Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:We have reached organic dairy farmers and organic dairy industry representatives across the Upper Midwest region. We delivered a successful organic field day in August 2017 at the West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN that provided information on evaluating grazing pasture systems. Through this project we reached over 1,000 organic dairy farmers, and we have affected over 10,000 acres of organic pasture land through farmers incorporating warm season annuals and grazing management practices researched through this project. The field days were conducted for organic dairy producers, extension educators, organic industry and NRCS personnel. We educated 20 undergraduate college students through internships that focused on organic pasture management, fly control, and animal health at the WCROC. The project also educated and trained 8 graduate students with this project. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has trained organic dairy producers on the use of summer annuals in a grazing system, control of mastitis on organic farms, and evaluated the profitiability of outwintering and of grazing systems. Through the project over 1,500 extension educators and organic industry representatives were informned on organic dairy management practices at field days and conferences. We provided many education seminars to farmers,extension educators, and organic industry representatives. Five graduate students have completed Master's degrees during the project period. These degrees include the outwintering and fly control method objectives, and economics. We have trainted 20+undergraduate students on how to conduct research and outreach in an organic situation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Throughout the project period, we offered6 organic dairy days at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center to provide farmers and other industry personnel tools for improving the profitablity of organic dairy farms. Additionally, over 50 smaller tours and one-on-one tours with organic dairy producers were provided.We also had organic field days on cooperating organic farms that showcased rotational grazing systems, and over 250 people have attended the field days on cooperating organic farms. Over 2,000 people haveattended presentations related to the objective research in the project. Over 975 views have been recorded on the eOrganic webinar that was conducted by Brad Heins on Grazing Systems and Forage Quality of Grasses for Organic Dairy Production on February 11, 2016. Over 1,400 views have been recorded on the eOrganic webinar that was conducted by Brad Heins and Roger Moon on Unique Fly Control Methods for Organic Dairy Production conducted on March 24, 2016. Over 500 views have been recorded on the eOrganic webinar that was conducted by Brad Heinson Considerations for Out-Wintering the Organic Dairy Herd conducted on November 21, 2014. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Comparing Diverse Pasture Systems:The objective of this study was to compare warm season annual grasses to cool season perennial pasture for ruminal nutrient digestibility and nitrogen synthesis in a dual-flow continuous culture rumen fermentation system. Dietary treatments were: 1) alfalfa, 2) cool season perennial pasture (CSP), 3) brown midrib sorghum-sudangrass (BMRSS), and 4) teff grass from the organic dairy production system at the University of Minnesota organic dairy in Morris, MN. Treatments were randomly assigned to fermenters with 7 d of diet adaptation and 3 d of data and sample collection. Fermenter samples were collected on day 8, 9, and 10 for analysis of pH, NH3-N, and VFAs. Apparent dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber digestibility were lower in pasture grasses (49.8%, 33.3%, 58.4%, and 60.8%, respectively) compared with alfalfa (69.4%, 54.1%, 75.5%, and 75.5%, respectively). True dry matter and organic matter digestibility were lower for pasture grasses (65.4% and 47.2%, respectively) compared with alfalfa (85.8% and 69.2%, respectively). Fermenter pH and total volatile fatty acids were not affected by forage. Ammonia N concentrations were highest with alfalfa compared with the other pasture grasses. Crude protein degradation was not affected by forage treatment. Flow of NH3-N was greatest for alfalfa, reflecting the greatest NH3-N concentration. Flow of total N was greatest for alfalfa, lowest for CSP and BMRSS, and intermediate for teff. Flows of bacterial N, efficiency of bacterial N, non-NH3-N, and dietary N were not affected by forage treatment. Overall, fermentation of warm season grasses was similar to the CSP, indicating the potential for successful use of warm season grasses in grazing systems for dairy cows.The PROC MIXED of SAS was used for statistical analysis, and independent variables were fixed effects of system (1; perennialor 2;perennial/annual), forage (perennial grass, BMRSS or teff) nested within system, year (2014 or 2015), system nested within year, and week nested within system, with replicate group nested within system as a random effect with repeated measures. System 1 and system 2 cows had similar milk production (14.7 and 14.8 kg/d), fat percentage (3.92% vs. 3.80%), protein percentage (3.21% vs. 3.17%), MUN (12.5 and 11.5 mg/dl), and SCS (4.05 and 4.07), respectively. For yearly effects, milk production was greater in 2015 compared to 2014 (15.6 vs 13.9 kg/d. The BW (485 and 497 kg) and BCS (3.10 and 3.06) were similar for system 1 and 2, respectively. Cows in system 1 had greater daily rumination (530 min/d) compared to cows in system 2 (470 min/d). In summary, warm season annual foragemay be incorporated into grazing systems for organic dairy cattle while maintaining milk production and quality. Outwintering economics:Certified-organic cows (n = 268), according to the USDA-National Organic Program rules, were used to evaluate the profitability of two winter housing systems (December to April). Cows were assigned to two treatments (two replicates per group): 1) outdoor (straw pack, n = 140) or 2) indoor (3-sided compost-bedded pack barn, n =128). There were 21, 22, or 27 cows per replicate per year for the outdoor housing and 20, 21, or 22 cows per replicate per year for the indoor housing. Cows calved during two seasons (spring or fall) at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, Minnesota, organic dairy. Organic wheat straw was used as bedding for the 2 outdoor bedded packs, which were 12 m wide by 27 m long. The straw packs were maintained by farm management to keep cows dry and absorb manure throughout the winter. The open-front compost-bedded pack barn (2 pens in the barn) was bedded with organic approved sawdust, and the bedding material was stirred twice per day with a small chisel plow. Cows were fed a TMR that included organic corn silage, alfalfa silage, corn, expelled soybean meal, vitamins and minerals. Daily feed consumption by each replicated group was monitored as the difference between feed offered and refused. Milk production was quantified with monthly DHI measures of milk, fat, protein, SCC, and milk urea nitrogen. Costs for key inputs and the price received for milk were monitored over the study period and averaged for use in the profitability analysis. The 'lsmeans' package from the R software system was used for statistical analysis. Independent variables were fixed effects of year and housing system, with replicate as a random effect. Milk production, milk revenue, DMI, and feed cost were not different for the outdoor and indoor housing systems. Labor cost and bedding cost were significantly lower and net return was significantly higher for the outdoor housing system. In summary, the outdoor straw pack system has a $1.42/cow/day net return advantage over indoor compost bedded pack barn system. Effect of Drying-off Method on the Udder Health in Organic Dairy Farms:The use of antibiotics, including dry cow therapy, is prohibited in organic livestock production in the United States. Therefore, alternative management practices that maintain udder health need to be identified. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of abrupt or intermittent cessation of milking at dry-off on the cure of intramammary infections (IMI) throughout the dry period. Cows from one large organic dairy herd were assigned to either treatment by stratified randomization one week prior to dry-off. Cows assigned for intermittent milking were milked once daily for four days before dry-off,while cows assigned for abrupt milking were milked twice daily until dry-off. Aseptic quarter milk samples were collected at dry-off and at calving from all cows for subsequent bacteriological culture. A quarter was considered cured, when pathogen identified at dry-off could not be recovered from the same quarter at calving. A multilevel mixed logistic regression model that included cow as random effect was used to investigate the association between cure of IMI and dry-off method. A total of 159 cows (372 quarters) with IMI at dry-off and complete records were available for analysis. The prevalence of major and minor pathogens was 32% and 68% at dry-off, respectively. The mean of cumulative milk yield over the last four days of lactation was 31.5±2.2 kg and 18.8±1.4 kg for abrupt and intermittent cessation, respectively. While the dry-off method was not associated with the cure rate of IMI over the dry period, infection type at dry-off, parity, and SCC prior to dry off was associated with cure. Infections at dry-off caused by minor pathogens were more likely to cure (OR: 0.42, 95%CL: 0.24-0.70) compared to major pathogens. In conclusion, although intermittent milking reduced milk production during the last four days of lactation prior to dry-off, it had no effect on curing the probability of IMI during the dry period.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sjostrom, L.S., B.J. Heins, M.I. Endres, R.D. Moon, and J.C. Paulson. 2016. Short communication: Relationship of activity and rumination to abundance of pest flies among organically certified cows fed 3 levels of concentrate. Journal of Dairy Science 99:99429948. doi:10.3168/jds.2016-11038.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Activity and rumination in an organic vs. a conventional grazing herd.
