C.R.E.A.M. Moos-Letter

Transcription

1 February 2016 C.R.E.A.M. Moos-Letter Spring has sprung at the UNH Cream Herd! Jon Whitehouse The Manager and Backbone of the Fairchild Dairy Center By Shelby Biasini 1. What was the highlight of your college career? Being in the Α Γ Ρ fraternity because that is where I met my wife and I made many connections to help with my career in the dairy industry. 2. How did you find your job at the Fairchild Dairy? I worked at the UNH Ritzman Nutrition Barn during school and in my senior year the assistant manager position opened up. I started there the day after graduation and a couple of years later I became the manager. In 1989, we moved into the Fairchild Dairy Research Center and I became the manager. 3. What are the best and worst parts about your job? The best is working with the cows and making connections with the people in the industry. The worst are the UNH politics, scheduling of chores and the ever-changing student workers. 4. What do you like to do in your spare time? Spend time with my family, repair things around the house and attend beer fests. 5. If you were not a dairy farm manager, what would you be? AI technician or truck driver in the agriculture industry. 6. Is there anything you particularly like about working with the CREAM class? Even though you guys can be frustrating, I really enjoy educating the class and learning about your backgrounds and future plans. 7. If there was one piece of advice you could offer to us CREAM ers, what would it be? Be kind, help each other and be responsible. It will help you in the future.

2 Raw Milk By Moriah Leary What is raw milk? It is milk that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. It may contain: Escheri coli, Mycobacterium bovis (bovine tuberculosis), Brucella sp., (brucellosis), Salmonella sp., and Listeria. Less than 1% of milk sold in the U.S. is raw milk. What is pasteurization? It is a process in which milk is heated to 161 o F for 15 seconds to kill any dangerous bacteria. It was developed in 1864 and first used in the US in 1890s. It was invented during a time when millions of people were getting sick and dying of disease. Started becoming widespread during 1950s. Does not affect the nutritional value of the milk. The process isn't perfect and bacteria can still get introduced into dairy products after pasteurization. How does milk get contaminated? Unsanitary milking and/or processing equipment. Spread of bacteria from other animals in the herd. Carried by humans through poor biosecurity practices Conclusions about drinking raw milk: Advocates for raw milk claim that it may contain beneficial or pro-biotic organisms. However, there are no proven extra health benefits of consuming raw milk when compared to ingestion of pasteurized milk. 2

3 C.R.E.A.M. Moos-letter February 2016 Student Artwork Corner! Drawings done by Alison Jeffrey Welcome C.R.E.A.M. s Newest Heifer Hestia! Hestia: 889 About Hestia: She loves warm Name Origin: Hestia is the Greek Goddess of the hearth and the milk, kisses, and making fellow CREAMer Paige chase her around the calf room. home. Her mother s name, Henrietta, means the hearth and the home. Birthdate: February 4, 2016 at 10pm. Zodiac Sign: Aquarius. Hestia is intelligent, independent, and stubborn. Daughter to: 719 Henrietta Granddaughter to: 536 Humble Fun Fact: Henrietta and Hestia have matching facial marks! 3

4 Red and White Holsteins By Ashley Destremps Ashley and her CREAM cow Pooh Bear! The family of cows in the CREAM string from the Hundred Acre Woods, Pooh Bear (404), Eeyore (725), and Tigger (761), not only stand out for their individual personalities, but also for their unique red and white color. Where exactly did this red color come from? Colored cattle were first seen in records in the early 13 th century from Central Europe. During this time, colors other than black and white were not accepted into the Holstein herd book. There were only a handful of carriers identified from the 1800s-1900s, which were from importations. In 1952, a sire in AI (artificial insemination) was a carrier of the red gene, and a third of Holstein inseminations utilized this redcarrier bull, although this was frowned upon. The calves that were born red and white were removed from the herd, and the farmers hoped that the dam would not have another red calf. Elisabeth and her CREAM cow Eeyore! Eventually, in 1970, they were fully accepted into the American herd book. The first recorded red and white Holsteins in the United States totaled to 1403 red and white cattle (212 males, 1191 females). Three of the biggest names of sires that passed the red gene in the U.S. were Rosafe Citation R, Roeland Reflection Sovereign, and Chambric A B C. From here on, the red gene became an interest of many farmers, and many red and white Holsteins became part of elite herds. Moriah and her CREAM cow Tigger! 4

5 Get to Know Our Officers Interviewed by Courtney Gould Peyton Waddicor- President Hometown: Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Major: Biomedical Science Why CREAM? I had heard about CREAM in high school and knew that if I came to UNH I wanted to be a part of it. Previous Cow Experience: My cow experience comes from showing Holsteins for my 4H club in high school and working at Fairchild dairy. Favorite Part of CREAM: My favorite part of CREAM so far is our committees. I like seeing everyone working in small groups and seeing the changes we decide on being implemented throughout the semester. Goals: I hope to gain more knowledge about the dairy industry from CREAM! I would like to go to vet school or grad school after UNH. Other Activities: Also I am the UNH Pre-Vet club Vice President and a new member of the Dairy Club, I am also a research worker and part of a research team at the Fairchild dairy barn. Ali Durkin- Vice President Hometown: I m from Bedford, NH. Major: I'm a biomedical science major. Why CREAM? I applied to CREAM because I love the cows so much and love the opportunity to work with them for class credit. Previous Cow Experience: The only cow experience I have is working at the Fairchild barn since the summer after my freshman year. Favorite Part of CREAM: My favorite part has been getting to know all my classmates better and going on fun outings. Goals: I am hoping to go to vet school. Other Activities: I'm also part of Pre-Vet Club and I work at the Office of Multicultural Students Affairs as a Safe Zones Student Coordinator. 5

6 Kira Rasmussen- Office Manager Hometown: Stow, MA. Major: Animal Science major on the Pre-Vet track with the intent to go to Vet school. Why CREAM? I applied to CREAM because when I was in high school I learned about the program and it was the deciding factor for me coming to UNH. I wanted to be able to learn how to manage and work with a dairy herd since I only had previous experience working with horses and smaller farm animals. Previous Cow Experience: The only cow experience I had going into CREAM was the two classes (Dairy Disease and Dairy Selection) I took with Professor Drew Conroy my freshman year. Favorite Part of CREAM: My favorite part of CREAM so far is definitely milking the cows during the early 4:15AM shift! I just really love being able to wake up early like I used to do with my horses that I used to take care of. Goals: I hope to gain a better understanding of what it takes to manage a dairy herd and learn more about the dairy industry as a whole. I intend to go to vet school. Other Activities: I am on both the Rugby and Fencing teams, I take part in Pre-Vet club, I am an active sister in Sigma Alpha and I work at the UNH diagnostic lab. Chandler Stevens- Secretary Hometown: Charlton, MA Major: Dairy management. Why CREAM? I applied to CREAM because I wanted to participate in managing a herd of cows rather than just learning about it in classes with textbooks. It is also a required course for my major. Previous Cow Experience: I grew up showing cows in 4-H and I have my own herd of registered Ayrshires. Favorite Part of CREAM: My favorite part of CREAM is being able to work with so many different people all with different backgrounds, experience, and personalities. Goals: I hope to gain more experience working with different types of people and more knowledge of different practices on a dairy farm. I would like to go home to farm and teach elementary school (I m pursuing my masters in elementary education). Other Activities: I am the Heifer Sale Chair for the UNH Dairy Club and I am in Sigma Alpha. I also work at Great Bay Farm for a T School Graduate, Al Smith, in Greenland, NH. 6

7 Laminitis By Morgan Lazar Laminitis, and lameness in general, is a common problem that arises in dairy cattle. However, causes of it are poorly understood. Laminitis is an inflammation of the corium (laminae), which are tissues between the hoof and the pedal bone. Trauma, infection, toxins, poor nutrition or metabolic disorders can cause laminitis. Acidosis may be a potential metabolic disorder that leads to laminitis. This can occur with an improper diet or if a cow sorts feed. Feed sorting can lead to an increase in soluble carbohydrate and starch intake, and a lower fiber intake. This alteration can lead to a shift in the rumen microflora to lactic acid producing species. If lactic acid builds up in the rumen, the ph will drop and will likely decrease rumination and cud chewing, leading to rumen acidosis. This spikes vasoactive exotoxins and histamine, triggering an inflammatory response. Constriction of blood vessels causes pressure in the capillaries, forcing fluid into the interstitial spaces. The lack of blood flow, and nutrients, leads to dysfunction and eventual death of the corium tissue. Vessel compression while walking on concrete can also lead to additional trauma. There are four forms of laminitis: subclinical, subacute, acute and chronic. The clinical signs of subacute laminitis are identified as mild lameness, shifting from foot to foot, walking on eggshells and a warm hoof. The clinical signs of acute laminitis are a red, swollen coronary band, sole hemorrhages and severe lameness. The clinical signs of chronic laminitis are changes in the hoof wall over time, especially characteristic horizontal ridges. In most cases, the animal can recover if clinical signs are recognized early in the disease course and the underlying issues are addressed in a timely manner. There is no single cure-all treatment for laminitis. Often, one can manage the inflammatory changes and treat the secondary problems that arise, such as a sole ulcer. Methods to prevent the development of further foot lesions include: a properly balanced diet during all stages of lactation, trimming the claws and cleaning and debriding of the hoof. Sometimes bandaging and blocking claws is necessary, typically in more severe cases.