3) Milk is considered to be “nature’s most perfect food.”

    4) Milk contains nine essential nutrients to help keep your body healthy and strong; these nutrients are calcium, potassium, protein, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12.

    5) Milk is about 86% water.

    6) Scientific evidence shows that chocolate milk contains the perfect combination of carbohydrates and proteins to help rebuild muscle tissue and refuel your body after strenuous workouts.

    7) FDA guidelines recommend that a person should get at least three servings of dairy products each day to maintain a healthy lifestyle; teenagers should typically get at least four servings.

    8) Milk, cheese, and yogurt are three great ways to get your 3-Every-Day.

    9) Whole milk contains less than 4% fat; hence, it will not make you fat by drinking it. (I think that whole milk tastes better than other types of milk and skim milk tastes like whitish-colored water, but that is a personal opinion, and everyone is encouraged to make their own decisions. 🙂 )

    10) Soybean plants do not have mammary glands, and therefore cannot produce milk.  Soy beverages and other milk imitations do not possess the same nutrient contents and cannot effectively replace milk as part of a healthy diet.

    11) Lactose intolerance does not always mean that you can’t enjoy dairy products.  Some cheeses have low lactose contents, some dairy products come in lactose-free varieties, and lactase supplements can sometimes be used to help digest lactose.

    12) Milk is the safest food product on the market.  It is the most heavily tested product of all foods regulated by the FDA.

    13) During processing, milk is never touched by human hands.

    14) Two of the main processes that milk undergoes in the processing plant are pasteurization and homogenization.

    15) Pasteurization typically involves heating milk to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds to kill harmful bacteria.

    16) UHT (Ultra High Temperature) milk is pasteurized using a different method involving a higher temperature.  This milk has a longer shelf life and can be stored at room temperature without spoiling.

    17) Homogenization involves spinning and mixing milk at high speeds to break up solid particles and give milk its smooth, creamy texture.

    18) Milk is still safe to drink for one week after the sell-by date if handled and stored properly.  This is the date that the grocery store has to sell the milk by, not the date that it spoils.

    19) If you see the REAL seal on a product or one of the first two ingredients is “milk,” then you know it is a REAL dairy product and not an imitation.

    real

    If you’re still interested in learning more about milk, the dairy industry, agriculture, or anything else, feel free to ask me whatever questions your heart desires!  In addition, here is a link to the Perry County Dairy Promotion Facebook page that I managed last year when I was the Perry County Dairy Princess; it has plenty more information about the dairy industry and resources for you to learn more!

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perry-County-Dairy-Promotion/148035878606067?ref=hl

     

    Category Passion | Tags: ,,,,,, | 6 Comments

  6. The Days of Milking by Hand are No More: The Life of a Dairy Cow–Part #7

    October 31, 2013 by ang5294

    Greetings from the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky!

    As I sit in the hotel lobby (the only spot in the hotel where I don’t have to pay for Wi-Fi), I am ecstatic to get to tell you about the life of a mature dairy cow!

    As I mentioned last week, when a yearling heifer (a female bovine that has not yet had a calf) is about 13-14 months old, a farmer with begin breeding her.  It often will take multiple attempts (services) to get a cow or heifer bred.  Once she is pregnant, she will calve in about nine months.  Heifers will typically have their first calf when they are two years old (about 21 in people years), but some can calve as early as one year and ten months.  When a cow or heifer calves, the first milk that she produces is called colostrum.  This milk is high in nutrients and antibodies and is fed to the newborn calf.  After about three milkings (a day and a half), the level of these nutrients in the milk decreases to normal levels and the milk is then used for human consumption.

    Lactating cows are given specialized diets that are high in protein and energy (fats and carbohydrates) to help them to produce high amounts of high-quality milk.  These diets typically consist of grass, grain mixture (containing corn, soybeans, minerals, etc.), a protein blend, alfalfa hay, and corn silage (fermented corn) and/or haylage (fermented hay).