GM Pereira, BJ Heins, MI Endres.
Journal of Animal Science 94, 618-619
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Milk production, rumination, and body condition score of organic dairy cattle grazing two pasture systems incorporating warm and cool season forages.
KE Ruh, BJ Heins, J Paulson
Journal of Animal Science 94, 316-316
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Evaluation of five cool season grasses and alfalfa-grass mixtures.
J Paulson, D Holen, D Nicolai, BJ Heins
Journal of Animal Science 94, 686-686
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Utilizing Forages for Dairy Production. Albert Lea Seed House Annual Open House. November, 17,2017. Albert Lea Seed House. Albert Lea, Minnesota.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Brad Heins and Kathryn Ruh. Forage Quality and Milk Production of Grazing Organic Dairy Cattle. In Proc. 2016 Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop. November 9-10, 2016. Grantville, PA. pg. 95-98
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Brad Heins. Production, Economics, and Pest Management Strategies of Organic Grain Supplementation for Organic Dairy Cows. In Proc. 2016 Penn State Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop. November 9-10, 2016. Grantville, PA. pg. 113-120
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Brad Heins. 2016. Effects of Flies on Dairy Cattle Welfare and Productivity. In Proc. Minnesota Nutrition Conference, Shakopee, MN. September 21-22, 2016. pp 107-108
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
2016 Organic Dairy Research. NC-2042 Meeting. Fairlee, Vermont
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Sjostrom, Lucas. (2015). Alternative Housing and Management for Organic Dairy Production. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/178916.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Kienitz, Myrrh-Anna. (2016). Calf and Fly Management Options for Organic Dairies. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/181798.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Ruh, Kathryn. (2017). Comparison Of Two Different Grazing Systems Incorporating Cool And Warm Season Forages For Organic Dairy Cattle. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/185550.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
B. Heins. Effects of flies on dairy cattle welfare and productivity. Progessive Dairyman. https://www.progressivedairy.com/topics/herd-health/effects-of-flies-on-dairy-cattle-welfare-and-productivity
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Brad Heins. A NEW HORIZON: The Advancement of Organic Farming. Renaissance Nutrition Conference. January 24, 2017. Altoona, PA
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
B. Heins. Alternative Management Strategies for Dairy Cattle Production. Minnesota DHIA Meeting. February 16, 2017. Detroit Lakes, MN
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
K.E. Ruh, B. J. Heins, I.J. Salfer, R. Gardner, M.D. Stern. 2017. Dual-flow continuous culture fermentation of organic BMR sorghum-sudangrass and teff grass to determine digestibility of forages in an organic dairy grazing system. Abstract 77. 2017 ADSA Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
M. J. Kienitz, B. J. Heins, and R. D. Moon. 2018. Evaluation of a Commercial Vacuum Fly Trap for Controlling Flies on Organic Dairy Farms. Journal of Dairy Science
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
K.E. Ruh, B. J. Heins, I.J. Salfer, R. Gardner, M.D. Stern. 2018.Dual flow continuous culture fermentation of organic BMR sorghum-sudangrass and teff grass to determine digestibility of forages in an organic dairy grazing system. Journal of Dairy Science
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kienitz, M, B. J. Heins, and R. D. Moon. 2018. Evaluation of a Commercial Vacuum Fly Trap for Controlling Flies on Organic Dairy Farms. J. Dairy Sci.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Pereira, G.M., B.J. Heins, and M.I. Endres. 2017. Technical note: Validation of an ear-tag accelerometer sensor to determine rumination, eating, and activity behaviors of grazing dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science. doi:10.3168/jds.2016-12534.
|
Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:We have reached organic dairy farmers and organic dairy industry representatives across the Upper Midwest region. We have delivered an a successful organic field day at the West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN that provided information and a tour on evaluating grazing pasture systems, as well as dicussing animal health alternatives with dairy producers. We were able to reach many new and beginning organic farmers through our workshops, field days, and conference presentations. The field days were conducted for organic dairy producers, extension educators, organic industry and NRCS personnel. We have also educated organic farmers at ten conferences about summer grazing systems and organic fly management. Furthermore, we are educating undergraduate college students through internships that focus on organic pasture management at the WCROC. We have also educated and trained graduate students with this project and two students successfully defended their Master's Thesis (one on fly control in ourwintering systems and the other was evalauting fly control methods on organic dairy farms). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has trained organic dairy producers on the use of summer annuals in a grazing system, control of mastitis on organic farms, and with the CowVac,walk-thru fly trap. Many extension educators and organic industry representatives were informned on organic dairymanagement practices at field days and conferences. We provided many education seminars to farmers,extesnion educators, and organic industry representatives. Three graduate students have completed Master's degrees during the project period. These degrees include the outwintering and fly control method objectives.We havetrainted 6 undergraduate students on how toconduct research and outreach in an organic situation. We also provided educational opportunitiesthrough two eOrganic webinars. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to offer an organic dairy day at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Centerto provide farmers and other industry personnel toolsto for improving the profitablity of organic dairy farms. We also had organic field days on cooperating organic farms that showcased the CowVac Over 75 people attended the field day at the University of Minnesota and over 250people have attended the field days on cooperating organic farms.Over 1,000 people haveattended presentations related to the objective research in the project. Over 275 views have been recorded on the eOrganicwebinar that was conducted by Brad Heins on Grazing Systems and Forage Quality of Grasses for Organic Dairy Production on February 11, 2016. Over 400views have been recorded on the eOrganicwebinar that was conducted by Brad Heins and Roger Moon on Unique Fly Control Methods for Organic Dairy Production conducted on March 24, 2016. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The investigators on the project will meet this winter to review the objectives and accomplishments of the project. We will continue to work collaboratively to meet the project objectives. The analysis of data for the udder healthobjective will continue during the next year. We will continue to work on manuscripts for the study and submit them to appropriate peer reviewed journals. The last year of the project will focus on economic analysis of objectives and completion of udder health studies. Two master's degree students will defend their thesis on the summer annual grazing study and the economic analysis of outwintering and pasture systems.Information will continue to be disseminated at workshops, conferences, field days, and scientific conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Comparing Diverse Pasture Systems: For our study, ninety organic dairy cows were used in a study to compare two different pasture systems at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, MN. The first system (cool system) included a diverse mix of cool season perennial grasses and legumes such as perennial ryegrass, white clover, red clover, chicory, meadow bromegrass, orchardgrass, meadow fescue, and alfalfa. The second pasture system (warm system) was a combination of the cool season perennial mixtures and warm season annuals BMR sorghum sudangrass and teff grass. Perennial pastures were established in 2012. Warm season annuals BMR sorghum sudangrass and teff grass were planted in individual paddocks during the third week of May of each year. Forage samples were collected daily throughout the grazing seasons of 2013-2015. Dry matter was analyzed immediately after sample collection. Forage samples were tested at Rock River Labs in Watertown, WI for the forage quality characteristics neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total tract NDF digestibility (TTNDFD), crude protein (CP), and mineral content. Holstein and crossbred dairy cows were blocked by breed, parity, days in milk, and randomly assigned to one of two systems. Cows were moved to a new paddock every two days, were supplemented 5 lb. of corn per day, and provided with free-choice mineral in pasture. Milk production data was collected daily. Fat, protein, MUN, and SCC were from monthly DHI testing. Body weight was recorded on cows using a digital scale as cows exited the milking parlor approximately once every 2 weeks during lactations, and BCS was measured at the same time as BW on a 1 to 5 scale in increments of 0.25, with 1 = excessively thin, and 5 = excessively. Across the grazing season, spring pasture dry matter fluctuated across the grazing season and was higher during August and October compared to the early part of the grazing season (June and July). Seasonal average crude protein concentrations were greater for the perennial pastures in the fall; however, the warm season grasses were greater for crude protein during July at the time of first grazing.Forage quality was similar between cool season perennial pasture grasses and the warm season species evaluated in this study. Cool season pasture had higher average crude protein (23.0%) than the warm season grasses, but BMR sorghum sudangrass and teff grass still had adequate levels of protein for lactating cow diets (18.5 and 17.5%, respectively). Dry matter was higher in cool season pasture (23%) and teff grass (24%) than BMR sorghum sudangrass (20%). TTNDFD was similar between all types of forage. The mineral composition varied between the different grasses. There were no differences in milk production, components or quality between cows grazing only cool season pastures and cows in a system that incorporated warm season annuals. Average milk production was 32.3 lb for the cool system and 32.5 lb for the warm system. There was also no difference in body condition score, body weight, or activity between systems. Cows on cool season grasses did have higher daily rumination than cows in the warm season system. Cows in both systems follow similar trends in production including decreased production during times of high temperature and humidity. In 2015, cows in the warm system achieved higher production than cows in the cool system during July and August. In the first year of the study, cows in the cool season system needed to be supplemented with stored feed in a TMR due to a shortage of forage biomass in pasture, while cows in the system incorporating warm season grasses were still able to graze. The following year there were no difference between pasture systems. Fly Control Methods for Organic Dairies: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a commercial vacuum fly trap (TRAP; CowVac, Spalding Laboratories, Reno, NV) in on-farm organic dairy production systems to control horn flies, stable flies, and face flies.This study was conducted at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) and 7 other organic dairy farms during the summer of 2015 in Minnesota. The study period was from June 4 to September 30, 2015.The organic dairy farms utilized in this study spanned from Southeast, to Central, to Northwestern Minnesota, and ranged in herd size from 30 to 350 cows. The WCROC organic dairy herd had 130 milking cows. All herds had cows that were of numerous breeds of cattle and consisted of pure Holstein, pure Jersey and crossbreds of Holstein and Jersey, and European dairy breeds. The 8 herds averaged in milk production from 7 to 23 kg per cow per day. Six herds milked cows in a milking parlor twice daily; however, 2 herds had a Lely Robotic Milking system (Lely, Maassluis, the Netherlands).The farms were divided into pairs by location in Minnesota and during the first period of the summer (June 4 to July 18) the TRAP was set up on one farm and during the second period of the summer (July 20 to September 30) the TRAP was sent to its paired farm. The time between July 18th and July 20th was the time the TRAP were moved to the other four farms. The two treatments were operated in a crossover design among farms and months (June, July, August, and September), such that each farm received both treatments (TRAP or no TRAP) within the summer.Farms were visited once per week to collect flies from the TRAP, as well as count and record horn flies, stable flies, and face flies on cows. Farms that did not have TRAPS were also visited to count and record fly numbers. Numbers of flies on cows in each herd were counted by trained observers once per week during the 2015 grazing season. Additionally, bulk tank production records (milk, fat percentage, protein percentage, and SCC), along with weekly cow numbers on farm were collected from each of the eight organic dairy farms. Daily milk production was calculated as total bulk tank production divided by the average cow numbers on farm.For analysis of data, fly numbers and milk production were averaged for each period (with or without TRAP) for each farm. Log transformations of fly counts were used as needed to satisfy analytical assumptions of equal variance and normal distribution in errors. Fly population growth rate was the slope of a linear line for the average individual weekly observation of fly numbers on cows for the period with and without the TRAP. The slope of the lines were analyzed for the horn fly, stable fly, and face fly and compared between the two periods. Horn fly numbers on cows were reduced by 44% on farm in the presence of a TRAP (11.4 vs. 20.5 flies/side) compared to the absence of a TRAP. Stable fly (5.4 vs. 7.1 fly/leg) and face fly (1.0 vs. 1.0 fly/cow) numbers were similar on farm whether the TRAP was present or absent on farms, respectively. Milk production was similar for farms with the TRAP (15.5 kg/d) compared to without (15.3 kg/d) the TRAP. Both bulk tank milk and milk components were statistically similar in the presence and absence of the TRAP, so benefits of the TRAP were too small to measure. The presence of a TRAP on farm reduced horn fly population growth rates (-1.01 vs. 1.00 flies/d) compared to the absence of a TRAP. Cows on farms with no housing (100% pasture) tended to have reduced horn fly numbers (11.7 vs. 28.3 flies/side) in the presence of a TRAP compared to the absence of a TRAP on farm. Cows on farms with housing had similar horn fly numbers (11.2 vs. 14.8 flies/side) in the presence of a TRAP compared to the absence of a TRAP on farm. In summary, these results indicate the TRAP was effective in reducing horn fly numbers on cows and reduced horn fly growth rates during the pasture season in organic dairy production systems but benefits in improved milk production were not evident.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sorge, U.S., R. Moon, L.J. Wolff, L. Michels, S. Schroth, D.F. Kelton, and B. Heins. 2016. Management practices on organic and conventional dairy herds in Minnesota. Journal of Dairy Science. 99:31833192. doi:10.3168/jds.2015-10193.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
L. S. Sjostrom, B. J. Heins, M. I. Endres, R.D. Moon, and J. C. Paulson. 2016. Short communication: Relationship of activity and rumination to abundance of pest flies among organically certified cows fed three levels of concentrate. Journal of Dairy Science. Vol 99
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
B.J. Heins. Organic Dairy Research. NC-2042 Meeting. Barcelona, Spain
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
B.J. Heins. Organic Dairy Research. Scientific Colloquium: Dairy Production. Barcelona, Spain. October 21, 2015
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
B. J. Heins. Dairy Research West Central Research and Outreach Center. Presentation to Morris Kiwanis Club. November 2, 2015.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
B. J. Heins. Practical Information on Dairy Precision Technologies Real World Examples Uses and Shortcomings. 49th Annual North Dakota State Dairy Convention. Mandan, ND. November 3, 2015
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Lachnicht-Wyers, S. and B. Heins. Productivity and Nutrient Cycling Comparisons of Perennial and Annual Forage Systems for Organic Dairy. Abstract 292-6. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meetings, Minneapolis, MN November 2015.
