Transcript WADPFR 2015 Powerpoint Presentation

Wisconsin REPS
Program
Dr. John Marks
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection (DATCP)
Wisconsin Association of Dairy Plant Field Representatives
February 10, 2015
What is REPS Rural Electric Power Services
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Wisconsin
(PSCW) Department of Agriculture, Trade and Co
• Animal
health and production concerns
• Regulatory authority over investor-owned
utilities
• Liaison between producer, utility and PSCW
• Handles electrical concerns
• No regulatory authority
History of the Program
• Started as a voluntary Stray Voltage Task Force in 1986 that
consisted of:
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Legislators
PSCW staff
DILHR staff
Farmers
Veterinarians
Utility personnel
Ag educators
Dairy equipment professionals
• Purpose was to discuss the issue of SV to date – PSCW had
received over 100 complaints on dairy farms
History of the Program
• SV Task Force found that more state resources were needed to
meet the demands of investigations
• Investor owned utilities and some cooperatives were
implementing their own SV testing but there was a lack of
coordination and standardization
• Act 399 in 1987 established the formal Stray Voltage
Assessment Team (SVAT)
• SVAT was no longer volunteer and consisted of:
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Electrician
Veterinarian
2 Electrical engineers
Milking equipment professional
Dairy Producer
• Directed PSCW and DATCP to investigate causes, solutions and
History of the Program
• SVAT recognized the need for more avenues to assist
producers on non-electrical issues such as:
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Herd health
Nutritional concerns
Milking equipment concerns
Production problems
• Final need was for regulatory authority to:
• Develop uniform methods, testing procedures and standards for
diagnosing, correcting and preventing SV
• Create a formal definition of SV
History of the Program
• By legal definition (PSCW Docket 05-EI-115):
• 2 mA (or 1 volt) at a cow contact point is the level of concern.
Measured at steady state 60 Hz with a 500 ohm resistor in-line
• “This level of concern is well below where a cow’s behavior or
milk production would be harmed.”
• SV can occur from both on-farm and off-farm (utility) sources
• If the utility’s contribution is greater than 1.0 mA, they must
reduce it
• 1995 the SVAT went from a temporary to permanent status
• Name change to REPS in 1998
Current Staff Involved - Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and
Consumer Protection
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Dr. John Roberts
Dr. John Marks
Roger Kasper
John Dupuis
Christine Stamm
Ty Rohloff
Kathy Schmitt
- Wisconsin Public Service Commission
• Dave Hansen
Why a veterinarian in rural
electric services?
• The producer concerns about animal health and production
are real
• The producer may not have received any assistance from local
service providers
• The producer may not have received satisfactory diagnostic
assistance from the local service providers
• The producer wants an outside objective opinion
n Data – PSCW Data
R-squared = .0075
unt Data- PSCW Data
R-squared = .0009
REPS Vets – Recent Years
• Not all producers contacting us have SV concerns
• In my last 90 herd visits only 15% had a strong SV concern
• 20% had their SV concerns addressed by their utility – and
were satisfied with the results
• 65% had no SV concerns – they just wanted assistance to less
than desired production or higher than desired health
problems
• In all cases only ~5% of the producer’s local farm service
providers involved
• The majority of dairy producers just want diagnostic
assistance that the local FSP’s don’t/won’t provide
REPS
• What issues do the veterinarians commonly address on the
farm?
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Low production
Death losses
40%
Higher than desired health problems
High somatic cell counts
40%
High prevalence of clinical mastitis
Lameness
Infertility
Calf losses/disease
Behavioral issues (failure to enter parlor, kicking, etc.)
REPS
• Referrals come from numerous sources
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Wisconsin Farm Center (DATCP)
PSC
Local farm service providers (vet, nutritionist, etc.)
Extension
Loan officers
UW
Other dairy producers
Utilities
• Herd-Based Diagnostic Program (HBDP)
• Intent was to get the local farm service providers more
involved on the farm
• Team-based and trust building problem solving
http://www.stateenergyoffice.wi.go
v/docview.asp?docid=25572&locid=
160
REPS
Whole-Herd Wellness
Milk Production
Financial Resources
Disease ControlDairy Success Achievement
Labor Resources
Reproductive
Program
Nutrition Program
Milk Quality
Facility Resources
oncern will dictate what solutions are used
Herd Based Diagnostic
Program
• Principle – focus on
the herd, not the
individual cow
• Use standardized
testing protocols and
interpretations to
diagnose herd
disease
• Major focus is on
subclinical diseases
Herd Based Diagnostic
Program
Herd Based Diagnostic
Program
• The basis is to sample and test “clinically normal” animals
for disease
• Uses statistically-based approach on a sub-sample of the
herd that is at-risk for a disease
• We look at the proportion of the at-risk herd animals
that are affected
• HBD principles can be applied to issues such as milk
quality, lameness, low milk production and reproduction
Herd Based Diagnostic
Program
• This is not individual animal diagnostics
• We are using a population of individuals to diagnose the herd
• This is evidence-based medicine that relies on quantifiable
outcomes and standardized protocols
• Ideally we try to involve as much as possible the local farm
service providers (veterinarian, nutritionist, milking equipment
dealer, etc.) to establish a team-oriented approach to problem
solving
• There is more trust established if local service providers
become involved in the process
Herd Based Diagnostic Program
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REPS vets don’t test for SV
We try to include as many pertinent farm advisors as possible
We only investigate at the farmer’s request
Each producer must fill out and submit an application for
veterinary assistance
We try to identify as many risk factors as possible
A detailed report is sent to producer with diagnostic
interpretations and recommendations for changes
Report is only sent to farmer and anyone they specifically
designate to receive report
There is no cost to producer for REPS veterinary investigations
Milk Quality Investigation –
The Steps
• Receive and review producer submitted application
• Contact producer to obtain any additional information
• Contact local farm service providers (vet, milking equipment
dealer, milk plant rep) to obtain other perspectives
• Send out bulk tank culture kit to identify primary pathogens
• Review production and health records
• DHIA/Dairy Comp records
• Milk plant component records
Milk Quality Investigation –
The Steps
• Schedule visit
• The purpose of the herd investigation is to
identify risk factors that are pertinent to the
organisms
• High levels of risk factors are deficiencies in
management
• Many things get blamed for milk quality issues
but the underlying issue is management does
not have a system in place to account for a
potential increase in risk factors
Management Deficiencies
• Acute – immediate response to change
(contaminated bedding, severe machine
malfunction)
• Additive – effects of several factors influenced by
season, lactation status, etc. (↑ SCC because of
high number of freshenings –overcrowding)
• Chronic – effect of a single change that takes a
long time to accumulate (purchase of Staph
aureus infected animals) –Most problematic
Milk Quality Investigation –
The Steps
• Written report with emphasis placed on
protocol implementation
• Simple, safe, effective and economical
• Based on science
• Repeatedly carried out in a similar fashion
Milker training
Conclusions
• Every problem has a solution – we need to ask the right qu
Questions
• Contact:
• John Marks, D.V.M.
• [email protected]
or
• 608-393-4152