    Now that I’ve described what mature cows eat, I’ll explain how the product of that feed (milk) is extracted from the cow.  Unlike humans, a cow’s mammary system has four quarters, each one having its own teat (which is where the milk is expelled from the udder).  Although milking procedures vary from farm to farm, they are generally the same.  On my farm, the milking process begins by washing each of a cow’s teats with hot soapy water to remove dirt or manure and kill bacteria.  Then, a small amount of milk is squirted (or stripped) from each teat.  This is done to check for mastitis or any other irregularities in the milk that require special attention.  Each teat is then dipped in an iodine solution that disinfects the teats.  After waiting about thirty seconds, the iodine is wiped from the teats and the milking unit is attached to the cow.

    milking_processyhttp://classes.ansci.illinois.edu/ansc438/mastitis/milkmachine.html

    Basically, this milking unit consists of a claw (a round hollow central container that has two long hoses branching from one end and four inflations [one at each corner] on the other end), four inflations, a milk hose, and a vacuum hose with a pulsator.  The inflations are made of a rubbery material and are hollow tubes that are attached to the cow’s teats to massage the milk from them.  These inflations deposit the milk into the claw, and from there, the milk travels through the milk hose into a pipeline and eventually a refrigerated bulk tank (storage container).  A large vacuum pump creates a vacuum that is carried through a vacuum line.  When a pulsator is attached to the vacuum line, it allows the vacuum to travel through the vacuum hose on the milker, which results in the pulsing/massaging motion of the inflations.

    Inflation

    Inflation

    http://hambydairysupply.com/xcart/home.php?cat=74

    This photo shows an older style of milking parlor, but I like how it shows the entire view of the milking process. Imagine the pulsator attached to the vacuum line and the milk hose attaching to a pipeline below the overhead vacuum line instead of the buckets.

    This photo shows an older style of milking parlor, but I like how it shows the entire view of the milking process. Imagine the pulsator attached to the vacuum line and the milk hose attaching to a pipeline below the overhead vacuum line instead of the buckets.

    http://www.old-engine.com/empire.htm

    Bulk tank

    Bulk tank

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BulkMilkCoolingTankDescriptionCharriau.png

    After about five minutes (when the cow is done milking), the milking unit is removed and the teats are again dipped in iodine…and that, my friends, is how you milk a cow!

    Category Passion | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 4 Comments

  7. Custom Jewelry for Cows!: The Life of a Dairy Cow–Part #6

    October 23, 2013 by ang5294

    Welcome back, devoted readers/commenters!  Last week, we talked about how calves are raised, and this week, I’d like to describe a few more aspects of calf life and then explore the wild life of a “teenage” cow!

    This was my cow Aurora a few years ago when she was a calf! I just wanted to remind you how adorable they are! :)

    This was my cow Aurora a few years ago when she was a calf! I just wanted to remind you how adorable they are! 🙂

    One important life change that occurs during calfhood is dehorning, which is a process that removes horn buds from the calf before they can develop into actual horns.  As with any long, hard, sharp, pointy object, horns can be super dangerous to both cows and people, so farmers handle that issue before it becomes an issue.  Some calves are born “polled,” which means they are naturally hornless, so they don’t (and can’t) get dehorned.  The most common method of dehorning involves injecting a small amount of anesthetic next to the horn buds and using an iron to burn the horn buds off.  This process can be as quick as thirty seconds if the calf cooperates, and it is virtually painless.

    Dehorners are used to dehorn calves.

    Dehorners are used to dehorn calves.

    http://media.qcsupply.com/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/4/140083_2.jpg

    Identification is another important aspect of calf life.  To make things easier for the farmer and to comply with state and federal regulations, all animals need to be identified at a young age.  All dairy animals must have USDA metal ear tags (which are kind of life earrings).  These tags have a unique ID number that will be associated with a specific animal.  Many farmers choose to register their animals, which basically means that information about that animal (name, date of birth, ID, pedigree, ownership, etc.) are recorded by an official association for that animal’s breed.  These associations often require additional identification for registration.  This ID could include photographs or sketches of the animal’s spots (if it has spots), a tattoo inside the ear, or plastic ear tags.

    My Jersey (Tickle) is required to have plastic ear tags and a tattoo since she doesn't have spots.

    My Jersey (Tickle) is required to have plastic ear tags and a tattoo since she doesn’t have spots.

    This is a USDA metal ear tag.

    This is a USDA metal ear tag.

    http://mn.gov/bah/forms/tag-order-form.html

    Here's a closer view of the wide selection of plastic ear tags.

