The Results Are In!

We tested; we waited, and the results are here! So now what? How can we utilize the data reported from our very first DHI milk test? 

Since we already knew milk weights on test day, the item of immediate interest to me on the Sample Day and Lactation Report is Somatic Cell Count (SCC). SCC is composed primarily of leukocytes, or white blood cells, that are produced by the cow’s immune system to fight an inflammation in the mammary gland, or mastitis. Leukocytes increase as mammary system inflammation worsens, so a higher SCC indicates a higher level of bacterial infection. Because mastitis is tricky, it may be clinical (showing visible signs of infection) or subclinical (showing no visible signs of infection). Obviously the subclinical variety is what I am looking to the test to help me find for a couple of reasons. First, I want our cows to be healthy and comfortable. I can not treat what I can not see or do not know about. And then there are things called regulations and premiums. On the federal level, Grade A milk can not be sold with a SCC of over 750,000 cells/mL. While we are not in danger of that, it is always something dairy producers keep in the back of their mind. What we are excited about is most milk plants (including ours) will offer a premium for extremely low SCC levels as low SCC equals higher quality milk.

Of course, I am also interested in other data such as Fat and Protein percents on individual cows, days in milk (DIM) and reproduction status. All of these numbers, in combination with SCC, can assist in breeding and culling decisions in the future. In addition, I also look forward to the day, now that my Husband and In-laws know about it, that we can utilize breeding dates to conduct milk pregnancy tests! 

Woohoo - since it took me a while to publish this post, we tested again, and I convinced them to try the pregnancy tests on two of the cows we were wondering about. Two cows confirmed PG!! That was super simple, no extra work for us or the cows. You can bet we are doing that again. Look out AgSource, our 40 cows are going to set you right over the edge - you may have to hire another lab assistant for all of our samples! ;)

On the herd level, a Herd Summary report is generated and was also in the envelope. While the Milk Production section it is not too exciting on our current report with only one test date to plot on the charts and graphs, I look forward to seeing where we have been and where we are headed in terms of average test day milk, fat and protein, rolling herd average and peak milk trends. It is also interesting to see where we are as compared to the breed average. The back side is the Reproduction and Genetics section, along with the Inventory section. Data such as conception rates, service and pregnancy rates, DIM at first breeding and herd inventory is all available in easy to read, color-coded graphs.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what reports can be generated and data gleaned from the milk samples and reproductive data we supplied AgSource Cooperative Services. For a full listing of their DHI services, check out their website.

While our herd certainly has a way to go to get to my goals for it in terms of milk production and quality, we now have concrete numbers to base our decisions on. While it make take a little extra time milking on test day and scouring through the numbers, to me it is time well spent!
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Author Brenda Brady is our Communications Specialist.  Brenda graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Agricultural Education.  She went on to teach high school agriculture for 13 years. Brenda grew up on a small Registered Holstein farm in central Wisconsin and now farms with her husband and in-laws.

Eight Fabulous Reasons to Attend Your Genex Membership Appreciation Meeting

Last week I attended my first ever Genex Membership Appreciation Meeting. It was great getting to talk with so many dairy producers from northeastern Wisconsin. If you are a Genex member, ask your representative when and where your closest meeting is. You won’t regret going, I didn’t!

Eight Fabulous Reasons to Attend Your Genex Membership Appreciation Meeting

1)Door prizes

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2)      Real conversations with beings other than cows

3)      Access to the newest flyers, sire summaries, calendars and other printed materials

4)      Receive inside information into the state of YOUR cooperative

5)      It’s a chance to get to town and away from the farm for a few hours

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6)  Amazing food

7)      Learn about the latest and greatest products available from Genex

8)      Because it’s free!

What is your favorite reason for attending a Genex Membership Appreciation Meeting?

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      Author Brenda Brady is our Communications Specialist.  Brenda graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Agricultural Education.  She went on to teach high school agriculture for 13 years. Brenda grew up on a small Registered Holstein farm in central Wisconsin and now farms with her husband and in-laws.

Cramming for the Test-Bringing Milk Weight and Component Testing to My Farm

It was time. Time for our ladies to get TESTED, and it wasn’t going to be a true/false or multiple choice kind of test. Sure they were a little nervous at first, but the test anxiety quickly wore off, and the work began. Now with it over, all they can do is sit back, relax and wait for the results.

