October 4, 2022 | Volume 3, Issue 3
Greetings!
Hopefully everyone has been enjoying the cooler weather! While in many areas corn silage harvest is mostly complete and most cover crops have been planted, it’s still a busy time of year! Don’t forget to get a sample of your new corn silage sent for analysis before you begin feeding it—the new corn silage should ferment undisturbed for at least 3 weeks before feeding. Note that starch digestibility will continue to increase as the silage ferments longer, up to 4 months.
We will be hosting two on-farm workshops this fall in Cecil (Oct. 31st) and Garrett (Nov. 8th) counties. These workshops will focus on animal care topics and are free, but registration is required. See page 7 for more details. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is looking for dairy producers to complete a short survey on precision feed management; see page 8 for more information. Lastly, the Center for Dairy Excellence is offering technical assistance grants to dairy producers in the mid-Atlantic; see the information below for more details.
In this issue, we focus on selective dry cow therapy, water for calves, and tips for improving hay storage. Please contact me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions (sbpotts@umd.edu; 301-432-2767 ext. 324).
Best Regards,
Sarah Potts Extension Specialist, Dairy & Beef
Considerations for Selective Dry Cow Therapy
By Sarah Potts, Ph.D. Extension Specialist, Dairy & Beef
Traditional dry cow management strategies recommended treating every cow with intramammary antibiotics at dry-off. This strategy, also known as “blanket dry cow treatment”, was recommended to help 1) cure any existing mastitis infections and 2) prevent new mastitis infections from..Read more Considerations for Selective Dry Cow Therapy
Don’t Overlook Water For Young Calves
By Sarah Potts, Ph.D. Extension Specialist, Dairy & Beef
You’ve probably heard it before: water is an important, yet overlooked, nutrient. The importance of water is not surprising, given that a cow’s body is comprised of more than 70% water. Like cows, calves also need to drink water...Read more about Don’t Overlook Water For Young Calves
Dairy producers looking to build their brand, improve consumer access to locally-produced foods, and work with a consultant in the value-added & direct marketing space should consider applying for a Technical Assistance Grant through The Center of Dairy Excellence. This grant is for dairy farms and small-scale dairy businesses in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. The grant is designed to provide financial assistance to help dairy farms access the private consulting resources they need to build their brand and to help cultivate our regional food economy, strengthen our regional dairy food processing capacity, improve consumer access to locally-produced foods, and create and improve economic opportunities for individual dairy producers and food businesses.
For more information, visit: https://www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/technical-assistance-grants/
By Amanda Grev, Ph.D. Extension Specialist, Pasture & Forages
Most of us are aware that forage losses can accumulate in a hurry, particularly for hay. Adding up potential losses incurred during harvest, storage, and feeding, as much as 60% of forage dry matter can be lost between...Read more about Proper Storage Saves Forage
MDA Precision Feed Management Survey
The Maryland Department of Agriculture is working with the local Soil Conservation Districts to collect data to help demonstrate the Maryland Dairy Industry’s progress toward nutrient reduction goals for the Chesapeake Bay. The survey is voluntary and consists of FOUR questions related to milk urea nitrogen (MUN) averages, the amount of milk shipped, the number of cows milking, and the breed of cows on the farm. No individual information about your farm will be shared outside the Soil Conservation District or Maryland Department of Agriculture.
For survey details and questions, contact your local Soil Conservation District Office or Alisha Mulkey (alisha.mulkey@maryland.gov)
Responses should be submitted by October 21st, 2022.
Dairy Animal Care Workshops
Dairy producers are invited to join us for our Dairy Animal Care workshop series. Each event in this series will feature animal care topics, such as Beef Quality Assurance, calf management, non-ambulatory animal management, and euthanasia. Speakers will include extension personnel and local veterinarians. Lunch will be provided.
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. | Cost: Free, pre-registration is required for planning purposes
Register: go.umd.edu/dairy-workshops-2022
CECIL COUNTY
Date: October 31, 2022 | Monday | Location: Long Green Farms, 20 Long Green Farms Lane, Rising Sun, MD 21911
GARRETT COUNTY
Date: November 8, 2022 | Tuesday | Location: Swartzentruber's Dairy Farm, 1791 Mansfield Road, Oakland, MD 21550
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Date: March 2023 | Location: TBA (Smithsburg, MD)
For more information or need special accommodations to attend, please contact Sarah Potts at 301-432-2767 x324 or by email at spotts@umd.edu
Events & Announcements
- Maryland Beef Webinar: Utilizing Crop Residue as a Forage Source - October 11th @7:30 pm. Visit go.umd.edu/beef-webinars for more information and to register.
- Women in Agriculture Webinar: Agriculture Leases - October 12th @12pm. Visit https://extension.umd.edu/news-events/events/event/6913/wednesday-webinar-agriculture-leases for more information and to register.
- Application Deadline for the Center of Dairy Excellence Technical Assistance Grant Program - October 15th. Visit https://www.centerfordairyexcellence.org/technical-assistance-grants/ for additional information.
- Maryland Advanced Grazing Workshop - October 20-21 in Keedysville, MD. Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maryland-advanced-grazing-workshop-with-ranching-for-profit-tickets-396351346547 for more information.
- Deadline for completing the MDA Dairy Precision Feed Management Survey - October 21st. Contact your local Soil Conservation District for more information.
- Dairy Animal Care Workshops - Program is free and runs 10:30 am - 1:45 pm. Visit go.umd.edu/dairy-workshops-2022 for more information and to register.
- October 31st - Long Green Farms, Rising Sun, MD
- November 8th - Swartzentruber’s Dairy, Oakland, MD
- Pasture Walk: Grazing Stalks/Cover Crops - November 14 @4pm in Clarksville, MD. Visit go.umd.edu/novemberpasturewalk for more information.
Maryland Milk Moos is a quarterly newsletter published by the University of Maryland Extension that is focused on dairy topics related to Nutrition and Production, Herd Management, and Forage Production. To view previous editions click here...
Comments and suggestions regarding the newsletter are always welcome. References to commercial products or trade names are made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the University of Maryland Extension is implied. Articles and photographs may be reprinted with permission.
Want to subscribe? Click the button and enter your contact information.