SIMPLE, ACCURATE URINE PH MONITORING
KEEP THE TARGET
|
Dairy clients don’t have to follow a urine-pH monitoring
program to take advantage of a DCAD balancing system, but
when done right, it can make a cheap, relatively easy and accurate
early warning system to spot glitches before they show
up as milk fevers and other costly metabolic disease. West Central’s
director of research Dr. Phillip Jardon, a recognized authority in the
practice for more than a decade, suggests these tips to make pH
monitoring run smoothly and — more importantly — accurately:
SAMPLE EFFECTIVELY. In time-pressed dairies, over-sampling that
causes reluctance to follow the program may do as much as harm
as under-sampling. If the labor and facilities allow it practically,
collecting eight to ten samples twice weekly is ideal; however,
once a week will suffice, unless the groups are so small that you
can’t test adequate numbers. If you have first- and multiple-lactation
cows in the same group, segregate the samples. Step up the
frequency during feed changes or increased fresh-cow problems.
CONSIDER CONVENIENCE — FOR PEOPLE AND FOR COWS. Contrary to some
recommendations, Dr. Jardon believes that for dairies feeding a TMR
once or twice a day, the time of collection makes only a slight difference
in test accuracy. For that reason, he believes, you should base
your timing on how convenient it is for crews and cows. Usually
those two coincide at feeding, where the easiest lock-up occurs.
ALLOW FOR LAG TIME. Once you make a change in the ration DCAD,
changes in cows’ acid/base balance will follow in about 36 hours.Therefore, any pH results should be applied to ration
changes made two to three days previously; likewise, any changes won’t show up in the tests until two or
three days later.
READ THE GROUP. Using DairyComp’s ability to create
user-defined fields for individual cows or Microsoft
Excel’s statistical analysis functions, it’s relatively easy
to run group averages and chart interference levels
for weekly test results. Dr. Jardon suggests you focus
more on those averages and less on the occasional
outliers. Keep the brunt of the group within the interference-
level window. The only exception might be to
watch for an excessive number in the extreme ranges.
That might indicate cows are sorting.
STREAMLINE COLLECTION. Dr. Jardon suggests a good
hand ought to, with experience, cow restraint and
some of these real-world tips, be able to collect
samples in less than 10 minutes:
-
Keep cows quiet by working slowly and talking quietly. Don’t try to collect while somebody else is working around the head, tagging or vaccinating.
-
Stroking a cow just under the vulva will usually stimulate her to urinate. If you sleeve up, the plastic will create less drag, providing better stimulation. Don’t touch the tail in the process; it will worry some cows and hinder the urination response.
-
Try to sample from mid-stream. The first flow often has a higher pH than the full stream, and it’s more likely to be contaminated. Always make sure you’re starting with clean containers, and don’t contaminate them in the process.
-
Because many cows will urinate in response to running water, turning on the flush can encourage some of the reluctant ones when you can’t get a sample. However, it may also encourage the majority of the group to let loose as well, making it impossible to sample all.
CONSULTANT’S CORNER
MAKING URINE TESTING WORK
Jim Barmore, MSc, PAS, Five-Star Dairy Consulting LLC, Verona, Wis.
Sometimes dairy producers and nutritionists may get
stuck in the paradigm of, “I don’t have milk fever, so I
don’t have to monitor urine pH.” But I try to encourage
clients to look at it as a much broader application than
that. This business is, to some degree or the other, all
about minimizing risks and variability in feed management — and about making those risk-management tools
a routine part of day-to-day management. Over and above
its value in preventing milk fever — both clinical and subclinical — a good urine pH-monitoring program fits that
broader description. It’s just one more risk-management
tool that allows us to run a tighter fresh-cow program.
For that reason, I usually have little to no problem convincing dairy clients
of the value of a well-run — but lean — urine-testing program. Most find it’s a
more-than-cost-effective investment and quickly find it useful beyond simply a
tool to adjust the levels of chloride in the ration. It’s an excellent monitor to use
in gauging how well the intended ration matches the presented or consumed
ration. In addition to less milk fever, we end up with fewer retained placentas,
DAs, ketosis — most of the conditions that indicate a metabolic imbalance.
Some general guidelines I suggest:
-
First things first, I always try to be clear that it is not a prerequisite to test urine pH in order to balance ration DCADs. Sometimes the impression to the contrary might be created, but it’s entirely possible for a well-managed dairy to run an effective DCAD program without it.
-
As with most of your recommendations, it may require some work up-front to first develop a customized plan that’s organized yet simple, and second, to obtain buy-in from the feeder, herdsman, veterinarian and management team alike. This may seem like overkill, but in my experience, unless all significant stakeholders embrace a program like this, it stands risk of failure in the future. It’s important to help them recognize the significant costs associated with transition- feed variation, set clear expectations with the entire team regarding goals and commitments, help deploy enough labor and capital to make improvements and assist in training to make it all work.
-
Schedule a specific day of the week for running the tests — even a specific time. I like to recommend testing once a week, eight to ten cows at a time. As with any necessary procedure, like dry-off, sometimes the secret to success is to simply get a dairy into a regular routine that becomes habit.
-
I like to set them up with a pH meter, collection vials and recording mechanisms. We typically work together initially on the collection and testing so everybody’s familiar with the process. Make sure the records include days on the ration for the test animals and whether the animal is a springing heifer or a cow.
