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East Central adds three board East Central adds three board members from Accelerated GeneticsWhen Select Sires Inc. joined forces with Accelerated Genetics July 1, 2017, the East Central/Select Sires Board of Directors was fortunate to gain three, new board members: Scott Dahlk, Verona; Krista Dolan, Dodgeville; and Kenneth Levzow, Rio. In order to provide our customers with information about each board member, one of our summer interns spent some time with them late this summer and learned how each farm incorporates the cooperative they represent into daily farm operations.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in animal science, Scott Dahlk started working in the feed business and proudly served in the U.S. Army for six years. In 2002, he started working at Doerfer Brothers, Inc., Verona, as the dairy manager, where he still resides with his wife, Terrissa, and three children: Travis, Jessica, and Garrett.

Dahlk manages the commercial herd of 600 milking cows, 400 steers, and young stock less than fi ve months of age. The cows are bred by Jason Goke and genetic

By Jessica Steger, Communication Intern

consultation is provided by Dane Thompson -- both new to East Central/Select Sires with the Accelerated Genetics partnership. Dahlk likes to select bulls for SCR, DPR, feet and legs, udders, and stature. He likes to see a middle-of-the-road-sized cow in the herd. Reproduction is also a priority for Dahlk. Scott explains, “Getting them bred is harder than milking them.” He is currently working with Brian Kelroy, East Central/Select Sires dairy program manager, to increase the pregnancy rate of the herd to 25 percent before setting any additional goals.

The heifers are sent to a heifer grower at fi ve months of age, and they return around 30-45 days before calving. The heifers are bred by Bob Boatman, East Central/Select

TPI changes for Holsteins ... 2

It pays to spend money lowering your

cell count ... 4-5

The biggest reproductive failure many

farms face ... 6

October, 2017

continued on page 3

Brian Kelroy, East Central/Select Sires dairy program manager, left, and Kristen Broege, right, East Central/Select Sires

summer intern, visit with Scott Dahlk, second from right, and Jason Goke, East Central/Select Sires A.I. technician, about

the farm’s genetic progress.

Page 2

How does the Holstein breed’s TPI change affect you?The August, 2017, proofs saw index changes by the Holstein Association USA to total performance index (TPI), udder composite (UDC), and foot and leg composite (FLC). The goal of the changes were to help dairy farmers who use the TPI formula as a selection index to breed a more profi table herd of cows. The changes incorporate new genetic traits, control body size in Holsteins, and change the weightings of existing traits to refl ect the changing economics of milk production. Let’s take a closer look at these changes.

Changes in TPIThe previous TPI formula was weighted: 46 percent production, 28 percent health and fertility, and 26 percent conformation. The new TPI formula is also weighted: 46 percent production, 28 percent health and fertility, and 26 percent conformation. As you can see, the weightings on the three major categories did not change, but what compromises those categories changed signifi cantly.

Production: 46 percent of the new TPI formulaProduction Trait

2015 TPI Formula

2017 TPI Formula

Milk yield 0 0Fat yield 16 17Protien yield 27 21Feed effi ciency 3 8

The major change within the production category was the increased emphasis on feed effi ciency. Feed effi ciency is the net profi t a farmer receives from an increase in production. The goal of increasing feed effi ciency is to continually improve production without increasing the size/body weight of the Holstein breed.

The other major change was shifting emphasis from protein to butterfat. This more appropriately represents how producers are being paid for their milk.

Health and fi tness: 28 percent of the new TPI formulaHealth and Fitness Trait

2015 TPI Formula

2017 TPI Formula

Productive life (PL) 7 4Livability (LIV) 0 3Somatic cell score (SCS)

-5 -5

Fertility index (FI) 13 13Daughter calving ease (DCE)

-2 -2

Daughter still birth (DSB) -1 -1

The only shift in the health and fi tness category was the addition of the new trait, livability (LIV). Livability is the measure of the percent of animals that stay alive in the herd until they are culled. By adding LIV, producers should expect lower death loss on the farm and increase economics by having more cows leave the herd as culls.

