CowTales

The U

2012-01-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to be a teacher. In fact, occasionally I would throw out the idea to Annisa, "Let's go to college and teach." Then I would backtrack. Something about academia gives me the hives. I also made a New Year's resolution to improve my conversational and speaking skills. Truth be told, I prefer to speak few words and get straight to the point which makes conversations with my wife interesting to say the least. Plus, the art of persuasion, especially with clients, requires greater tactfulness than my speaking preference allows. Boy do my public speaking skills require a lot of work. Dairy Judging at Penn State helped substantially, but the glory years are over a decade in the past. Therefore, the only way to practice is to make a commitment to speak publicly on a regular basis.

Enough about me. Our clients are facing greater and more difficult challenges that impact their financial viability. The only way to stay viable is to address the management issues head on that are holding back a larger pay check. To identify and address these issues, clients require knowledge, guidance, and support. How can we do more to help and better serve our clients? Let's start a University!

The practice created Mid-Maryland Dairy Veterinarians University, or MMDV-University for short. The University provides a unique forum to serve our clients. We get to use our skills and share knowledge in an open classroom. Plus, it forces me to get out of my comfort zone. I get to teach, practice public speaking, and serve my clients in the same forum. Who could ask for anything more? Truth be told, Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, was the inspiration behind MMDV-U. I love Dave Ramsey, agree with his financial principles, and admire his unabashed honesty and tough love mantra. Can we use the Dave Ramsey format?

The University is fairly ambitious, a 9-part class covering a little bit of everything.

January: Cow Comfort
February: Transition Cow Management
March: Replacements
April: Forage Quality and Feed Management
May: Milk Quality
September: Reproduction
October: Risk Management
November: Animal Husbandry Techniques and Animal Welfare
December: Production, Culling, and Internal Herd Growth

The Cow Comfort Session was wrapped up last week and I have to say, it went pretty well. We had 34 "students" from Maryland and Pennsylvania. Dr. Doak and I partnered to teach the course, using dueling computers to present our Power Point Presentation and to use website examples and videos. Each student received notes and a thumbdrive with papers, presentations, and spreadsheets.

As the saying goes, "Knowledge is Power." I hope that by the end of the year our students will implement changes that will significantly impact their profitability. At the same time, I get to enjoy a teaching gig and just maybe, public speaking and the art of persuasion will become second nature.

Gold Standards III - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

2011-11-29T16:05:00.001-08:00

Gold Standards III - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

Gold Standards II - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

2011-11-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

Gold Standards II - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

Calving difficulty has lifelong effects - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

2011-11-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

Calving difficulty has lifelong effects - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

Dairymen Working Together

2011-02-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

In today’s competitive business environment, the smaller dairy farms lose out to the larger dairies in terms of modern facilities, efficiency, and economies of scale. In particular, modern dairy facilities improve cow comfort and labor efficiency giving them a more competitive advantage over the smaller dairy farms, many of which have older facilities. When cows are more comfortable, cow health and cow productivity automatically improve meaning less time is needed to treat sick cows which improves labor efficiency. As a result of the large dairy management and financial advantages, the dairy industry has undergone a rapid consolidation moving from smaller more inefficient dairy farms to larger, modern and more efficient dairies. We are witnessing the loss of the small dairy from the national landscape. Therefore, in order for the smaller dairies to compete and survive, we must develop a strategy to modernize facilities.

I think part of that strategy lies in the community spirit of the neighborhood small dairy farms. Nowhere else in America is the community spirit more personified than in rural regions. Dairymen need to work together to modernize dairies through cost-effective means. What constitutes the farming community spirit and why do I think this strategy could work?

An interesting irony exists in a dairy community. Dairymen are very independent individuals. They chose this profession because they can be their own boss while remaining in close proximity to their family. But during times of crisis, of need and hardship, those independent individuals make a choice to help a neighbor in need, the Samaritan ideal, or to submit and accept desperately needed assistance from another. As a community, dairymen depend on each other.

Two examples of the Samaritan ideal are vivid in my memory. In September 2004, remnants of Hurricane Ivan came roaring through Franklin County, Pennsylvania sparking a tornado that tore a path through the back door of my family’s dairy farm. Three dairy farms were torn apart. By the time I reached the area, scores of farmers were already hard at work, rescuing animals and starting the clean-up process. I went to my father’s best friend’s dairy to tend to the injured cattle, staying till well after 1 am sewing up severe lacerations with the aid of many dedicated dairymen. Men and women provided assistance from clean-up to food preparation. In less than 2 weeks, the barn was reconstructed and the community came closer together.

Death also brings people together. In a previous post, I discussed the passing of Rodney Hawbaker. Volunteers from around the community poured in their support to keep the dairy running while the family was mourning his loss. Over 20 Samaritans volunteered their valuable time towards this effort. Construction projects, with donated labor and supplies, were initiated around the farm, to make the everyday chores easier on Rodney’s wife and herdsman. Without the valuable assistance of neighbors and friends, the life transition would have been significantly more difficult.

