Merits of goat production testing reviewed By MARK MOORE history of milk and butterfat Maryland DM Supervisor poundage can be developed. WESTMINSTER, Md. - Typical daily milk weights lairv Herd Improvement or and percentage butterfats WU J «IlAnf AnmaM _ ._ , , . _ . .1 LAWN SALE JUNE 10.11 Close out fabrics and a selection at 50 cents and $l.OO a yard. Remnants. Hosiery-underwear. Miscellaneous • plants - quilts - pillows - rugs. LAPP DRY GOODS 3137 Old Philadelphia Pike Bird-in-Hand, Pa. For post-emergence weed control on com... Donvel'heibicide... ...alone or tank-mixed with 2,4-D (depending on your weed problem): ...to control tough, late germinating broadleof weeds. ...to cover misses of pre-emergence herbicide application, ...to get control where weather or other factors moke earlier application impossible. ...to moke sure thot late weeds cannot mature to become the nursery for next year's weed crop. pennfk 711 Rohrerstown Road Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17604 called individual herd testing, a supervisor or tester comes to a herd and records the milk weights and takes milk samples for butterfat analysis on each dairy goat for two consecutive milkings about once a month. In group testing four or more herds form a round robin type testing circle jn a representative’from each herd becomes a tester, for another herd" within the group. Each month the circle shifts and the herd is tested by another of the group. This test and shift is repeated as long as the group remains intact or until new members are added the group. With group testing sometime during the lactation a surprise test must be conducted by a supervisor or tester outside the normal group schedule. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of testing. With individual herd testing the advantages are obvious. You as a herd owner will have very little work or time to put into the actual testing. The supervisor or tester, spending his time arrives at your herd, measures and records the output of your dairy goats. Die herd owner then pays for the time and service rendered. The money received by the tester is in part dependent on the number of animals in the herd. The main disadvantage to this type of test is simple economics. There may be a great deal of difficulty in convincing a supervisor or tester to spend time with your herd, which may be small, when in nearly thesame time he may test a large herd of dairy cows with considerably greater financial reward. In group testing the main expense is time, which must be spent by each herd owner or representative. Each month the representative, who has been trained in sampling and weight measurement techniques, performs the role of the supervisor or tester in the individual herd testing program with the exception W Ask us for opplicotion details about Danvel herbicide... from Velsicol. Note: Before using any pesticide, read the label. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 4,1977 of doing the required paperwork. Testing schedules and times are set in accordance with DHI rules and guidelines. This time to be spent may, by some herd owners, be considered a disadvantage I feel however, that one of the advantages of group testing and one that cannot be overlooked is the personnal contact with other dairy goat owners that, by nature of the program, is required. Everyone in the program is given an opportunity to get out,'away from their barn and observe how others solve common management problems. With many owners being relatively new to dairy goats, myself for one, the greater an exchange of information we can develop the more profitable and enriching an enterprise the dairy goat industry will become. Irreguardless of the type of testing done, it should be done, ITiere are a great number of benefits to be derived from production testing. As dairy goat owners each of us should be interested in producing our product, milk, the most efficient way. That is we should try to get the most milk, with the least feed, for the longest time, and with the least work possible. As the lactation continues and records are returned, the wise owner can relate the records to environmental, health, and feeding factors and note these factors on milk production. Another and perhaps the greatest benefit from DHI testing as far as overall dairy goat improvement goes is the process known as sire selection. Using DHI records of their dams or daughters bucks can be selected that will increase the milk production of your herd rather than lower it. For example, you have a doe, on test of course, that produced 2200 pounds of milk, of that 90 pounds was butterfat or if you prefer 4.1 per cent butterfat. The doe is bred to a buck with no DHI records behind him. In the spring she has triplet does, they are in turn raised, bred, kid and go on test. But these does average only 1800 pounds of milk with a three per cent butterfat at the same age and under the same conditions as the mother. In addition to several years of your time, the production ability or milk of the original does has been lost thru genetic mismanagement. (Remember we said all Know Where the Activities Will Be? Read the Farm Women Calendar. GUTSHALL’S SILO REPAIR R.D. 1, Womelsdorf, Pa. Phone 717-933-4616 We specialize in: +tearing down and rebuilding silos +replaster and white coat silos +Lancaster Level-Flo pipe and distributor +install new silo roofs +install silo extensions +wili rent out harvestore jacks +will rent grain bin jacks other factors were equal.) If on the other hand production records had been available for the buck selected (preferably from several daughters in serveral different herds including your own) which showed a level of milk production above that of the original doe one could reasonably expect the offspring to have not lost and hopefully increased in milk production. DHI testing is also one method of obtaining a star milker certification for a dairy goat from the American Dairy Goat Association. A dairy goat that can produce at least 1500 pounds of milk or 52.5 pounds of butterfat in 305 days or less when she freshens as a two year old or less can be given the star certification. The requirements do however increase with age up to about five years of age. The star program is good in many respects however as herd owners of a production dairy animal we need to look further into production records. A DHI program that continues over several generations showing the fluctuation and full production history can relate if the time and expense of developing a high production line is succeeding. Another part of the star program is the one day test held at milk competitions. A star is awarded dairy goats meeting requirements of milk production based on a one day test of milking ability taken at some time during the lactation. Again the one day test is good but only to a point. There are many questions that can be asked about the production ability of a goat that cannot be answered by a one day test report. For example, how long did the doe milk at that rate? Did she milk a full lactation or milk only a few months? Did she peak at that level for only a few weeks or hold a high level the entire lactation? Production records taken monthly answers many of these questions. Needless to say I am a firm believer in a DHI program. To my point of view if the dairy goat is to develop to anywhere near the efficiency I feel they are capable of, then a lot of time and energy must be put into the selection of top quality production animals. The DHI program can certainly go a long way in achieving this goal. If in some way we who are in the program can be of help contact us directly or through your club leaders. 99
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