Conformation: 26 percent of the new TPI formulaConformation Trait

2015 TPI Formula

2017 TPI Formula

PTAT 8 8Dairy form -1 -1Udder composite 11 11Feet and leg composite

6 6

On paper, it looks like confi rmation did not change. However, there was a dramatic shift in how UDC and FLC are calculated.

For years, UDC and FLC were directly correlated to stature. Because of this correlation, if you selected bulls with high UDC and FLC, it meant your cows got taller. This was not a desired goal for many producers, since studies show increased stature in the Holstein breed leads to decreased fertility, productive life, and somatic cell score.

With the August 2017 changes to UDC and FLC, stature now has a negative weight in the composite, which removes the bias of stature on these composite indexes. Now, if you select for UDC or FLC, you will be selecting for cows that are stature neutral.

New udder composite

Udder TraitPrevious Weight

August 2017

Adjusted Weight

Fore udder 16 13Rear udder height 16 19Rear udder width 12 16Udder cleft 9 7Udder depth 35 17Front teat placement 5 3Rear teat placement 7 4Teat length 0 4Stature 0 -17

The dramatic shift to eliminate the infl uence of stature on UDC was accomplished by decreasing the emphasis on udder depth. Previously, when two cows with the same udder capacity were evaluated, the taller cow would receive a higher udder score due to the appearance of having a shallower udder.

Additionally, more emphasis was placed on teat length. This addresses the growing concern amongst many breeders that teat length in the Holstein breed is trending too short.

New foot and leg composite

Foot and Leg TraitPrevious Weight

August 2017

Adjusted Weight

Foot angle 24 8Rear legs rear view 19 18Rear legs side view 8 0Foot and leg score 50 58Stature 0 17

Similar to UDC, the adjusted FLC also added a negative weight on stature to make it stature neutral. This was put into place to allow you to select for bulls with a positive FLC and not inadvertently select for a taller Holstein, as well.

New traits are constantly added and adjusted for the TPI formula. At times it seems there’s too much data to sort through when it comes to selecting bulls. This is why East Central/Select Sires has a team of genetic consultants to help guide you in your bull selection and genetic goals. Contact your local representative, and let East Central/Select Sires help increase the profi tability of your herd through our superior genetic offerings!

By Jerome Meyer, General Manager

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Sires A.I. technician, using similar bulls to the milking herd. The heifers are bred using sexed semen on the fi rst service, and for some of the higher-quality heifers, on the second service, as well. Dahlk recognizes the great genetic potential in his heifers and sees a great value in using sexed semen.

Dahlk and his team at Doerfer Brothers, Inc. like to help fresh cows get off to the best start using Tri-Start and Bovikalc® as needed. However, most of the products Dahlk gets from East Central are for the calves. He uses the 24-20 Calf accelerator milk replacer because it’s an all-milk product. Before he used the Accelerated Genetics-branded milk replacer, he supplemented their milk replacer with Tri-Mic WD and Mos, key ingredients in his current milk replacer. He also feeds calves using the calf accelerator, 19-percent calf starter, and uses AccelLyte and First Day Formula® CR Deluxe.

Dahlk’s favorite products from Accelerated Genetics are the Calf-Tel® pens. He uses them to get the newborn calves started before moving them to group housing with an auto feeder. “They’re easy to clean and move, and they’re sturdy and thick.”

Scott previously served on the Accelerated Genetics Board of Directors for three years, and he served as the chair for the last year. Scott now serves on the Select Sires Inc. board and spoke on behalf of Accelerated Genetics at the national sales conference in early September. He also remains in his position on the World Wide Sires Board of Directors. Scott looks forward to working with the new teams: “This is a challenging and good experience.”

Krista Dolan owns and operates Dolan Farms LLC with her husband, Ryan, and his parents, Paul and Mary. Krista and Ryan also like to get their sons, Kaleb and Gage, involved with taking care of the farm which sits on 850 acres. Everyone has their own job on the farm to keep the operation running smoothly. Krista’s focus is on the calves and records for the farm. Ryan takes care of feeding the herd as well as working with his father, Paul, to do a variety of different tasks. Kaleb likes to help wrap bales and feed heifers and Gage prefers unloading silage.