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, B. Are Organic Dairy Farms Profitable and Viable?. Novmember, 2015. http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/organic/are-organic-farms-profitable-viable/
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hansen, Anna. (2015). Stable Flies, Winter Bedding, and Summer Dairy Cow Comfort. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/177039.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Eorganic webinar. Grazing Systems and Forage Quality of Grasses for Organic Dairy Production. February 11, 2016. http://articles.extension.org/pages/73357/grazing-systems-and-forage-quality-of-grasses-for-organic-dairy-production-webinar-by-eorganic
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Eorganic Webinar. Unique Fly Control Methods for Organic Dairy Production. March 24, 2016. http://articles.extension.org/pages/73359/unique-fly-control-methods-for-organic-dairy-production-webinar-by-eorganic
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
B. Heins, Forage quality of cover crops and other dairy grazing research from University of Minnesota. Grassworks Grazing Conference. January 2016
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Ruh, Kathryn and Brad Heins. 2016. Study looks at impact of warm season annual grasses for grazing organic dairy cows. Organic Broadcaster. May/June 2016. page9,16
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
B.J. Heins. Organic pasture versus conventional dairying is there a difference in sustainability? Journal of Animal Science Suppl 2 94 (April 2016) Abstract 67
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Myrrh-Anna Kienitz, Bradley Heins, Roger Moon. Evaluation of the CowVac for Controlling Flies on Minnesota Organic Dairy Farms MOSES Organic Conference Research Poster Session February 2016
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Kathryn Ruh, Brad Heins, and James Paulson. Forage quality of two different pasture systems incorporating warm and cool season forages for grazing organic dairy cattle. MOSES Organic Conference Research Poster Session February 2016
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Bradley. J. Heins, Glenda M. Pereira, Marcia I. Endres. 2016. Rumination sensors in an organic grazing system. Conference on Precision Dairy Farming. Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. June 2016
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Brad Heins and Kathryn Ruh. 2016. Forage Quality of Two Different Pasture Systems Incorporating Warm and Cool Season Forages for Grazing Organic Dairy Cattle. In Proc. Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Workshop. Dubuque, IA June 2016 Page 55-59.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Kienitz, M and Brad Heins. Evaluation of the CowVac for controlling flies on Minnesota organic dairy farms. Abstract 1237 JAM 2016. Salt Lake City Utah.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Ruh, K., B. Heins, and J. Paulson. 2016. Forage quality of two different pasture systems incorporating warm and cool season forages for grazing organic dairy cattle. Abstract 634 JAM 2016. Salt Lake City Utah.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, Brad. Considerations for Out-Wintering the Dairy Herd. WCROC News. November, 2015
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sjostrom, Lucas. (2015). Alternative Housing and Management for Organic Dairy Production. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/178916.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Kienitz, Myrrh-Anna. (2016). Calf and Fly Management Options for Organic Dairies. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/181798.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Ruh, K., B. Heins, and J. Paulson. 2016. Milk production, rumination and body condition score of organic dairy cattle grazing two pasture systems incorporating warm and cool season forages. Abstract 661 JAM 2016. Salt Lake City Utah.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Pereira, G., B. Heins, M. Endres. 2016. Activity and rumination in an organic vs. a conventional grazing herd. Abstract 1282 JAM 2016. Salt Lake City Utah.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
A. Hansen. Production of stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) from straw bedding packs and sawdust compost barns, two alternative cold winter housing systems for dairy cows. Moses Organic Conference. February 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
B. Heins. Organic Dairy Nutrition with Grazing. MOSES Organic Conference. February 2016
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
B. Heins. Development, Challenges, and Practical Implications of Organic Dairy Systems. 2016 Oberweiss Dairy Meeting. February 23, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
B. Heins. Fly Control and its Effect on Milk Production. 2016 McIntosh Dairy Days. McIntosh, MN
|
Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:We have reached organic dairy farmers and organic dairy industry representatives across the Upper Midwest region. We have delivered an a successful organic field day at the West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN that provided information and a tour on evaluating cow health and mastitis, and comparing cows grazing 2 pasture systems. We also offerd 2 field days at organic dairy farms participating in the research project. We showcase the CowVac and organic fly control methods on these farms. One farm also showcased the BMR sorghum-sudangrass grazing project and offered suggestions to others on grazing warm season grasses.? The field days wereconducted fororganic dairy producers, extension educators, organic industry and NRCS personnel. We have also educated organic farmers at fifteen conferences about summer grazing systems and organic fly management. Furthermore, we are educating undergraduate college studens through internships that focus on organic pasture management and organic fly control at the WCROC. We have also educated and trained graduate students with this project and one successfully defended a thesis on the outwintering project. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has trained organic dairy producers on the use of summer annuals in a grazing systemandwith the CowVac, walk-thru fly trap. Many extension educators and NRCS personnelwere informned on organic dairy managementpractices at field days and conferences. We provided many education seminars to farmers, extesnion educators, and organicindustry representatives. We are training 3 graduate students and have trainted 12 undergraduate students on how to conductresearch and outreach in an organic situation. One graduate student has defended a masters thesis with the outwintering objectives of the project. We also provided educational opportunities through eOrganic with an outwintering webinar. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We continue to offer an organic dairy day at the University of Minnesota to provide farmers and other industry personnel tools to for improving the profitablity of organic dairy farms. Over 200 people have attended the field day. Over 1,000 people have attended presentations related to the objective research in the project. Over 250 views have been recorded on the eOrganic webinar that was conducted by Brad Heins on outwintering dairy cattle on November 20, 2014. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The investigators on the project will meet this winter to review the objectives and accomplishments of the project. We will continue to work collaboratively to meet the project objectives. The assesment of and data collection for the udder health objective will continue during the next year. The the walk-thru fly traps objectives will be completed and analysis will be conducted. Two master's degree students will defend their thesis on the CowVac study and summer annual grazing study. A student will be identified for theecnomic analysis for the outwintering objective. The udder health objectives will be continuted and data collected will be completed.Information will continue to bedisseminated at workshops, conferences, field days, and scientific conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Outwintering:Certified-organic cows (n = 165), according to the USDA-National Organic Program rules, were used to evaluate the effect of two winter housing systems (December to April) on production, SCS, body weight, and BCS. Bedding cultures from the housing systems were also evaluated. Cows were assigned to two treatments (two replicates per group): 1) outdoor (straw pack, n = 81) or 2) indoor (3-sided compost-bedded pack barn, n =84). There were 21 cows per replicate per year for the outdoor housing and 21 and 20 cows per replicate per year for the indoor housing. Cows calved during two seasons (spring or fall) at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, Minnesota, organic dairy. Organic wheat straw was used as bedding for the 2 outdoor bedded packs, which were 12 m wide by 27 m long, and maintained by farm management to keep cows dry and absorb manure throughout the winter. The open-front compost-bedded pack barn (2 pens in the barn) was bedded with organic approved sawdust, and the bedding material was stirred twice per day with a small chisel plow. Cows were fed a TMR that included organic corn silage, alfalfa silage, corn, expelled soybean meal, vitamins and minerals. Milk, fat and protein production and SCS were recorded from monthly DHIA testing. Body weight and BCS were recorded bi-weekly as cows exited the milking parlor. The PROC MIXED of SAS was used for statistical analysis, and independent variables were fixed effects of year, season of calving, parity, housing system, with replicate and cow as a random effect. Energy-corrected milk and SCS was not different for the outdoor (15.3 kg/d, 2.88) and indoor (15.9 kg/d, 2.75) housing systems, respectively. In addition, outdoor and indoor housing systems were not different for body weight (537 vs. 542 kg) and BCS (3.25 vs. 3.28), respectively. Daily DMI was 18.8 kg/d for the outdoor cows and 19.1 kg/d for indoor cows. The total bacteria count tended to be lower in the outdoor (13.0 log10 CFU/ml) compared to the indoor (14.9 l log10 CFU/ml) system. In summary, cows housed outdoors on straw-bedded packs did not differ from cows housed in an indoor compost-bedded pack barn for production and SCS, as well as body weight, BCS, or DMI. Certified-organic cows (n = 82) were used to evaluate the effect of two winter housing systems (December 2013 to April 2014) on hygiene scores, frostbite, teat condition, clinical mastitis, and activity and rumination. Cows were assigned to two treatments (two replicates per group): 1) outdoor (straw pack, n = 39) or 2) indoor (3-sided compost-bedded pack barn, n =43). There were 20 and 19 cows per replicate for the outdoor housing and 22 and 21 cows per replicate for the indoor housing. Cows calved during two seasons (spring or fall) at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, Minnesota, organic dairy. Organic wheat straw was used as bedding for the 2 outdoor bedded packs and were maintained by farm management to keep cows dry and absorb manure throughout the winter. The open-front compost-bedded pack barn (2 pens in the barn) was bedded with organic approved sawdust, and the bedding material was stirred twice per day with a small chisel plow. Hygiene scores were recorded bi-weekly as cows exited the milking parlor. Incidence of clinical mastitis was recorded in a binary manner as treated (1) or not treated (0) during a lactation. Frostbite incidence was collected monthly. Activity and rumination time (daily and 2-h periods) were monitored electronically using HR-LD Tags from SCR Dairy. Indoor cows had greater udder hygiene scores (1.7 vs. 1.5) and greater abdomen hygiene scores (1.9 vs. 1.6) compared with outdoor cows. Incidence of clinical mastitis was greater for indoor cows compared with outdoor cows (29.8% vs. 12.8%, respectively). Frostbite incidence was not different between indoor (34.3%) and outdoor (21.1%) cows. Daily rumination was 477 min/d for indoor cows and 508 min/d for the outdoor cows. In summary, cows housed outdoors on straw-bedded packs had cleaner udders and improved udder health compared with indoor cows Comparing Diverse Pasture Systems:Two pasture systems (cool and warm season grass species) with enhanced in-field and landscape level species diversity were analyzed for forage quality characteristics across the grazing season at the West Central Outreach and Research Center organic dairy in Morris, MN for two years. System 1 was a diverse-mixture of cool season grasses and legumes (perennial ryegrass, white clover, red clover, chicory, orchardgrass, meadow bromegrass, alfalfa, meadow fescue). System 2 was a combination of perennial polycultures and annual-warm season grasses (BMR sorghum-sudangrass and teff grass). Grazing of lactating cows was initiated when forages were 20-30 cm tall and strip size was adjusted to leave 7-13 cm of refusals. Random samples of pasture forage were sampled every other day when a group of cows moved to a new paddock. Pasture clippings were randomly collected in a 0.76 m2 square of pasture. Forage samples were sent to Rock River Laboratory, Inc., Watertown, WI and were analyzed with NIR spectrophotometry for DM, CP, and total tract NDF digestibility (TTNDFD). Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Independent variables for analyses were the fixed effects of system (cool (1) or cool-warm (2)), month (May to October), forage (grass pasture, turnips, BMR sorghum-sudangrass or teff), year (2013 or 2014) and their interactions, and date of harvest was a random variable. The DM averaged 20.7% and 21.2% for systems 1 and 2, respectively (P=0.75). The CP was 21.2% and 18.3% for systems 1 and 2, respectively (P<0.05). The CP for system 1 averaged 19.9% in 2013 and 22.5% in 2014 (P<0.01). The CP for system 2 averaged 16.1% in 2013 and 20.4% in 2014 (P<0.01). The TTNDFD averaged 69.9% and 53.1% for system 1 and system 2, respectively (P<0.01). The TTNDFD was 78.1% in 2013 and 61.7% in 2014 for cool-season grasses, and 59.8% in 2013 and 46.4% in 2014 for warm season grasses (P<0.0001). In summary, CP and TTNDFD were greater in cool-season pasture systems; however, DM did not differ between pasture systems. Yearly effects and weather may affect forage quality in both pasture production systems. ?Fly control methods:Stable flies,Stomoxys calcitrans(L.), are pests of dairy cows and other large livestock, developing as maggots in soiled bedding and other decaying organic material. We asked how debris from two different winter housing systems, outdoor straw bedding packs and covered sawdust compost barns, might compare as habitat for stable flies the following summer. Compared to compost bedding, we expected straw pile debris to be a better substrate, resulting in more and larger flies.In winters of 2013 and 2014, independently managed herds of 21-22 cows from the certified organic dairy herd at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris were housed from November to May in replicated winter housing systems. After transfer to summer pasture, emergence traps were placed on debris piles to quantify stable fly emergence and fly size. Alsynite® sticky traps were placed adjacent to the piles to measure fly abundance, and flies were measured and dissected to assess size and female gonotrophic age. During peak emergence of both years, traps indicated straw piles produced significantly more flies (46-fold more in 2013) than compost piles (p < 2.2e-16). Adults from both sources were equal in size. Nearby sticky traps showed adults were equally abundant around both types of piles, and 57% of females captured at both types of piles were previtellogenic, indicating they emerged locally. Our results show that compost packs may help control fly numbers in summer, and straw piles present a serious fly production liability if not disposed of properly
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
B. J. Heins and H. Chester-Jones. 2015. Effect of feeding kelp on growth and profitability of group-fed calves in an organic production system. Professional Animal Scientist 31:368-374
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Sorge, U.S., R.D. Moon, B. Stromberg, S. Schroth, L. Michels, L. Wolff, D. Kelton, and B. Heins. 2015. Parasites and parasite management practices of organic and conventional dairy herds in Minnesota. J. Dairy Sci. 98:3143-3151
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sorge, U. S., Moon, R. D., Wolff, L., Michels, L., .Schroth, S., Kelton, D., and B. Heins. 2015. Management Practices on Organic and Conventional Dairy Herds in Minnesota. J. Dairy Sci. 98:
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sjostrom,L. S, B. J. Heins, M. I. Endres, R.D. Moon, and J. C. Paulson. 2016. Short communication: Effect of organic grain supplementation on activity and rumination time and pasture fly activity of organic dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 99:
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sjostrom,L. S, B. J. Heins, M. I. Endres, R.D. Moon, and U. S. Sorge. 2016. Evaluation of winter housing systems for effects on hygiene, udder health, frostbite and rumination of organic dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 99:
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Sjostrom,L. S, B. J. Heins, M. I. Endres, R.D. Moon, and U. S. Sorge. 2016. EEvaluation of winter housing systems for effects on production, body weight, BCS, and bedding cultures of organic dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 99:
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Lucas Sjostrom. 2016. Alternative Housing and Management for Organic Dairy Production. University of Minnesota.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2015. Organic Dairy Research News. University of Minnesota. June 2015. pp 1-4
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2015. Plan your forage supply for summer grazing. http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/forages/plan-your-forage-supply-for-summer-grazing/index.html April 11, 2015
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2015. Rumination sensors in a grazing system. http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/precision-dairy/rumination-sensors-in-a-grazing-system/index.html February 14, 2015
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2015. Sorghum-Sudangrass and Teff as summer forages for livestock systems. http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/forages/variety-selection-and-genetics/sorghum-sudangrass-teff-summer-forage/ UMN Forage Quarterly, January, 2015
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2014. Considerations for out-wintering the dairy herd. http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/facilities/considerations-for-out-wintering-the-dairy-herd/index.html December 13, 2014
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, B. 2015. Bridge seasonal changes in pasture quality. Hoards Dairyman. March 25, 2015. p. 215
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, B. J. 2014. Bridging the summer slump with warm season grasses and seasonal changes in forage quality of pastures. In: Proc. 75th Minnesota Nutrition Conference. Prior Lake, Minnesota, September 17-18, 2014, p. 178-179
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Sorge, U. and B. Heins. 2015. Health and disease on organic dairy farms. OARS Symposium Conference Poster, LaCrosse, WI, February, 26 February 28, 2015.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Heins, B. J., A. R. Hazel, and L. B. Hansen. 2015. Fertility and production of 3-breed and third-generation Holstein-sired crossbreds compared with pure Holstein cows in a seasonal pasture production system. J. Dairy Sci. 98 (Suppl. 2). Abstract. 376
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Ruh, K. E., Heins, B. J., and J. C. Paulson. 2015. Forage quality of two different pasture systems incorporating warm and cool season forages for grazing organic dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 98 (Suppl. 2). Abstract. M119
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Sjostrom, L. S., Heins, B. J., M. I. Endres, R. D. Moon, and U. S. Sorge. 2015. Evaluation of winter housing systems for effects on production, udder health, BCS, hygiene, frostbite, and rumination of organic dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 98 (Suppl. 2). Abstract. 695
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Hansen, A., R. Moon, B. Heins, M. Endres, C. Sheaffer, U. Sorge, R. King, and S. Weyers. 2014. Production of stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) from wheat straw bedding packs and sawdust compost barns, two alternative cold winter housing systems for dairy cows Entomological Society of America, 11-14, November, Portland, O
|
Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: We have reached organic dairy farmers and organic dairy industry representatives across the Upper Midwest region. We have delivered an organic field day at the West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN that provided information and a tour on organic fly control methods, evaluating cow health and mastitis, and comparing cows grazing 2 pasture systems. The filed day was conducted fororganic dairy producers, extension educators, organic industry and NRCS personnel. We have also educated organic farmers at fifteen conferences about summer grazing systems and organic fly management. Furthermore, we are educating undergraduate college studens through internships that focus on organic pasture management and organic fly control at the WCROC. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project has trained organic dairy producers on the use of summer annuals in a grazing system. We have also provided training opportunities with the walk-thru fly traps. Many extension educators were informned on organic dairy management practices at field days and conferences. We provided many education seminars to farmers, extesnion educators, and organic industry representatives. We are training 3 graduate students and have trainted 8 undergraduate students on how to conduct research and outreach in an organic situation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We continue to offer an organic dairy day at the University of Minnesota to provide farmers and other industry personnel tools to for improving the profitablity of organic dairy farms. Over 200 people have attended the field day. Over 1,000 people have attended presentations related to the objective research in the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The investigators on the project will meet this winter to review the objectives and accomplishments of the project. We will continue to work collaboratively to meet the project objectives. The assesment of and data collection for the udder health objective will continue during the next year. The the outwintering and walk-thru fly traps objectives will complete another year of data. We will move to on-farm experiments with grazing and fly control methods based on results of the first years of the project. The ecnomic analysis will be in the later part of the year for the outwintering objective. Information will continue to be disseminated at workshops, conferences, field days, and scientific conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Outwintering: Out-wintering continues to increase in popularity, and our stakeholders identified the economics of housing systems as an important research topic. In particular, they asked if out-wintered dairy cattle will stay healthy and comfortable. If so, out-wintering could reduce winter housing costs. We recently completed the first-two years of a three-year study to develop practical strategies for organic dairy producers to enhance the profitability of their farm by evaluating two winter housing systems and their effects on economics of organic dairy cows. Organic dairy cows at the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN, that calved during fall and spring calving seasons were used to evaluate production, somatic cell score, dry matter intake, animal hygiene, and behavior of organic dairy cattle housed outdoors on a straw pack or indoors in a compost bedded pack barn. During the two years, 165 lactating Holstein and crossbred organic dairy cattle were assigned to a winter housing system (straw pack or compost-bedded pack barn). Organic wheat straw was used as bedding for the outdoor straw packs, which were 40 feet wide by 80 feet long, and maintained to keep cows dry and absorb manure throughout the winter. The open-front compost-bedded pack barn (2 pens in the barn) was bedded with sawdust, and the bedding material was stirred twice per day with a small chisel plow. Cows were fed a TMR that included organic corn silage, alfalfa silage, corn, expelled soybean meal, vitamins and minerals.The straw pack cows had similar milk, fat, and protein production than the compost bedded pack cows. Surprisingly, there were no differences in production between the two winter housing groups of organic cows for milk production or somatic cell score. The groups of cows also had similar dry matter intake, indicating that the cows that were housed on straw packs did not require more feed than cows housed in the compost bedded pack barn. However, cows consumed about 25% more dry matter intake during the winter of 2014 compared to the winter of 2013. The average temperature during the winter months was about 7 degrees colder during 2014 than 2013. Across the two winter seasons, there were no differences for body weight or body condition score for organic cows. For animal cleanliness, the cows housed on straw packs had udders that were cleaner than cows housed in compost bedded packs (udder