    Here’s a closer view of the wide selection of customizable plastic ear tags!

    http://mn.gov/bah/forms/tag-order-form.html

    Now that we’ve had a good overview of calfhood, it’s time for our hypothetical calf to grow up!  About three months after birth, a calf’s water and calf starter intake will increase quite a bit.  The farmer will cut back on the amount of milk replacer fed to the calf and she will eventually be weaned or taken completely off of milk replacer.  When this happens, a calf is typically moved to a group pen where she is fed calf starter and grass hay (which helps to develop the rumen).  On my farm, weaned calves just “chill out” in these group pens, eating and growing until they are about a year old.  These “yearlings” are now “teenagers” and are moved to a separate facility just for heifers.  They are still fed hay, but they are given a special heifer grain and mineral mix instead of calf starter.  The heifers also have constant access to pasture for food and exercise.  When a heifer is 13 or 14 months old, the farmer will start breeding her (which we already discussed in previous posts)!

    Next week, we will FINALLY get to talk about life as a mature cow!  I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

    Category Passion | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,, | 5 Comments

  8. “Think, Think, Think…” –Winnie the Pooh

    October 16, 2013 by ang5294

    It seems that I am, once again, in a situation where I have a general idea of what topic I want to use for an assignment (obviously, agriculture), but as far as specific subjects, I haven’t found the perfect one just yet.  I have been brainstorming general trends in agriculture and the dairy industry that have occurred over the years and, so far, this is what I have come up with:

    • huge advancements in technology (robotic milkers, artificial insemination, fancy machinery, etc.)
    • greater conscientiousness in crop management practices leading to reduced environmental impacts (no-till drilling instead of plowing, limited use of pesticides/herbicides, smarter application of manure, buffer strips, grassy waterways, wind breaks, etc.)
    • relying on genomic tests to select bulls to mate with cows instead of traditional pedigree and daughter analyses
    • accepted practice of planting genetically modified crops
    • increased sizes of farms (modern farms feed a lot more people than just the farm family)
    • decrease in the amount of farmland with an increase in efficiency and food production
    • urbanization of agriculture (farming occurring in cities or suburban areas)
    • how removed society has become from agriculture over the years and the misconceptions associated with this lack of connection
    • increased push for certified organic agricultural products
    • increased push for animal rights by activists (tied along with society’s unfamiliarity with agriculture)

     

    These are just some of the many ideas that I have pondered over the past week, but hopefully I will find the angle that I’m looking for on one of these concepts or a similar one soon.  I absolutely hate not knowing exactly what is going on, so the sooner I get this figured out, the better.  I hope that everyone else’s brainstorming process is going much better than mine!

    Category RCL | Tags: ,,,,, | 2 Comments

  9. Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk: The Life of a Dairy Cow–Part #5

    October 16, 2013 by ang5294

    Welcome back to “The Life of a Dairy Cow!”  Now that we finally have a calf “on the ground,” let’s discuss what happens to that calf to keep it cute and healthy on its journey to becoming an adult!

    Calves are typically fed twice or three times daily.  Although calf care varies from farm to farm, the protocol is generally the same.  On my farm, calves are fed colostrum (the first milk from the mother) twice daily for the first few days of life.  After that, the calf’s diet is switched to milk replacer.  Milk replacer is a special powder that is kind of like dehydrated milk created just for dairy calves.  There are many different formulas available depending on what the farmer desires for his calf program; Purina even offers a special formula just for Jersey calves to better match their unique diet requirements.  Milk replacer is mixed with warm water and fed to the calves two to three times daily.  At first, the milk replacer is fed from a bottle, but we eventually teach the calves to drink from a bucket.

    Freedom loves playing in the straw in her calf hutch!

    Freedom loves playing in the straw in her calf hutch!

    Before further describing a calf’s diet, I should probably explain how calves on my farm are housed so that everything makes more sense.  Calves are housed separately at a young age to prevent the spread of disease (they have weak immune systems) and to keep them from sucking on each other.  Although calves are housed differently on different farms, calves on my farm are housed in “hutches.”  We have two outdoor shed-like buildings on our farm that are divided into individual pens (each pen is called a “hutch”).  Each hutch door has a trough area that is divided into two sections–one to place a bucket for milk replacer or water and another for calf starter (which I will describe later).  Above the trough on the door is a hole where the calf can put its head through to eat or drink from the trough.  There is a divider in the center of this hole to prevent the calf from getting its calf starter wet (which doesn’t always work) and to make sure the calf doesn’t escape through the hole.  The hutches are bedded with straw.