The herd consists of 250 Holsteins, Jerseys, red and white Holsteins, and Jersey crosses. They milk the herd twice a day and ship their milk to Foremost Farms. The Dolans have used some genomic testing on the heifers to help make breeding decisions, and Paul does the breeding. The cows, on the other hand, are chalked and bred by Dan Allen, East Central/Select Sires A.I. technician

from the Accelerated Genetics partnership, and East Central also provides genetic consultation.

Traditionally, the Dolans genetically focus on Net Merit, calving ease, and when they can, use DPR. Ryan said, “We prefer not to pull calves. It is better to have her calve without problems.” Additionally, the last time the herd was genetically mated, they added A2A2 to the criteria. The calves, cared for by Krista, are started in Calf-Tel pens and later moved outside to Calf-Tel hutches. She uses the Accelerated Genetics-brand 22-20 Hi-Performance Plus milk replacer with Bovatec® -- and in the summer, ClariFly®. She uses the First Day Formula colostrum replacer and Tri-Start Jr., as needed, for the calves.

Krista only served one year on the Accelerated Genetics board before transitioning to the East Central/Select Sires board. “I chose to move to East Central to get more familiar with the cooperative. I’m excited for the better and broader selection we can offer together.”

Ken Levzow is the fourth generation to farm at Levzow Dairy Farm. Currently, Ken and his parents, Ralph and Becky, run the operation together. They have 900 acres, where they raise corn, alfalfa, and wheat. The 50/50 Holstein and Jersey herd consists of 170 cows and 200 head of young stock, including steers. Recently, Ken has worked on introducing red and white Holstein genetics into the herd for their polled genes. The Levzows have

East Central adds three board membersEast Central adds three board members continued from page 1

their herd genetically mated for feet and legs, as well as good udders. Ken also likes to look for bulls with high SCR values and polled genes. Levzows breed their cows on natural heats using Select Sires’ fi rst heat-detection system, Select Detect, and they only use syncing protocol on hard-to-breed cows.

Ken uses a wide variety of products from the Accelerated Genetics line. He uses Tri-Purify, Tri-Start Jr., and First Day Formula for his calves. They use Tri-Start as a part of their fresh-cow program. Levzows used some of the very fi rst multi-piece Calf-Tel hutches, too. More recently, though, they purchased new hutches from Accelerated Genetics to replace their multi-piece models.

Ken has served on the Accelerated Genetics board of Directors for fi ve years and he looks forward to his time as an East Central/Select Sires board member. “I hope to help the cooperative advance and grow for the future,” noted Ken. Ken’s duties off the farm are not limited to the Board of Directors; he also serves as vice president of the FFA Alumni. Additionally, he is an active member of Farm Bureau, the Pardeeville United Methodist Church, and the Pardeeville Curling Club.

Krista, Ryan, Kaleb, and Gage Dolan

Ken Levzow

Page 4

It pays to spend money lowering your cell countTechnology allows us to measure and analyze all sorts of information about our dairy businesses. We can broadly categorize it into production information and fi nancial information. Production information includes everything from milk per cow to conception rates. Financial information includes things like net farm income and return on investment. These two categories become more useful when we can relate them to each other. Improving the pregnancy rate becomes more meaningful when we look at the fi nancial return. It’s easy to recognize more pounds of milk puts more dollars in the checkbook.

However, what production benchmarks have the biggest impact on the bottom line? Zoetis has been comparing production data to fi nancial data since 2006 to answer that question. Their study includes records from 85 farms which average slightly more than 1,000 cows. Their results show the relationships between various production benchmarks and net farm income per hundred weight of milk sold. Table one shows the results.

A larger value shows a stronger correlation to net farm income. A positive number means net farm income improves as the value goes up. A negative number means net farm income goes down as the value becomes larger. For example, replacement cost has a correlation value of -.30. Replacement cost has a big impact on income per hundredweight and income goes down as replacement cost goes up. On the other hand, the number of heifers has a correlation value of .07. Number of heifers has a relatively small impact on income and income goes up as heifer numbers go up.

According to table one, the fi ve most important production measures are 1 – replacement cost at -.30; 2 – 21-day pregnancy rate at .17; 3 – milk per cow per day at .15; 4 – heifer survival at .15; and 5 – somatic cell count at -.14. While somatic cell count ranks at the bottom of the short list, it becomes much more signifi cant if you consider the relationship between somatic cell count and some of the higher-ranking measures. Every dairymen knows high cell-count cows are harder to get pregnant than low cell-count cows, and they produce less milk than low cell-count cows. Zoetis has numbers to make that correlation more objective in table two.

Somatic cell count has a signifi cant correlation to net farm income on its own. It becomes much more

important because of its impact on other performance indicators. The bottom line is, somatic cell count is an important predictor of net farm income. Dairies with low somatic cell counts will have higher income than dairies with high somatic cell counts. It pays to spend money lowering your cell count. East Central/Select Sires has the tools and the expertise to help you.

Build immunityImproving somatic cell count starts with improving immunity. A cow with a healthy immune system will fi ght off infections that result in higher cell counts. SELECT BioCycle™, SELECT DTX™, and SELECT BioCycle Plus™ are direct-fed microbials that can improve immunity. Every-day challenges from weather and feed changes

can challenge immunity. BioCycle has enzymes, egg proteins, and highly-stable specialized bacteria to help maintain immunity through those challenges. Mycotoxins in feed can seriously depress immune response. DTX has specialized bacteria which boost the cow’s immune system to minimize the effect of mycotoxins. BioCycle Plus is a combination of BioCycle and DTX to provide complete support of the immune system.

Boosting the immune system can also help individual high-cell-count cows. BioFresh® boluses provide a super dose of BioCycle. Southern Illinois University research (table three) shows BioFresh will reduce somatic cell count in individual high-cell-count cows and keep it down for an extended time.

Use an effective teat dipTeat dipping is an important part of lowering your somatic cell count. Pre-dipping disinfects the teat and helps remove dirt. Post dipping removes the milk residue that follows the milking process and kills bacteria between milkings. Your East Central/Select Sires representative has a complete line of economical, effective teat dips.

EfferCept® SG is a fast, effective pre-dip in a convenient tablet form that mixes with water when you need it. EfferCept SG kills a variety of mastitis-causing bacteria in just 15 seconds. It’s easy to store -- one hand can hold a jar of tablets that

By John Gerbitz, Animal Health Product Manager

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

continued on page 5

Page 5

make 55 gallons of dip. And the cost is about one third as much as competitive dips.

4XLA® is the industry standard in pre- and post-milking teat dips for skin conditioning in winter, and any time. Cold weather is coming -- have your 4XLA ready. 4XLA is recommended by industry experts for solving teat-end-lesion problems from keratosis. The acidifi ed sodium chlorite germicide is as effective today as it was when introduced more than 30 years ago. Aztec Gold™ teat dip has many of the same properties as 4XLA, but it’s thicker and more visible for complete teat coverage.

UDDERgold® 5-Star is the 4XLA of barrier dips. It is the go-to product when the environment demands extra protection between milkings. Pair UDDERgold with EfferCept SG for an effective, economical pre- and post-dipping combination.

Lowering your cell count is one of the best investments you can make in your dairy, because it’s highly correlated to your net income

and other performance measures. Count on your East Central/Select Sires representatives for the

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products and information you need to improve your somatic cell count and your bottom line.

Germicidal Pre- and Post-Milking Teat Dip• softens hyperkeratotic tissue for easier clean up• reduces formation of hyperkeratosis• improves skin healing• conditions teats to tolerate harsh weather

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Page 6

Expect more from your parasite control

Parasites:• Decrease milk production• Lower conception rates• Suppress appetitie and reduce feed intake• Negatively impact the immune system

From pasture to confi nement,

the threat is real!

Study of dairy herds in four states:• 87% of farms had fecal samples positive for larvae.1

• 50% of farms raising heifers in confi nement had positive fecal samples.1

• 37% of cows raised in confi nement, 46% raised in pasture, and 32% which husbandry was unknown had positive fecal samples.1

In two trials involving cattle on contaminated pastures, EPRINEX® signifi cantly (P<0.05) outperformed CYDECTIN® (moxidectin) after 56 days. 4,5

EPRINEX® has more strength.