We need to treat the present state of the dairy industry like a crisis. A “call-to-action” is needed to maintain the viability of the small dairy. We do not need a big government bailout. We need each other. “Dairymen Working Together” sounds catchy. What we need is to utilize the community spirit as described in the examples to bring one dairy out of the abyss; one dairy at a time focusing on cow comfort and feed-bunk and water-trough space. The “Dairymen Working Together” strategy requires that the individual swallows his pride and recognizes the need for change, to move out of the status quo mentality and accept that without change, the farm’s fate has been sealed.

A Tribute to a Beautiful Life

2011-01-20T18:15:00.000-08:00

Large animal veterinarians have a tendency to develop unique friendships with our clients, in many instances crossing the divide between friend and professional relationship. We usually visit at least once a month, converse about the farm, family, and friends, and sprinkle in gossip, politics, and religion for good measure. We develop a close bond. But nothing prepares you for the sudden and dramatic loss of that friend.

Farming has significant risks and dangers. (I have scars to prove it.) With a practice of over 300 clients, we see lives affected by farming accidents on an annual basis. But nothing prepared me for the sudden loss of one of my clients to a farming accident. On Wednesday, January 19th, I lost a client and a friend. Rodney Hawbaker was only 44 years old, leaving behind his wife, Karen, and two children, Owen and Kirsten, whom I worked with in our local 4-H club. He had a thirst for life, a life guided by his relationship with Christ.

If I could simply describe Rod, I could use a seven-letter sentence, "He got it." He lived a life of service, was accountable to his fellow man, and was always available to help a friend in need. After reading this post, I think you will realize what "it" is. First, I want to start with a story.

About two years ago, Rod became actively involved with missionary work focusing on impoverished children in Bolivia. Integral to the mission was providing a solid foundation for a Bolivian orphanage by constructing a dairy intended to provide food and income. Rod told me that he was donating 15 heifers to a sale in order to provide financial support for the project. My eyes bugged out of head, because he was donating 15 "income generators" during a severe economic downturn in the dairy industry. I argued that he needed the money, but Rod would not budge. It was clear that Rod was focused on providing hope for the children. Still focused on his business, I recommended that he keep tabs on his donations for tax purposes. Rod was quick to respond that due to the economic downturn, a tax write-off would not be necessary this year.

"He got it."

Clearly, I did not "get it" yet.

In addition to his financial donations, Rod donated his time and inexhaustible energy. Approximately every 3-4 months, Rod and his family would visit the orphanage, aiding the children and providing labor for the dairy's construction.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.: Sir Winston Churchill

Rod knew his purpose in life. Have we realized our life purpose? "He got it." He used his dairy farm, the fruits of his labor, to fulfill a greater purpose and passion - to grow a beautiful faith-based, close-knit family, to spread the word of Christ, and to provide hope for the impoverished children of Bolivia. His life was cut short, but during his short life, he was able to touch the lives of so many. May we be so fortunate to find "it" before we leave this world.

Rod and I had a scheduled appointment on January 19th. I'm sure we would have talked about the farm and cow management issues. Likely, we would have mused over stories about our family and his future trip to Bolivia. And we would have thrown in a discussion on politics for good measure. But he had another appointment he simply could not miss, an appointment so important to him that his entire life was spent preparing.

I will leave you with a few passages:

2 Corinthians 9:7
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Luke 6:38

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Acts 20:35
"In everything that I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

No Guts, No Glory

2010-02-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, I was presented with an interesting case. A young Brown Swiss cow had not been feeling well for a few days. She was not producing milk and was very constipated but she continued to eat. One of my partners saw her on Monday and treated her conservatively with epsom salts and other laxatives in order to dislodge the blockage. If that treatment did not work, he instructed the client to call later in the week for re-evaluation.

Needless to say, the Swisser could not poop. As much as a cow eats, she needs to poop. So we got the call to figure out the problem. Problem was, I was scheduled to perform a drumming demonstration for Sasha's elementary school class. My daughter was Star of the Week. On Thursday, the Star of the Week was to receive a surprise visit from a relative whom would entertain the class with a demonstration. I was scheduled to be there at 11 am and the constipated Brown Swiss call came in at 8:30am. I thought I had plenty of time to pick up the call and make it to school to surprise my daughter. Boy was I in for a big surprise!

I arrived at the farm at 9:15 am and immediately looked over the cow. She was standing and ruminating, even eating. But her manure was skant and dark like digested blood. Palpating her rectally, her intestines were grossly distended. Something serious was wrong. Distended intestines without manure could indicate a mesenteric torsion, intestinal volvulous, hemorrhagic bowel syndrome, or intussusception which collectively equal - DEATH! So, we had 2 choices: euthanasia or surgery. The cow was young, plus she was owned by another person. Consequently, my client elected to try to save the cow at all cost. Time to don the surgery gloves. I was thinking to myself, "I have plenty of time to knock this surgery out and make it to school." On second thought...

