2007 News Releases

CanWest DHI Announces Milk Test for Leukosis

Guelph, ON (April 2, 2007) - CanWest DHI recently introduced a new service which allows producers to test their herd for Bovine Leukosis Virus (BLV) - a blood borne viral infection. The new ELISA test is done with regular DHI milk samples and is available to all producers.

Leukosis is estimated to be present in 40% of Canadian dairy herds and clinical symptoms caused by resulting tumors include weight loss, decreased milk production and immobility. The disease is spread to herdmates of any age by transfer of blood cells from infected animals via such sources as re-use of contaminated equipment, colostrum and waste milk and transmission to the calf before it is born.

Leukosis can significantly impact the profitability of a herd. In addition to the loss of milk production in infected cows, additional costs can be associated with lost marketing opportunities such as the sale of replacement stock, bulls to AI or embryos, domestically and to international markets. The testing of DHI milk samples is not only cost effective and convenient, but the results of the ELISA testing are very accurate (95% sensitivity), allowing producers to make appropriate management decisions immediately.

"Building on the success of the Johne's milk test, we're working hard to provide more health related decision-making information with every DHI milk sample," says Neil Petreny, CanWest DHI general manager. "Our customers are interested in this new Leukosis test because it provides valuable information for making herd management decisions. And we're excited to be able to offer it in such a convenient way."

The new service will allow DHI customers to select cows to be tested - the entire herd, a significant portion of the herd, or specific cows. The cost is $9 per animal tested. Results are available one to two business days after samples reach the lab, and are provided to both the herd owner and their veterinarian as part of DHI's regular service. While Leukosis is not a reportable disease in Canada , producers testing for Leukosis should work with their herd veterinarian to interpret test results and determine an appropriate course of action.

For more information on Leukosis disease and its impact on your herd, please contact your local or provincial veterinarian. For more information on CanWest DHI's Leukosis testing program, please speak with your CanWest DHI field service representative, or contact the DHI Customer Service Desk at 1-800-549-4373.

CanWest DHI is a non-profit milk recording organization, providing profitable dairy management solutions to dairy producers across Ontario and Western Canada.

Dairy Comp Software Approved for CQM Program

Guelph, ON (January 12, 2007) - CanWest DHI is pleased to announce that Dairy Comp Scout and Dairy Comp 305 herd management software, have been approved by Dairy Farmers of Canada for the complete herd recording needs of the Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program.

The CQM program is an on-farm food safety initiative designed to help producers prevent, monitor and reduce food safety risks on their farms. Each province is actively implementing the CQM program with its producers.

Over the last 10 years, Dairy Comp herd management software has been an industry leader in providing Canadian dairy producers with the ability to record events and activities and to have fingertip access to reports and records for their herd. CanWest DHI has taken this recording ability one step further by adding a module to assist producers who wish to keep CQM records completely in an electronic format.

Richard Cantin, Director of Marketing for CanWest DHI states, "Dairy Comp continues to be the software of choice of dairy producers in Canada . With the added CQM Module, producers now have the ability to record the information that is relevant to their particular operation and provides the ability to meet the specific recording and reporting requirements of the CQM program, in an electronic format. This is another great example of how Dairy Comp software has been adapted to meet the specific needs of the Canadian Dairy Industry."

For more information about the CQM program, contact your provincial producer organization. For information on Dairy Comp products and the new CQM Module contact DHI at 1-800-549-4373.