The Milk Producer - September 2010 - (Page 38)

APPLIEDSCIENCE By Débora Santschi, Daniel Lefebvre, Roger Cue, Christiane Girard and Doris Pellerin Short and sweet Under Canada’s supply management system, many dairy producers can pencil out to a better bottom line with a reduced dry period average calving interval is 19 days lower, dropping to 387 from 406 days. Number of breedings per cow per year remains constant, and yearly veterinary costs increase by $1.52 per cow. This amount was calculated by evaluating the difference in treatment and veterinary intervention costs according to disorder incidences for both dry periods. Replacement rate is 1.5 percentage points lower with shorter dry period management: 26.3 per cent for conventional dry periods and 24.8 per cent for short dry periods. Increased feed costs Cows milked for an extra month before dry-off increases butterfat yields. A long with realizing other benefits, many dairy herds can improve their bottom lines by shortening their dry period. Research has already shown a short dry period management strategy yields additional milk and facilitates transition between lactations with no major negative effects on health and reproduction. Using the partial budgeting method, we have calculated how a short dry period management strategy can have an overall positive economic impact. Variables in our calculations included feed, veterinary and treatment costs, reproduction, replacement and quota. We based our calculations on data drawn from 13 commercial Holstein herds studied for two years to compare the effects of conventional and shorter dry periods (see Applied Science, July 2010 issue). An average herd, based on those data, had 70 cows—38 per cent in first lactation, 25 per cent in second lactation and 37 per cent in third or greater lactation—and 68.5 kilograms of available quota. Results comparing conventional and short dry period management strategies are shown in Table 1 on page 40. They differ slightly from the numbers presented in the July article because they are now presented on a yearly rather than on a lactation basis. Feed costs are $203 per cow per year higher with a 35-day dry period management compared to conventional management. Cows managed with a short dry period are fed end-of-lactation and pre-calving rations for a longer time period. These cows don’t receive the less expensive far-off ration. Higher production revenues Milking cows for an additional month at the end of lactation increases yearly milk production by 591 litres per cow, yielding 28 kg more butterfat and 24 kg more protein. The extra milk’s economic value is almost $500 per cow per year higher. Minor health and reproduction variations Two scenarios For our average herd, switching to short from conventional dry period management reduces dry period length to 37 from 65 days. Cows are milked for an additional 28 days at the end of lactation. Due to small reproductive performance improvements associated with short dry period management, In our Canadian supply management system, a higher butterfat yield means our herd needs fewer cows to fill the same amount of fat-based quota, or needs more quota to cover the increased production. We analysed both scenarios. Scenario 1: Keep same amount of quota, sell cows If our herd keeps the same amount of 38 | September 2010 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - September 2010

The Milk Producer - September 2010
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Provincial Perspectives
Dairy Update
Farm Finance
DFC Promotion
Cover Story: The Real Deal
Dairy History
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Markets
New N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - September 2010