I prepped her, blocked her with lidocaine, scrubbed up, donned the gloves, grabbed the scalpel blade and in I went. I started gut puddling and encountered a loop of intestine that felt larger in diameter than normal. I fished it out and closely examined it. The intestine had telescoped into itself forming an intussusception. Much to my pleasant surprise, the intestinal tissue looked normal indicating that this intussesception was fairly new. If this was causing her problems, we were on Easy Street. I pulled it apart and stuffed it back in and started puddling some more and then I found it. I pulled out a second bigger, badder, meaner-looking intussusception. It was swollen, edematous, and even hemorrhagic. Clearly, the tissue was dying and needed to be removed.

The Intussusception swollen and edematous

Intestine pulled out of intussusception with blood clot.

There goes my appointment. The cow's abdomen was open. There was no going back. Annisa was not going to be happy and Sasha was going to be hugely disappointed. I was becoming an emotional wreck, but I had a job to do. I had to save this cow and deal with the famliy consequences later. We now had 2 options, euthanize the cow or try to remove the dying intestine. "No Guts, No Glory." Pun intended. The dairyman held the intestines for me as I attempted a resection and anastamosis. I clamped both ends where we had normal tissue, tied off the blood vessels, and hacked away the intussusception. No going back. I sewed the ends together with two lines in a simple continuous pattern using catgut suture and oversewed the everted ends. We opened the clamps and ingesta started flowing through. Two leaks were identified and quickly sewed shut. The anastamosis was starting to look good. We rinsed off the intestines with saline solution and heavy doses of Penicillin in order to reduce adhesions and infection which could compromise the anastamosis. By this time, the cow had it. She layed down which increased my anxiety level. When cows go down, they usually want to die. So, we stuffed the intestines back, said a "Hail Mary!" and closed her up. I did my job. The cow was still alive and my wife was frantic wondering what she was going to do to cover for me at school. I left after giving the client a laundry list for post-surgical care.

Now the saving part shifts to the client in whom I have a lot of faith. She will require heavy supportive care over the next two weeks, including aggressive fluid therapy in order to maintain adequate blood perfusion of the intestine which will promote healing. She'll also need aggressive antibiotic therapy, laxatives, and high quality feed. I stopped in the following day for a check-up and was astonished by what I saw.She was standing, eating, chewing her cud, and manure was passing. The client told me that he shed a tear after the ol' girl ripped a piece of hay out of his hand as he passed by - an indication that she was determined to fight. That statement confirmed why I chose this profession. Oh yeah, about my appointment at school. Annisa tried to call me multiple times to no avail. After hopping in the truck, I made the apologetic phone call. Fortunately for me and my daughter, Annisa rescheduled the demonstration for 2:30 pm which conflicted with a herd check appointment. However, my understanding partners made arrangements to cover for me so I could see Sasha. Thanks guys!

Stories from a Cow Vet

2010-01-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

It took a while to motivate myself to start this blog. After a story I heard this week, I knew I must get started. One of my clients told me he had to do something that he never thought possible. He literally had to remove an A.I. (artificial insemination) Technician's (Cow breeder) hand that was stuck in a cow's rear-end. The cow was for lack of a better word, a "tight ass," having an anal stricture which made it extremely painful to palpate her. I refused last year after many failed attempts with copious amounts of lubricant. The bull ended up breeding her. After she calved this year, the client intended to place her directly into the bull group for breeding, but he was slow on the draw. She came in heat in the A.I. group, the breeder saw her, and succeeded in servicing her. Only problem is, he could not remove his hand. He stated that he felt like his wrist was about to dislocate when he tried to retract his hand. With his clean hand, he called the client with his cell phone and he came to the rescue. After squirting lube around his hand and with extra gut-wrenching pressure, all was well.

It's stories like this one that I really enjoy telling. They are the stories that most people rarely hear and find intriquing. Life as a dairy vet certainly is interesting and definitely keeps me on my toes! So here goes . . . my adventure into blogland has begun.

The Little Mutant

The main inspiration for this blog came from an experience I had earlier in the summer of '09 on a Sunday emergency call. One of my clients called with a very sick heifer who was down and 1 month from calving. She was extremely

dehydrated and emaciated and after reaching into her I realized she was aborting a live calf a month early. I immediately started I.V. fluids, but mid-way through the first
bottle, she died. Knowing that we may still have a live calf, I cut her open to try to save the calf and was surprised to find a two-headed calf. The calf was stillborn, which was probably for the best. The heads were fused at the base of the skull and the inside ears were also fused. Of course we had to take a few photos.

I used the top photo for Halloween Trick-or Treeters. Princesses, Ghouls, and Goblins had to identify what was wrong with the calf in the picture before they could grab a handful of candy. After realizing what they were viewing, the kiddos immediately ran to tell their parents who, of course, had to take a peek.

CowTales

The U

Gold Standards III - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

Gold Standards II - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

Calving difficulty has lifelong effects - Dairy Calf and Heifer Association

Dairymen Working Together

More Stories of the Disgusting, Mutated, and Absurd

A Tribute to a Beautiful Life

No Guts, No Glory

Stories from a Cow Vet