1 Data on fi le at Merial, TS-USA-219; 4 Data on fi le at Merial, TS-USA-235; 5 Data on fi le at Merial, TS-USA-268

Talk to your East Central/Select Sires representative for more information.

The biggest reproductive failure many farms faceThe primary reason to get a cow pregnant is so she has another lactation (to produce more milk). The other major reason is to get a calf to genetically advance your operation. The impact of these reproductive benefi ts on profi tability is well known and a key indicator to profi t. This is the reason so much emphasis has been placed on improving reproduction in the last decade. The good news is, we’re seeing continued progress in lactating dairy cattle.

Traits like sire conception rate, daughter pregnancy rate, cow conception rate, and others have impacted selection for fertility and are included in popular indexes like total performance index and net merit. Other things like management, improvements in processing/freezing sperm, and professional-technician service have also played an important role. With these combined efforts, the industry has made real progress in pregnancy rates in the U.S.A. As shown in the graphs (Dairy Records Management Systems, DairyMetrics -- 6,917 Holstein herds in U.S.), we’ve increased the Holstein pregnancy rates in lactating cows to nearly 21 percent, which are continued gains over each of the fi ve previous years.

With this advancement, where’s the big opportunity that exists on most farms? It’s in non-lactating reproduction or the heifers. All cows that we’re trying to get pregnant are producing some level of income back to the farm; so, at least the cows are contributing some payback until they get pregnant,

again. On the other hand, heifers are a total expense that produce zero income until they get pregnant and nine months later produce a calf and begin milking.

Surprisingly, a good portion of farms don’t watch their pregnancy rates in heifers as closely as their cows. Some farms are not even sure what their heifer pregnancy rate is or what is a good goal to shoot for. Part of the issue we overlook is the industry perceives heifers as being fertile while cows are thought to be a challenge. Historically, we assume heifers will conceive 50-60 percent of the time we breed them, and cows have been closer to 30-35 percent conception.

With improvements in cows, many dairies are now running 45-50 percent conception, and the cows are not very different from the heifer herd, anymore.

The second part of the pregnancy-rate equation is how many animals get bred that are eligible (commonly called submission or detection rate). Most dairies in Wisconsin will get semen in to all eligible cows within roughly 30 days of the voluntary waiting period or less. A large portion of farms are also on full timed insemination where cows all get semen within seven days of being eligible.

Heifers are a very different story, though. Most farms still detect all, or very close to all, heats for fi rst service in heifers. This is not bad, if successful. However, this variable is the big reason why pregnancy rates vary so much in heifers. We still see farms with heifer fi rst-service-submission spreads more than a couple months from being eligible. Less common are farms that have a tight submission to ensure all heifers are bred in a timely manner. If a heifer is bred two months after eligibility and feed is $2/day, you spent $60 extra on feed, alone, not to mention the lost money if she’d calved two months earlier and was producing milk. Options to submit all your heifers are much less expensive; whether it’s detection (from various methods); prostaglandin; or even a full, timed insemination.

What should goals be for cows and heifers?First, if your pregnancy rate in heifers is lower than in your cows, that’s an indication you’re one of the herds that has major potential to increase your heifer results. A blanket goal for lactating herds: pregnancy rate -- greater than 25 percent; submission rate -- greater than 60 percent; and conception rate -- greater than 40 percent. For heifers: pregnancy rate -- greater than 35 percent, submission rate -- greater than 60 percent, and conception rate -- greater than 55 percent (assuming conventional semen was used; if using sexed, expect roughly 80 percent of conventional results).

Select Sires has reproductive specialists across Wisconsin whose primary goal is to help customers improve and work towards the goals you desire. If you have questions about your operation, please reach out, and our staff at East Central/Select Sires will work with your team to set a direction and help you maximize profi tability.

By Phillip Dieter, Marketing and Reproductive Manager

Graph 1: average pregnancy rate

Perce

ntGraph 2: 21-day pregnancy rate

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East Central internship applications due Oct. 31East Central/Select Sires has three internship opportunities available for summer, 2018: two in artifi cial insemination (A.I) and one in communications.

