UsDA issues final non-ambulatory rule for cattle
On March 14, Agriculture Secretary including those that become non-ambula- “This rule is designed to enhance con- and prohibit these cattle from proceeding
Tom Vilsack announced a final rule to tory disabled after passing ante-mortem sumer confidence and humane handling to slaughter. With this final rule, these cat-
amend the federal meat inspection regula- inspection, be condemned and properly standards,” Vilsack said. tle now must be humanely euthanized.
tions to require a complete ban on the disposed of according to FSIS regulations. Under the final rule, cattle that become For further information, contact
slaughter of cattle that become non-ambu- Additionally, the final rule requires that non-ambulatory disabled from an acute Daniel Engeljohn, deputy assistant
latory disabled after passing initial inspec- establishments notify inspection program injury after ante-mortem inspection will no administrator, Office of Policy and
tion by Food Safety and Inspection Service personnel when cattle become non-ambu- longer be eligible to proceed to slaughter Program Development, FSIS, 202-205-
(FSIS) inspection program personnel. latory disabled after passing the ante- as “U.S. Suspects.” Instead, FSIS inspectors 0495. The final rule is available at edock-
The final rule amends the federal meat mortem, or pre-slaughter, inspection. will tag these cattle as “U.S. Condemned”
et.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-5987.htm.
inspection regulations to require that all
cattle that are non-ambulatory disabled
(“downer”) cattle at any time prior to
slaughter at an official establishment,
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ride for Daisy?
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ByNORMANDst-PiERRE, OHiOstAtE
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UNivERsity DAiRy sPEciAList
Low milk prices, high feed costs:
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what to do? For one thing, re-evaluate
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your culling policy. Cows that were still
profitable to milk six months ago may
not be anymore.
As a quick rule of thumb, a Holstein
eats 25 pounds of dry matter (DM) per day
to maintain herself plus 1 pound for each 3
pounds of milk produced. So a cow pro-
ducing 30 pounds per day would eat about
35 pounds of DM per day. A pound of DM
in a lactating cow ration costs you 9 to 10
cents. Thus, if Daisy produces 30 pounds
of milk per day, she is costing you about
$3.15 per day in feeds alone. At $11 per
cwt., her milk is worth $3.10, an amount
that doesn’t even cover her feed costs. If
Daisy is more than 100 days from calving
she should go for a truck ride.
When all cash costs are considered,
milk revenues must generally exceed feed
costs by at least 20% to cover all variable
costs. In most herds, cows under 35
pounds per day are cash drains and money
losers. Also, if your pens are over-crowded
(20% to 30% more cows than the number
of stalls), culling some cows often increases
the amount of milk given by the rest of the
cows. You might get just as much milk out
of 90 cows in your 80-stall pen as you are
getting from 100 cows right now.
Bottom Line: unless your lender says
otherwise, look at culling the bottom 5%
to 10% of your lactating cows. Your feed
bill will drop, milk shipped may not
change, and cash flow will improve.
Farmersville, Ohio Minford, Ohio
Brubaker Grain scioto valley Farm supply
& chemical 740-820-8601
800-328-6564
Nova, Ohio
Apple Creek, Ohio
vaccine to reduce
Ft. Recovery, Ohio Nova Farmers supply, inc.
Maysville Elevator
Big k Feed Mills, inc. 419-652-3200
330-695-4413
419-375-4578
E. coli
New Carlisle, Ohio
Breman, Ohio
Greenville, Ohio Miami valley Feed & Grain, inc.
Rushcreek Feed & supply co, inc.
keller Grain & Feed 937-845-3568
On March 13, Agriculture Secretary 740-569-4105
www.kellergrain.com
Seaman, Ohio
Tom Vilsack announced that the U. S. Bucyrus, Ohio
Harrod, Ohio W.c. Milling LLc
Department of Agriculture has issued a
West side Feed service, inc.
county Line Ag service 937-386-2282
conditional license to Epitopix, LLC, of
419-562-6806
419-648-3277
Shelby, Ohio
Willmar, Minn., for a vaccine to reduce the
Caldwell, Ohio
Houston, Ohio Walnut Hills Feeds
Jones Feed
prevalence of E. coli O157 in feedlot cattle.
the Farmers Elevator co 419-342-2942
740-732-4135
937-295-2369
Vaccines to reduce the prevalence and
Westville, Ohio
Cedarville, Ohio
Jackson, Ohio Westville Grain company
shedding of E. coli pathogens in cattle are kent’s Feed Barn
circle M Farms Feed & supply 937-653-4224
one component of a wide-range of options
937-766-5570
740-988-3455
to enhance food safety controls. USDA’s
Dresden, Ohio
Kirtland, Ohio
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Dresden Feed & supply
kirtland Feed co., inc.
740-754-2391
440-256-1891
Service (APHIS) granted the conditional
license following the acceptance of data
supporting product safety and a reason-
able expectation of efficacy.
Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2009 •Livestock 27
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