The Gold Rush Convention last weekend in Sacramento, CA, was a celebration of people and the dairy industry. Here are some more scenes to enjoy, provided by photographer Kristi Migliazzo. Check back for even more pictures later!

This weekend marks the start of another Accelerated Genetics Young Producer program in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The 2008 Winter Get-Away is open to any producer-farm owners or herdspeople in the Accelerated Genetics member areas. This wild weekend get-away at the Kalahari Resort in the Dells is designed for young producers – individuals, couples and their families. It is a great way to get rid of the winter blahs, get off the farm to spend time enjoying life and learn something new. This is just one weekend of four Young Producer programs during the year. A leadership conference is scheduled for late March; the summer meltdown weekend for June and a fall conference in late autumn.

Combining a mixture of fun activities (Safari dress code, waterpark time, scavenger hunts, etc.) and informational seminars (such as farm safety, balancing work and family life, networking), it is an action-packed weekend.

Look for updates from the Accelerated staff as the action kicks off. And be sure to watch for photos from the Kalahari, as this will also serve as the official site of this June””””s National Holstein Convention!

The Udder Health Update for today on DairyLine Radio talked about just what the title says – all aspects of herd health can affedt udder health. Dr. Allen Britten points out that herd health and both directly and indirectly affect udder health. One area we don`t consider is how other diseases indirectly affect milk quality. For example, BVD (bovine viral diarrhea), BLV (bovine leukemia virus) and Johnes all have a negative impact on a cow`s immune system. With a weak immune system, the cow is more susceptible to mastitis which leads to serious milk quality problems.

To hear more from Dr. Britten, click the play button below:

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Dr. Mark Kirkpatrick`s Vet Visit on DairyLine Radio yesterday focused on preparing a check list for when your vet comes to visit. Here is a quick rundown of the general things to consider for your vet`s visit. To hear Dr. Kirkpatrick””””””””””””””””s full radio segment, click the play button below!

1. Compile a list of questions regarding current situations or problems that have come up.
2. Design a program with your vet regarding how you would like to focus on the reproductive health of your herd.
3. List the procedures that the vet needs to do on your farm – vaccinations, herd health, etc.
4. Have a post-mortem plan in place. Its important to know the cause of the animal`s death.

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Today`s Nutrition Update tackles the idea of avoiding mistakes when it comes to feeding your herd. Especially these days while feed prices are so high, mistakes can result in significant loss of income. There are two phases – the immediate loss of income due to cow response and the long term actions due to stress factors of a feeding mistake. Keep in mind that if its worth feeding, its worth testing. The type of test performed depends on the component of feed. It helps to have multiple nutrient suppliers in a ration so that if an ingredient does not perform how it should, other ingredients will be present to provide the necessary nutritional value.

To hear Dr. Chandler`s full visit on DairyLine Radio, click the play button below:

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In DairyLine`s continuing segment on what will derail reproduction in a herd, Dr. Ray Nebel of Select Sires cites disease as the third most important. Proper transition cow management and nutrition were the first two areas producers should be concerned with.

In regards to disease, the big three that you should screen for are BVD, Neospora & Leptospirosis. BVD is a disease that can mutate easily so you need to be vigilant in your testing, which can be done with a milk sample. Neospora can result in abortion in the second trimester and testing should be performed on the aborted fetus to see if that was the cause. Lepto results in lower conception rates and can be screened for with a urine sample. Work closely with your vet to stay on top of prevention of these 3 diseases that can cause problems with your herd`s reproductive health.

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The Holstein breeders of California know how to throw a party! Convention activities so far have been a great combination of serious junior competitions, insightful senior meetings and lots of laughter, good food and entertainment.

Today””s dairy bowl contests are involving five Pee-Wee teams, eight Junior teams and five Senior teams. Speech winners and Breeders of the Future winners will be announced at today””s junior awards luncheon, as well as those winning Junior All-American and Res. Junior All-American honors.

Convention report by the numbers:
Last night””s Host Night at the Train Museum was sold out at 350 tickets, with the banquet tonight selling 225.

Holstein Association President and California Holstein breeder Doug Maddox delivered the State of the Association address, highlighting the fact that animals in the Complete Program as of 11/07 number 197,000, while animals classified through 11/07 were 325,000, a 5% increase over last year at the same time. There””s also 10,000 junior Holstein members nationwide.

Jodi Hoynoski gave the financial report from the Association, mentioning that income from registrations is up by 6%; classification revenues are up by 11%; ear tag revenues up 35%; and Holstein Complete revenues are up 17%. SET revenues are down 4%.

The Association has given the Holstein Foundation three million dollars from the reserve fund to aid with their programs, mainly the YDLI program, which will start its sixth class next month.

Stay tuned for more convention news!

DairyLine”s Success Strategies message for this week is from John Ellsworth. He shared the 5 primary rules for reform and how they apply to a dairy operation. To hear John”s full segment, click the play button below.

Rules for Reform
1. Say what you will do and then do what you say.
2. If you don`t measure it, you don`t care.
3. Big reforms require long-term committment.
4. Communicate what you are doing and why.
5. Success is never final and reform is never finished.

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Dr. Allen Britten reminds us once again the importance of developing a solid udder health and milk quality plan for the months ahead. This can be done by implementing a secure MP3 management program. MP3 stands for 3 Major Mastitis Pathogens – Strep Ag, Staph Aureus & Mycoplasma. Monthly bulk tank cultures to monitor the evidence of MP3s in your herd is very important. To prevent MP3s from showing up and causing a larger herd outbreak, routine cultures of fresh and sick cows should a part of your plan. Also, milk cultures of cows exhibiting clinical signs of mastitis should be taken.

To hear Dr. Britten`s full Udder Health Talk from today”s DairyLine Radio program, click the play button below:

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Dr. Mark Kirkpatrick from Pfizer Animal Health has a couple important things to keep in mind as you prepare for a visit from your vet. Click the play button below to hear today`s Vet Visit on DairyLine Radio.

Time is money and often times a visit from your vet professional means you need to make the most out of the time you have with them. To do this, make sure that all of the animals you will be working with have been locked up and are ready to be processed. Also, if vet techs are available, having them do the more repetitive tasks while your vet is able to attend to the more important projects or questions, can be a huge time saver. Create a vet check list before each visit to compile your thoughts and questions – its especially important to be proactive and share any concerns you may be seeing.

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