hygiene score of 1.45 versus 1.73). We saw no difference in rumination time for cows housed outdoors or indoors. In future years, we will focus on the profitability of the two winter housing systems for organic dairy cattle. Economically, animals outdoors may require about 15 to 20% more feed for the season than animals kept in confinement housing, so improvements in animal health and welfare from out-wintering will need to exceed increased feed costs if out-wintering is to be a profitable option. There are several obvious benefits to out-wintering; building costs are lower, diseases associated with close confinement and poor ventilation are avoided, animals are generally cleaner, bedding costs could be reduced, feeding may be simplified, and herd size may be adjusted if weather conditions change quickly. There are five key messages to consider when considering outwintering, 1) provide adequate wind protection, 2) additional feed may be required for cows and heifers, 3) lactating cow teats should be dry before they leave the milking facility during cold weather, 4) health problems tend to be fewer than cows housed indoors or in confinement facilities, and 5) housing under the stars may not be for everyone Comparing Diverse Pasture Systems:During the summer of 2013, we planted two summer annuals for grazing for the first time at the University of Minnesota WCROC dairy in Morris. BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass and Teff grass were planted to extend our forage supply. These grasses were seeded with a drill on May 28, 2013. BMR Sorghum-Sudangrass has increased in popularity due to the BMR gene and increased NDF digestibility (5-10% higher than regular sorghum-sudangrass). For seeding rate, we seeded BMR sorghum sudangrass in our fields and pastures at 20 lbs/acre. The cool-season species consist of mixtures of smooth bromegrass, orchardgrass, red and white clover, and alfalfa. The dry matter of the sorghum-sudangrass was low because the cattle grazed the fresh forage in the early vegetative state. The summer annuals were not as high in crude protein as the cool-season grasses. However, with lower crude proteins, we probably improved nitrogen utilization of the milking herd. The ADF values of the grasses were very similar and are within the range of low 30's to mid-50's. All of these grass species were high in digestibility. The NDF levels were higher for the summer annual grasses compared to cool-season species. However, the total tract NDFD (TTNDFD) was lowest for the teff grass. TTNDFD is a measure of how much fiber is digestible, how fast the fiber digests, and how long a cow holds the fiber in the digestive system. The summer annuals were similar to the cool-season grasses for sugar and non-fiber carbohydrates, and they provided similar net energy for lactation and milk per ton as the cool season grasses. Activity and rumination monitoring of cows on pasture: So far, we've gathered over 1,00,000+ data points. Activity and rumination is typically observed in two hour time blocks. In our dairy herd, activity and rumination patterns mirror each other; at night, the activity is low and rumination is high and vice versa during the day. Activity is at the highest in the evening (4:00-8:00pm), which is mainly because the cows are walking to and from the milking parlor. On average, our cows are ruminating 490 minutes per day, which is typical of most dairy cows.Beginning in May of 2014, our HR Tag readings showed high activity levels due to the cows moving out to pasture. Once the cows were moved closer to the milking parlor in June, activity levels decreased due to the cows close proximity to the parlor. On June 15, the cows moved to pastures farther from the barn, and thus activity increased again. Cows grazed sorghum-sudangrass for the first time on July 17, and the activity spiked remarkably. In the future, we will be evaluating other activity and rumination systems for cows, and hope to provide valuable information to dairy producers that install these activity and rumination monitoring systems. Fly control methods: Stable flies bite cattle and cause economic losses for organic dairy farmers. This study was designed to better understand stable fly production potential of different bedding materials and winter housing systems. Four herds of 21-22 cows were randomly assigned to one of two replicate outdoor straw bedding packs or one of two replicate indoor sawdust compost bedding pack barns. After cows were transferred to pasture May 28th, 2013, we sampled the remaining straw and compost packs with fly emergence traps to measure numbers of stable flies produced by the packs. Flies were emerging when we began sampling on June 14th, 2013. Emergence rates peaked in late June, continued through July and declined to zero in August. Extrapolated totals indicated that approximately 1.5 million stable flies emerged from the average straw pack, as opposed to 27,000 from the average compost pack (a 98% reduction). These results show that stable fly prevention is a previously unrecognized benefit of compost barns for housing organic cattle in winter. In contrast, undisturbed straw bedding packs can produce enormous numbers of stable flies, beginning in spring and continuing into summer.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
3. Heins, Brad. 2014. Crossbreeding implications for dairy cow fertility and survival http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/reproduction-and-genetics/crossbreeding-implications-for-dairy-cow-fertility-and-survival/ April 26, 2014
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
4. Heins, Brad. 2014. Plan now for summer forages and grazing.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/organic/plan-now-for-summer-forages-and-grazing/ February 8, 2014
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2013. Supplementation for the grazing cow. http://www1.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/organic/supplementation-for-the-grazing-cow/index.html December 7, 2013
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, B. 2014. Crossbreeding in dairy cows. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements Animal Husbandry Alliance Newsletter, September 2014. Vol. 4. p.16
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, B. 2014. Less organic grain equals more profit. Hoards Dairyman. June 2014. p. 400
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2014. Sorghum-Sudangrass and Teff as Summer Forages for Livestock Systems. University of Minnesota, West Central News, May 28, 2014
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2014. Using Summer Annuals as Forages for Livestock Systems. Midwest Forage Association Forage Focus, March, 2014, p 10.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2014. Winter housing systems for organic dairy cows. 2014 Morris SunTribune Farm Progress Supplement, March 8, 2014
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2014. Supplementation for the grazing cow. 2014 Morris SunTribune Farm Progress Supplement, March 8, 2014, pp
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2014. Using summer annuals as forages for livestock systems. 2014 Morris SunTribune Farm Progress Supplement, March 8, 2014
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2014. Winter housing systems for organic dairy cows. University of Minnesota, West Central News, February 19, 2014
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2013. Supplementation strategies for organic dairy herds. Graze. October 1, 2013
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Heins, Brad. 2013. The cows are talking to us 24 hours a day! Are we listening? 2013. University of Minnesota, West Central News, September 4, 2013.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Heins, B. J. 2013. Organic dairy cattle management and nutrition. In: Proc. 74th Minnesota Nutrition Conference. Prior Lake, Minnesota, September 17-18, 2013, p. 178-179
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, B., M. Endres, R. Moon, and J. Paulson 2014. Effect of organic grain supplementation on production, fatty acid profiles, and profitability of organic dairy cows. MOSES Organic Conference Poster, LaCrosse, WI, February, 27 March 1, 2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Hansen, A., R. Moon, B. Heins, M. Endres, C. Sheaffer, U. Sorge, R. King, and S. Weyers. 2014. Stable fly production from spring debris leftover from different organic dairy cow winter housing systems. MOSES Organic Conference Poster, LaCrosse, WI, February, 27 March 1, 2014.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, B. 2014. The cows talking to us 24 hours a day! Are we listening? Morris Sun Tribune. February 22, 2014.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
