—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 6, 1977 106 Francis Kirk to host Guernsey field day By DIETER KRIEG WAKEFIELD - Francis and Ethel Kirk, owners of Cedar Fringed Farms, near here, will host the Lancaster County Guernsey Field Day next Thursday. Highlights of the day include a judging contest, a calf give-away, and an address by Rowland Bowvay, manager of Quail Roost Farms. Prizes will be given to the top dairy judges in each of three divisions for men, women and children. In addition, there’ll be a chicken barbecue and home-made ice cream. The Kirks stress individual care and attention from the day a calf is born until it leaves their registered Guernsey herd. Every calf is provided with a pen of his own, is individually bottle fed and receives an infra-red lamp when necessary. This kind of individual attention is especially evident at milking time - the three row, 65-stall BICKEN'S ARE BETTER! Dau: Morrill Sue Bicken Seith-Twin 3-03 2X 214 d 16560 M 32% 530F(IncO 3-03 Projected M.E. 23127 M 832 F All available completed lactation data not mcludad wilt be provided upon raquest 40H2573 Morrill Star BB Bicken "GP"(B4)GM PD +IIO3M +2BF +93s 29% Rep. 5/77 USDA PDT +.45 30% Rep. 2/77 TPI+246 HFA aAa 412356 Bicken daughters are high producers with exceptionally well-balanced udders that milk out fast. They're tall and strong, but very dairy, with especially good rear udders and teat placement. Sired by Penstate Ivanhoe Star and out of a high-testing Citation R Maple daughter, Bicken should be used on short, deep-uddered cows that need better udder quality and more will-to-milk. Curtiss Breeding Service ~fari _ Division of Searle Agriculture Inc. 312-639-2141 • Cary. IL 60013 BREEDING 01TTLE FOR YOUR NEXT GENERATION CURTISS stable is used exclusively for milking. When the pipeline was installed in 1963, it gave the Kirks the efficiency of a parlor without sacrificing any of the advantages of conventional housing and milking systems. There are approximately 40 Guernsey herds in Lan caster County, and the Kirk herd is one of the largest, numbering 225 head with cows, heifers and calves. As many as 145 cows are kept at Cedar Fringe Farms during the winter. Francis’ wife, Ethel, who is not from a dairy farm originally, has become thoroughly acquainted with every phase of a dairy operation. The Kirk’s present rolling herd average stands at 10,334 pounds of milk, a 4.9 per cent test, and 513 pounds of butterfat. More than 20 cows in the herd have records exceeding 600 pounds of butterfat. The herd has also had fine representation at dairy shows in the area. Once the cows are milked they are returned to a concreted feeding area, from where they have access to either the pasture or the spacious 69’ z 120’ pole bam. This loose housing facility is bedded with sawdust that comes from a sawmill on the Kirk property.'A 24 by 60 concrete-stave silo provides silage, as do a 15 by 100 bunk silo and a couple of smaller structures. Silage is fed 365 days a year, and Francis says it usually takes around 100 dcres of com to supply his needs. Hay is also fed year-round and in unlimited quantities. If necessary Francis will purchase hay, but only top quality, he says. With feed costs being a concern to every dairyman, one way of keeping things in balance here has been to purchase wet brewers grains out of Baltimore. “Great V NAAIV-Jl I >«nMii I Uwt«y Dau: Bicken Daughter 379—Grade 2-06 2X 313 d 19148 M 3.5% 670 F feed”, comments Francis, a 1949 graduate of Penn State, and former member of that horse, swine, and beef cattle judging teams. A 20 per cent commercial feed is fed at the ratio of 1:4 when wet brewers grains are available, and if not, then grain feeding is increased to approximately one pound of feed per three pounds of milk. The wet brewers grains are fed out in the bunk, not in the milking bam. For additional protein needs, and LPS feeder is available. The all registered herd of Guernseys is 100 per cent homebred. It has been 20 years since animals other than bulls were purchased. Mfs. Kirk is proud of the fact that she raised all blit 15 of the animals in the herd, and Dau: Morrill Corkie Bicken Ella "VG"(B<5) 2-08 2X 296 d 17836 M 3.7% 660F(1nc.) 2-08 Projected M.E. 22149 M 832 F those ,were started by Francis’ father. Almost all heifer calves are raised as herd replacements. The Kirk’s farm a total of 265 acres, most of which goes CURTISS Distributors and Dealers Serving Your Area: Bernville, Pa. 19506 John Bicksler, 717-866-6867 Elverson, Pa. 19520 Meet Stroble, 215-286-9173 Franklin, N.J. 07416 Robert Kitchen, 201-827-4659 Hamburg, Pa. 19526 Doug Lesher, 215-562-3206 Lebanon, P?. 17042 Lynford Knssinger, 717-272-6824 Lundell, Pa. 19354 Wm. Downing, 215-942-2688 McVeytown, Pa. 17051 James Swigart, 717-899-7372 Manheim, Pa. 17545 Cliff Gibble, 717-665-4252 MHflinburg, Pa. 17844 Dave Dietrich, 717-966-2438 Mifflintown. Pa. 17059 John Zendt, 717-436-6386 Millville. Pa. 17846 Don Harding, 717-458-5367 Orwigsburg, Pa. 17961 Eugene F. Koch, 717-366-1131 Petersburg, Pa. 16669 John Foster, Jr., 814-667-3614 Phillipsburg, N.J. 08865 Wm Shandor, 215-253-2773 Quarryville, Pa. 17569 Carl Boyan, 717-786-2645 Schwenkesville, Pa. 19473 Wm Shamlme, 215-287-6500 Stewartstown, Pa. 17363 Marvin Jomes, 717-993-2281 Sunbury, Pa. 17801 Wilfred Deppen, 717-286-7290 Towanda, Pa. 18848 Chas Robbins, 717-265-5026 DISTRICT SALES MANAGER Robert Elliott 87 Mornmglory Lane Manheim, Pa 17548 717-665-6858 CURTISS SALES REPRESENTATIVE Harold Steele 202 E Julian Martir.sburg, Pa 16662 814-793-3312 BREEDING CITTLM FOR YOUR NEXT GENERATION into corn. Other crops are primarily hay and barley. Directions on how to get to .the Kirks’ farm will be posted along Route 222 below Wakefield. , *\
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