The A.I. specialist interns will have the opportunity to experience a career in the A.I. industry and work with the breeds’ most elite females to produce the next generation of impact bulls and females. The appropriate individuals will learn and provide A.I. in both large-herd commercial operations

and registered elite embryo programs throughout southern Wisconsin.

The communications intern is responsible for a variety of projects within the areas of public relations, written communications, print advertising and promotions, video creation, and social media. The appropriate applicant will also

receive a broad range of experience with all East Central/Select Sires programs and services.

Visit www.eastcentralselectsires.com for more info. The application deadline is Oct. 31, 2017.

By Dori Lichty, Communication Specialist

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5% discount offered on CowManager if attend meetingReceive a 5 percent discount if you attend the CowManager meeting at World Dairy Expo and buy CowManager before year end. The meeting is Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, 9:30-11 a.m., in the exhibition hall Wingra room.

Learn the latest on how CowManager can help you

manage your reproductive, nutrition, and health programs. Also learn about the enhancements made to system performance, data access, and pricing options.

Calling us with an RSVP is helpful in planning the event: 1-800-288-7473. See you there!

P.O. Box 191Waupun, WI 53963

Board members:PresidentSteve Abel, Eden

DirectorsRoger Weiland, ColumbusDorothy Harms, ReedsburgRick Adams, ElkhornJeff Hendrickson, BellevilleRandy Nigh, ViroquaLarry Voigts, Platteville

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Tank To Tank News (USPS 164-440)(Issn. NO. 0743-9865) is published four times a year by East Central/Select Sires, N11463 State Road 26, Waupun, WI 53963. Periodical Postage Paid at Waupun, WI 53963 and additional mailing offi ces. Postmaster: Send address-change notices to Tank To Tank, P.O. Box 191, Waupun, WI 53963.

Copywrite©East Central/Select Sires

Vol. 76 Issue 4

1-800-288-7473eastcentralselectsires.com

Greetings patron members:

It’s been an exciting and busy summer. Joining forces with Accelerated Genetics has brought 34 tremendous employees to East Central/Select Sires. It’s been great to see the spirit of cooperation amongst all employees, and we’re extremely excited about what the combined product lines offer our customers.

The August sire summary graduated an industry-leading class of genomic young sires from Select Sires. This tremendous group is designed to increase your dairy’s profi tability through the power of genetics.

On Aug. 22, 2017, East Central/Select Sires held our annual meeting. It was great to see an outstanding turnout from our delegates and their active participation in our discussions. We were honored to have Dave Thorbahn, chief executive offi cer of Select Sires Inc., address the group and give an update on Select Sires efforts. We also seated three, new board members from Accelerated Genetics onto the East Central board for two-year terms: Scott Dahlk, Verona; Krista Dolan, Dodgeville; and Ken Levzow, Rio.

During the annual meeting, Al Deming, my predecessor, was awarded the Pioneer Award. This distinguished award is the highest honor bestowed by our cooperative. Al is certainly deserving of it for his 26 years of service as general manager. East Central/Select Sires is the successful cooperative we are today due to the guidance of Al Deming and the contributions from previous Pioneer Award winners.

Five college students were awarded $1,000 scholarships during our annual meeting, as well: Kalista Hodorff, Eden; Kati Kindschuh, Brownsville; Logan Voigts, Platteville; Abigail Martin, Janesville; and Matthew Kramer, Saint Cloud. Congratulations to these fi ve outstanding youth!

Our summer internship program is offi cially complete. We had an amazingly talented group of interns this year. We would like to thank Jessica Steger, Kristen Broege, Mitchell Schleicher, Ben Broderson, and Dylan McClain for their efforts during the summer. I hope you had the opportunity to work with them and share in their passion and enthusiasm. This group has extreme potential, and we look forward to the great things they will accomplish as they fi nish their college careers.

I hope everyone has a safe and plentiful harvest season.

Jerome MeyerEast Central/Select Sires General Manager

It pays to lower your cell count

The biggest reproductivefailure many farms face

Member profi le:Dahlk, Dolan, and Levzow

Left to right: Kalista Hodorff, Eden; Kati Kindschuh, Brownsville; Logan Voigts, Platteville; Abigail Martin, Janesville; and Matthew Kramer, Saint Cloud, all received scholarships from East Central/Select Sires.