Okay, so it may not have been that kind of test, and our herd of dairy cows may not have felt any stress whatsoever, but it was an exciting day for me, as our dairy completed our first unsupervised (owner sampler) test. I had been talking about this day for about seven years, since I first became a part of the farm with my Husband and In-laws. Sampling milk from cows was not new to me. I grew up on a farm that was on what we called official test or supervised test, (See more about the DHI service options at http://agsource.crinet.com/page479/DHIServiceOptions) but it was certainly a foreign concept to my farm by marriage. 

I was excited. Did I say I was excited? Maybe I should tell you this also qualified in my book as a date night! My husband set up a babysitter to watch our 3 and 5 year old, I donned my best barn attire, and across the yard I went to meet with our DHI Field Technician, Patty. She unloaded the meters, hoses, test bottles, clipboard and data sheets. We hooked the meters up to our milkers, got out a waste milk bucket and improvised a table. 

It was time to start milking. Patty stayed with us for the first five cows or so, providing great advice on making sure the meters hung straight, how to read weights accurately and mixing the samples before putting a small amount in the sample bottle. 

Then we were on our own. Well, not really, she made sure we had her phone number, so we could call or text if we had any problems.

The rest of the milking went along flawlessly. My Mother-in-law had worried our cows would be afraid of the meters or lick them to the point of breaking, but our ladies didn't even seem to notice the extra apparatus hanging from the pulsation line. 

It was enlightening to see how much milk the cows were giving and kind of fun cheering on the pet cow, willing her to give just a little more.

I am not really sure why I didn't push a little harder to encourage testing on our farm. A little research on the topic revealed this gem from the AgSource website, “Just comparing average non-DHI production to the average AgSource member's production shows AgSource members gross over $1,000 per cow more annually than non-DHI producers through higher levels of productivity and superior milk quality.” You can bet I will be sharing that fact with everyone this evening!

Perhaps it was the small size of our herd that made us think milk testing wasn’t necessary for us, but it can certainly benefit farms of all sizes. We thought we had an idea about how well each and every one of our ladies was producing, but now there are no questions. Plus, we will receive all kinds of additional information including somatic cell count, butterfat and protein. In addition, reproductive information will be conveniently located on the reports to assist us in culling and breeding decisions. What’s even more ideal is test results can be sent via mail, email or fax. Or with a little additional set-up can be uploaded for use in on-farm software programs. AgSource also recently released MyAgSource, an online database and benchmarking program that gives a producer access to all of the report options that they offer via the internet.  This program allows the user to benchmark their herd against peer herds, sort and filter data, and have access anywhere they get internet access, instead of, or in addition to traditional paper reports.

Stay tuned for my next post on receiving and interpreting our results! – My Father-in-law may not admit it, but he was the first one to ask me last night when we would get them in the mail!
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Author Brenda Brady is our Communications Specialist.  Brenda graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Agricultural Education.  She went on to teach high school agriculture for 13 years. Brenda grew up on a small Registered Holstein farm in central Wisconsin and now farms with her husband and in-laws.

Beef Sire Fertility Rankings - Now a Reality!

Very near the top of the wish list of most cattleman that I have talked to the last couple of years has been fertility rankings on beef bulls.  I am thrilled to tell you that it is no longer a dream, but a REALITY!  On Monday, December 15th, Genex released the industry's first beef sire fertility ranking model and data collection process.

PregCheck is not a check or stars system, it is real numbers based on real AI breedings and their subsequent pregnancy checks.  For a bull to reach a 70% reliability it takes about 500 breedings!  For a list of bulls that currently have PregCheck rankings click here.  There is also a Q&A to help answer all your questions about this state of art sire selection tool.

The 2015 Genex Beef Genetic Management Guide will be in your mailbox in about a month.  Included in it will be the PregCheck rankings for all the bulls that are currently at least 70% reliability.  As we move into the spring we will continue to update our website and future print publications with updates on PregCheck and new bulls that receive a ranking.

Genex is pleased to be your profit partner by helping you create Profits through Pregnancies with PregCheck!

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Author, Sarah Thorson, is our Beef Education Specialist. Sarah grew up in Eastern Montana on her family's ranch. She is a graduate of Montana State University and has been a member of the Genex team since 2004. Sarah works closely with the Genex Beef Marketing Staff, providing training to the cooperative's nearly 200 Independent Contractors. She also provides Artificial Insemination training for Genex members and customers and reproductive consulting.

December 2014 Genex Proof Highlights

The December 2014 Dairy Proof run brought with it a significant amount of change, from the genetic base change to Lifetime Net Merit and TPI® formula updates. Take a look as Genex Sire Procurement Specialist, Morgan Kleibenstein helps you navigate through what it all means!


Genex released 18 new genomic Holstein sires, 14 hailing from the GENESIS Cooperative Herd. Take a look at some of these, and several of our daughter-proven sires, as Genex Sire Procurement Specialist, Jon Lantz walks you through the Holstein highlights!


Genex now boasts over 40 active elite genetic Jersey sires with:
• 19 sires ≥ +0.0 DPR
• 17 over ≥ 4.5 Productive Life
• 14 sires over +$450 CM
• 12 sires over +15.0 JUI™
• 11 sires ≥ +180 JPI™
• Unmatched pedigree diversity
Watch as Genex Sire Procurement Specialist, Scott Carson takes you into the Jersey Generation!

New Genex Vans Feature Form and Function

I have heard lots of comments about the new Genex vans, so I decided it was time to spend some time with Genex Territory Sales Manager (TSM), Chris Kinnard, to find out first-hand what all of the talk was about.  Chris was one of the first to change from a Ford F-350 diesel truck to the new Dodge® ProMaster van. He has been using it since June for his daily sales routes.

When I jumped into the passenger seat on the rainy, cold October day, the first thing that struck me was the amount of visibility afforded the driver and passenger. One sits up higher than in a truck, and the angle of the windshield and front end of the van make for excellent range of vision. Did I mention it was a windy day, near Lake Michigan? I was a little worried about how the higher profile vehicle would handle in all of the wind, and while I was not the one driving, it seemed to be about the same as the car I drove to meet Chris in.

While I am on the topic of appearance, it must be noted that if you see one of these new vans, you will certainly not miss it. Its colors, graphics and photos are indicative of Genex and the business we are in. It is also advantageous that the wrap can be removed when we are ready to resell the vans making them a blank canvas, and thus more attractive, to a perspective buyer.

Function is another big plus for the new vans. I have watched TSMs work inside of the trucks. They always had a stool to sit on as there was not enough room to stand and work. Products were an afterthought and tucked away wherever they seemed to fit among the semen tanks, and having a nice area to write out orders and receipts wasn't even considered.

TSM Tim Lynch sits on a stool to fill orders in the old style truck.

When Chris opened the new van door, I could see all of those problems had been addressed. Shelving on both sides of the back made product display easy and tidy. Members and customers can now see what products they might have been missing in their herd management program. In one of the shelving units is an area that can be used as an office or desk to allow for completion and organization of paperwork. Catalogs and flyers are neatly displayed in another shelf towards the door. Space also abounds for informational posters, sales flyers, customer features, etc.

TSM Chris Kinnard fills orders with plenty of space to move in his new van.

So now it’s time to talk money. In information from Chuck Dallas, Vice President of Diversified Programs, Services and Process Management for CRI, the Ford F-350 diesel trucks with the utility boxes on the back cost approximately $10,000 more than the Dodge ProMaster vans. In addition, the vans use gasoline which is cheaper than diesel, and they will realize an improvement of about four to six miles per gallon in fuel consumption. All of this fiscal responsibility sounds great to me, as our farm recently became Genex Cooperative members!

The one concern many have of the vans will soon get its test. How will they handle on winter roads? Living in Wisconsin, I’m pretty sure I won’t have to wait all that long to see and hear the answer to that question. I’ll keep you posted!

While I can certainly relate to the drivers’ love for their trucks (In high school, I used to cut deals with my Dad to do extra barn chores so I could take his new truck when I went out), after spending the day on a route with Chris, I can see why the decision was made to convert our sales fleet. As additional vans get on the road, they should prove to be more economical and functional for the cooperative as well as the TSMs that drive them.

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Author Brenda Brady is our Communications Specialist.  Brenda graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Agricultural Education.  She went on to teach high school agriculture for 13 years. Brenda grew up on a small Registered Holstein farm in central Wisconsin and now farms with her husband and in-laws. They recently started a show herd for their children by purchasing a Registered Jersey calf.

August 2014 Genex Proof Highlights

Grab some popcorn, sit back, relax and enjoy learning about the highlights of our exciting lineup!

Holstein Daughter-Proven Proof Highlights

Holstein Genomic-Proven Proof Highlights

Celebrating 25 Years of the GENESIS Cooperative Herd

Introducing the Ideal Commercial Cow (ICC$) Index

Jersey and Colored Breed Proof Highlights