R. Moon, B. Heins, M. Endres, and J. Paulson. 2014. Grain supplements for grazing organic cattle could increase face fly and horn fly populations. MOSES Organic Conference Poster, LaCrosse, WI, February, 27 March 1, 2014.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Sjostrom, L. and B. Heins. 2014. Evaluation of different winter housing systems for effects of animal health and economics of organic dairy cows. MOSES Organic Conference Poster, LaCrosse, WI, February, 27 March 1, 2014.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Paulson, J.C., B. J. Heins and D.G. Johnson. 2014. Seasonal changes in DM, CP, NDF, and NDF digestibility of pasture forage in dairy grazing production systems in Minnesota. J. Dairy Sci. 97 (E-Suppl. 1):159. Abstract 321.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Sjostrom, L. S., B. J. Heins, M. I. Endres, R.D. Moon, J.C. Paulson. 2014. Effect of organic grain supplementation on activity and rumination time of organic dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 97 (E-Suppl. 1):281. Abstract 560.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
6. Sjostrom, L. S., B. J. Heins, M. I. Endres, R.D. Moon, U. S. Sorge. 2014. Effect of two winter housing systems on production, body weight, somatic cell count, BCS, and dry matter intake of organic dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 97 (E-Suppl. 1):295. Abstract 588
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Moon, R. D., M. I. Endres, and B. J. Heins. 2013. Do grain supplements for grazing cattle affect face fly and horn fly populations? Entomological Society of America, 10-13, November, Austin, TX
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Heins, B. Bridging the summer slump with warm season grasses and seasonal
changes in forage quality of pasture.2014 75th Minnesota Nutrition Conf.,
Prior Lake, MN
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
B. Heins, WCROC Organic Dairy Projects. 2014 WCROC Organic Dairy Day, Morris, MN, 8/12/2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
B. Heins. 2014.Transitioning an organic herd to be a grass milk herd
Organic Valley Gen-O Regional Gathering, Goodhue, MN, 7/11/2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
B. Heins. 2014. Improving the nutritional value of organic milk
Organic Valley Annual Meeting Workshop, LaCrosse, WI, 4/2/2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
B. Heins. 2014. Using summer annuals in dairy production systems
McIntosh Dairy Day, McIntosh, MN, 3/20/2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
B. Heins. 2014. Crossbreeding dairy cattle for improved milk production on organic dairy farms. INPACQ Lait Biologique, Princeville, Quebec, Canada, 2/6/2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
B. Heins. 2014. The economic benefits of grain supplementation in a dairy production system. River Country RC & D Grazing Conference, Eau Claire, WI, 3/14/2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
B.Heins and K. Soder. 2014. Supplementation for the grazing cow: corn and alternatives. Grassworks Grazing Conference, Wausau, WI, 1/17/2014
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
B. Heins. 2013. Organic Dairy Cattle Nutrition and Management. 74th Minnesota
Nutrition Conference, Prior Lake, MN, 9/18/2013
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Sorge, U. S., Moon, R. D., Stromberg, B., Schroth, S., Michels, L., Wolff, L., Kelton, D., and B. Heins. 2015. Parasites and Parasite Management Practices of Organic and Conventional Dairy Herds in Minnesota. J. Dairy Sci. 97: (accepted)
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Buckley, F., N. Lopez-Villalobos, B. J. Heins. 2014. Crossbreeding: implications for dairy cow fertility and survival. Animal. 8:122-133
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Progress 09/01/12 to 08/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: We have reached organic dairy farmers and organic dairy industry representatives across the Upper Midwest region. We have delivered an organic field day at the West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN that provided information and a tour on summer annual (BMR sorghum-sudangrass and teff grass) grazing to organic dairy producers, industry and NRCS personnel. We have also educated organic farmers at various conferences about summer grazing systems and organic fly management. A undergraduate student internship was provided for the summer to collect grazing and forage qualtiy data for the grazing systems objective Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The project has trained organic dairy producers on the use of summer annuals in a grazing system. We have also provided training opportunities with the walk-thru fly traps. We are also training 2 graduate students and 3 undergraduate students on how to conduct research and outreach. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We initiated an organic dairy day at the University of Minnesota to provide farmers and other industry personnel tools to adapt summer annuals to their grazing system. Over 85 people attended the field day. Over 500 people have attended presentations related to the objective research in the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The project team leaders and farmers have met and will continue to work together to accomplish the objective of the project. The assesment of udder health objective will begin during the next year, and the outwintering and walk-thru fly traps objectives will complete another year of data. Research grazing plots will be established on cooperating farms. Information will continue to be disseminated at workshops, conferences, field days, and scientific conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The winter housing systems project was inititated at the West Centreal Research and Outreach Center. We have collected daily milk production and cattle health treatments. We have collected bedding samples from the outdoor straw packs, as well as the sawdust bedding samples from the compost barn. Currently a graduate student is analyzing the first year data from the study, and a second year of the study will begin in December 2013. An Entomolgoy graduate student has collected data of emerging stable flies from each the compost barn and straw packs across the summer of 2013. Thirty fly emergenec traps were placed on the replicated winter housing systems, with 120 traps in total. Once per week all flies were collected and counted from the emergence traps. The data is currently being analyzed for daily catch rate of stable flies. During the summer of 2013, the walk-thru fly trap experiement was established at the West Central Research and Outreach Center. A latin suqare trial was established to test the Bruce walk-thru fly trap compared to the CowVac for capture rate of horn flies on organic dairy cattle. Four replicate groups of cows were moved through each trap on chosen test dates throughout the grazing season. On the test days, horn flies were netted from cows, subdivided into quarters, dusted with a fluorescent powder, and released back onto the four subsets of cows. Each group walk through the one trap or the other. Percent removal rate of horn flies for each trap will be calculated, and the study will be repeated during the summer of 2014. During May 2013, all organic grazing cattle were fitted with the SCR activity and rumination collar system. The system is establishing baseline activity and rumination for each individual cow, and data will be analyzed during December 2013 to determine the how grazing affects activity and rumination behavior of cattle. An organic dairy day in August 2013 delivered education materials to organic dairy producers and industry representatives information about grazing summer annuals, horn fly management with walk-thru fly traps, and activity and rumination monitoring systems.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
3. Heins, B. J. and J. C. Paulson. 2013. Estimating pasture forage mass for pasture-based dairy production systems with precision dairy technology. In: Proc. Precision Dairy Conference and Exp. Rochester, Minnesota, June 26-27, 2013, p. 139-140
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
3. Heins, Brad. 2013. Estimating pasture forage mass for pasture-based dairies. http://www1.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/grazing-systems/estimating-pasture-forage-mass-for-pasture-based-dairies/index.html July 27, 2013
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