    Flora Rae can't wait to get her milk replacer!

    Flora Rae can’t wait to get her milk replacer!

    Once a calf has learned to drink from a bucket, it will have access to water at all times.  About a week after birth, calves will also be given calf starter, which is a mixture of corn, other grains, minerals, and molasses (calves like sugar, too!) that helps to provide the calf with extra nutrients, especially protein that is needed for growth, and aides in rumen development (the rumen is one of a cow’s four stomach compartments). As calves get older, the amount of milk replacer, calf starter, and water that they consume will increase.  After about three months of this diet, a calf will be “weaned” or taken off of milk replacer.  Next week, you will learn about this process of weaning, as well as other aspects of calf life such as dehorning, identification, and registration, and what changes a calf will go through when she becomes a heifer (teenage cow)!

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  10. It’s a Girl! (Hopefully): The Life of a Dairy Cow–Part #4

    October 9, 2013 by ang5294

    Welcome back to “The Life of a Dairy Cow!”  Last week, we left off talking about the calving process.

    In order for calving to occur properly, the calf must be positioned forward and right-side up with both of the front legs forward.  Just like a woman giving birth, a cow will contract to help push the calf out.  Sometimes, a farmer or a veterinarian needs to help the cow by pulling on the calf (by grasping the legs), making sure that the amniotic fluid is removed from the calf’s nasal passages and mouth so that it can breathe, and making sure that the calf lands softly without injuring its head or neck.

    After all of the hard work is done, then “TADA!”  We now have a newborn calf!  If it is a girl, then she is called a “heifer.” Farmers like getting heifer calves because they can raised to be productive members of the herd.  If it is a boy (a.k.a. bull) calf, then he probably isn’t so lucky.  On many dairy farms, including mine, bull calves are sold within the first two weeks after birth to another farm where they are raised as steers.  These steers are castrated (“neutered”) male animals that will eventually be used for meat (steak, hamburgers, etc.).

    This is a picture of my calf Freya right after she was born! She is almost one month old now!

    This is a picture of my calf Freya right after she was born!   She is almost one month old now!

    Regardless of gender, all calves receive special care right after they are born.  Within the first few hours of life, a calf is fed about one gallon of colostrum (the first milk that a cow produces in her lactation).  This milk is extremely nutritious and full of antibodies that the calf needs in order to get off on a good start to life.  As you might expect, calf bottles are much bigger than baby bottles (they can hold one half gallon of milk)!

    The calf’s “navel” (umbilical cord) is dipped in an iodine solution that helps to kill bacteria and prevent infections.  Some farmers also give young calves “boluses” (really big pills) as a nutrient supplement.  These boluses are administered orally using a “balling gun.”  The boluses are placed inside the “barrel” and after the barrel is positioned in the upper region of the esophagus, the farmer squeezes the “trigger,” which releases the boluses.  Small plastic balling guns are used on calves, while larger metal ones are used on cows.

    This plastic balling gun would be used on calves.

    This plastic balling gun would be used on calves.

    http://www.enasco.com/c/farmandranch/Veterinary+Supplies/Balling+Guns/

    Metal balling guns are used on fully-grown cows.

    Metal balling guns are used on fully-grown cows.

    http://www.agri-pro.com/products/index.cfm?multibolus_balling_gun&show=product&productid=270783

    Calves are not the only ones to receive special attention after the calving process.  The farmer will make sure that the cow has plenty of access to warm water and is not injured or stressed.  Cows are typically given calcium and vitamin boluses after calving to help them regain energy and prevent them from getting sick.  If a cow does not “clean” (expel the placenta–afterbirth), then the farmer will place uterine boluses into her reproductive tract (this does not involve a balling gun) to help the placenta release itself from the uterine wall and fight infection.

    Next week, we will learn about the fun, exciting, and cute life of a dairy calf!

     

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