A32—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 12,1980 HARRISBURG - Slim price margins over the cost of production and outdated methods of computing fuel costs in the dairy pricing for mula used by Crop Repor ting Service were among factors discussed in Thurs day’s Area 4 milk hearing. “One of the major pro blems facmg dairy farmers in Area 4 - and for that mat ter, the rest of Pennsylvania - is the narrow spread bet ween the average price received for milk and the for high energy LITITZ - M'odern dairymen are turning to high energy rations to push cattle to their genetic potential. But along with this switch to higher energy feed has come an increase in rumen acids present m the dairy cows’ digestive systems, especially among cows fed ensiled forages and high concentrate levels. Dairy cows with too much acidity sometimes ex perience depressed butterfat tests, reduced feed intake, lower milk production and more infertility, says Richard Adams, a dairy nutritionist at Penn State. One feed ingredient which ) have a nice weekend.. * m -” 11 K nf m m * f* '/ th "*■ u, 1 M. Nl - - "“PK /H, r ' l \ m ,/fJ i to w Tight dairy margins cited at area 4 hearing cost of production.” State Grange Masiei harles Wismer said at the hearing held at the Holiday Inn in Harrisburg. He pointed to statistics presented by the Penn sylvania Crop Reporting Service’s Special Dairy report of May 1980. The Crop Reporting Service’s figures for the average price received by farmers in the Philadelphia Milk Shed, as of March 31, 1980, was $12.78 per him Feeding tips has been effective in balancing rumen acids is sodium bicarbonate, a compound which occurs naturally in cows’ saliva. However, not enough saliva is secreted to neutralize the acids produced when low fiber, high-energy rations are fed, especially during hot weather. In these cases, sup plemental feeding of sodium bicarbonate should be considered, Dr. Adams says. Dairymen feeding sodium bicarbonate should supply it at a level equal to 0.60 percent of dry matter intake. “That’s roughly equal to 1 to 1.5 percent m a con centrate mixture or finished feed,” Adams explains. Milk production, butterfat test percentage and dry matter intake may improve separately or in combination when sodium bicarbonate is added to rations in proper amounts Adams lists several conditions under which bicarb feeding may be helpful -High producing cows consuming concentrates at a level exceeding two percent of their body weight. -Cows suffering from hot, humid weather, especially when little alfalfa or other legume forage is fed -Cows fed less than two pounds of forage on a dry matter basis per 100 pounds of body weight. -Rations in which forage dredweignt. According to that same report, the average cost of production in that same milk shed was $11.72 per hundredweight. Subtracting the cost of production from the average price received, yields a profit of $1.02 per hun dredweight in the Philadelphia Milk Shed, or, m simpler language, a little over two cent per quart. Last years figures, again, according to the Crop Reporting Service, placed rations substitutes like wet brewers gram provide 20 to 25 per cent of the usual roughage on a dry matter basis. Dairymen should consider feeding sodium bicarbonate in combmation with other feed ingredients such as magnesium .oxide and calcium carbonate, he adds Recent university and in dustry research resulted m mcreases m fat-corrected milk when sodium bicar bonate was fed with magnesium oxide. Calcium carbonate may neutralize acids in the lower digestive tract in contrast to sodium bicarbonate’s neutralizing effect in the rumen. Fed in combmation, these ingredients may help correct acid imbalances throughout the digestive system. THE SYSTEMS PEOPLE ► and l^ktock^ou'ipment H A GSI ON-FARM STORAGE SYSTEM 4, , f *"~' r G&AIN FEATURING: ■ All galvanized steel with G-90 galvanized coating, including galvanized doors. ■ Our steel is A 446 Quality or a min imum yield of 40,000 pounds per square inch. i/HHERR EQUIPMENT, IMC. FARM A HOMI SOMH.Y w>. t m w* *oo»»i mmnmm. wtUOMSTMCI.r*. Phono: (717)464-JWJH the average return over production at 91 cents per hundredweight, or a little under two cents per quart. “In the course of our in vestigation of the Crop Reporting Service’s methods of computation, we discovered last year that the cost of fuel was not entered Into the computations for average cost of production,” Wismer said. “We recently checked back with them to see if this had been changed. While they assured us that they would soon be updating their computation formula, the present average cost of production figures still do not reflect the cost of fuel,” he continued. According to the Agricultural Price Report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bulk delivery prices for regular leaded gasoline in Pennsylvania rose from $1 02 per gallon, as of January 15, 1980, to $1.17 per gallon, as of May 15, 1980. According to that same report, diesel fuel bulk delivery prices in Penn sylvania rose from 91 cents per gallon, as of January 15, 1980, to 97 cents per gallon, as of May 15,1980. “I might also add that at this time last year, the regular leaded gasoline and bulk diesel fuel prices stood at 75 cents and 64 cents, respectively,” he said. Due to this dramatic rise in fuel costs, coupled with widespread increases in prices in such necessary ~“'™ R GP«W -W. i.A ■ Walk around steps on top of roof. ■ Equipped with safety rings. ■No welding any where on roof, pre vents rust. ■ Slotted holes to raise & lower roof for air movement for drying SERVING THE INDUSTRY OVER 20 YEARS commodities such as fer tilizers and farm equipment, and an already slim profit margin, it is the opinion of the Grange that some up ward modification of the producer price is in order. This modification should be G<sfl») mm* SPECIAL SALE ON IN STOCK GRAIN EQUIPMENT • GRAIN BINS * GRAIN SPREADERS •AERATION FLOORS • GRAIN CLEANERS •AERATION FANS •AUGER • DRYERS EQUIPMENT FULL LINE PARTS DEPARTMENT WE SELL. SERVICE AND INSTALL made in line with the < Federal Order price. “ “Certainly, any mcrease granted to the producer should also be granted to the dealers so they do not have to absorb the producer in crease,” Wismer concluded. 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