-
It’s important to devote a little time in advance to acquaint everyone with the statistics at issue, particularly averages and distributions around the mean. I usually work them through a few examples. Your familiarity with the dairy’s level of management should be a guide as to how precisely you can pick out actual effects of actions from the background noise of normal variation. I typically vary the target pH window from dairy to dairy for that reason. In some dairies, we target as narrow as three-tenths of a point. But I know those are exceptionally well-controlled nutrition programs.
-
I ask them to fax me the weekly results, and I’m careful to take a look at them and respond as soon as I can. That attention communicates that the effort is important and addresses what follow-up action may be needed.
-
Don’t over-interpret results. Don’t immediately jump to the conclusion a high pH means a chloride breakdown. Look at laboratory analysis, feed changes, feeding routines, mix changes, etceteras.
WEST CENTRAL HAPPENINGS
SOYMOR BIODIESEL PLANT CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
The 30 million-gallon-per-year SoyMor
Biodiesel Plant, currently being constructed in Albert Lea, Minn., is quickly taking
shape. West Central’s Renewable Energy
Group (REGTM) is the design-build contractor
hired by the SoyMor management team.
Construction at the plant site began in
October 2004 and is expected to wrap up by
July 2005.
As of this month, the Crown® transesterification equipment has been installed in the taller biodiesel process building, and piping
and electrical crews are now feverishly
working in that building. In addition to the
biodiesel process, this project also includes
a soybean oil pretreatment process; approximately
2 million gallons of biodiesel,
soybean oil, methanol, glycerine, and
miscellaneous storage; and both truck and
rail load/unload facilities. The entire plant
will be fully computerized and will be the
largest and most advanced biodiesel plant
in North America.
FROM THE MATERNITY PEN
TWEAKING DCAD TO ACCOMMODATE MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM
The typically oversimplified DCAD equation — (Na++K+) - (Cl-+S-2) — ignores the fact that
both calcium and magnesium contribute some
alkalinization to the process, just as ammonium
created from non-protein nitrogen does.
One of the most precise alternative equations
so far comes from USDA researchers Drs. Jesse
Goff and Ron Horst: (.2•Ca+.16•Mg+Na+K)
- (Cl+.6•S+.64•P).
They’re the first to concede even that
formula remains incomplete. The point,
though, is that although calcium has a small
alkalinizing effect, the traditional practice of
limiting calcium in the transition ration is
not only practically impossible to accomplish,
it’s also unnecessary, says West Central’s Dr.
Phillip Jardon. It can be easily offset by addition
of a relatively small dose of chloride. The ‘80s vogue of intentionally starving cows of calcium in order to stimulate the hormonal
system to mobilize bone calcium may still be
theoretically valid, but it’s impractical and has
been supplanted by the DCAD approach. Don’t
try it. Under a good DCAD program, calcium
should instead be included at 1 to 1.2 percent of
the diet — about 140 grams.
By maintaining sufficient calcium mobilization
via appropriate DCAD balance, a 2002
study from University of Florida further suggests,
individual calcium supplementation at
parturition may become unnecessary.
The same thinking holds true for magnesium
levels in transition cows as well, Dr.
Jardon says. The cow’s hormonal system needs
a certain amount of magnesium to regulate
calcium homeostasis. So again, in spite of any
alkalinizing contribution, he recommends
feeding magnesium at about 0.4 percent of the ration dry matter. Supplementing magnesium
is especially important if you
can’t avoid high feedstuff potassium,
which interferes with the absorption of magnesium.
SoyChlor,® which is made from
hydrochloric acid, not only offers a
safe and effective source of DCAD
anions, it also fortifies the transition
ration with sufficient calcium and
magnesium, without compromising
balance. And because it’s low in both
phosphorus and crude protein — unlike
many alternative products — it
offers nutritionists the flexibility to
improve DCAD balance without incurring
the toll in magnesium utilization
and energy balance to detoxify rumen
ammonia that others may require.
BEYOND BYPASS
SUPERIOR IN-PLANT MANUFACTURING CONTROLS
SoyPLUS® is manufactured in our computer-controlled plant in Ralston, Iowa,
designed specifically to optimize the quality
of bypass protein. The process permits
us to produce SoyPLUS as an all-natural product — no chemicals need be used during
manufacturing.
Based primarily on the normal expeller
extraction method, the SoyPLUS modified
expeller extraction system is so unique it
has been granted a U.S. patent. It contains
additional reaction and conditioning steps
unique to SoyPLUS, designed to increase
the bypass protein levels without damaging
the protein quality. Computerization
throughout the process monitors and
regulates more than 400 individual points,
enabling our quality-control team to detect
and adjust even slight deviations in moisture,
protein, fat, bypass level and other
nutrients. That level of quality control is
just not possible in even the best manually
operated manufacturing plants.
QUALITY CORNER
IS THE PRODUCT FROM THE NEW SOYCHLOR® PLANT IN JEFFERSON DIFFERENT FROM THAT MADE IN ADAIR?
 |
| Laboratory technologist Megan Fry measures SoyChlor moisture, just one of West Central’s daily quality-consistency checks. |
The formula, and thus the analyses, of the SoyChlor products have not changed.
We still use the same low-sodium and
low-potassium ingredients as carriers
for hydrochloric acid. However, the
SoyChlor produced in the new facility
is lighter in color due to a more
efficient drying system. The color is
similar to that of a baked chocolate
chip cookie. The average chloride
level checked by use of our in-house
chloride analyzer for mid March
2005 was 9.3 percent with a standard
deviation of 0.4 (N=23).
The production of SoyPLUS includes a very stringent quality control program. In addition to our continuous monitoring using an in house NIR we send check samples to Woodson - Tenent Laboratories in Des Moines. Here are results from the first three weeks of November 2004 to January 2005:
