—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.
, *\