Dl4—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 11,1980 EVALUATING THE BROOD COW. Grandpa would never understand die jargon used in todays dairy business. Modern cow language is filled with acronyms, abbreviations and alphabetical acrobatics that can make even a Dut chman blush! But we all have to learn how to un derstand and speak it in order to know what’s going on. We all know what DHI stands for, Dairy Herd Improvement, is the name of the game. It’s a very serious game, and the stakes are high, so the tools we use are very sophisticated. But we like to shorten the handles. So, when we want to talk about the Estimated Producing Ability of a cow, we simply refer to the EPA value. We seldom say Predicted Difference or Estimated Pedigree Value anymore; it’s easier to say PD and EPV, and a lot shorter to write. But the main thing is that we know what they mean and how to use them in evaluating our cows. So, lets look at the Cl (Cow Index), the most sophisticated formula used m today’s practical genetics. It’s also one of the least understood by the layman. Many dairymen recently have received their first computer sheets listing a Cl for every cow in their herd that has completed a lac- Tl?e Dairy Business By Newton Bair learn how they are com puted, and just how valuable they can be. Anyone who has signed a contract mating with an AI Stud knows the importance of a high Cl on the contract cow. Before you can fully un derstand how the Cow Index formula works, there are some terms to be defined and understood. EPA is an Estimate of a cow’s Producing Ability. It takes into account her genetic background and her own environmental conditions that can affect her records. The EPA formula uses a series of “weighted per centages” correlated among successive lactation records. Here are the weights used for various number of records: No Records 12345678 Weight 5 67 75 SO 83 86 .88- 89 Another term used is HD, the Herdmate Deviation. This figure can be plus (+) or minus (-), depending on whether a cows’ records are higher or lower than her herdmates. The formula is: EPA=weight (for no. of records) X HD. Example: a cow with four records and an average herdmate deviation of +5OOO pounds of milk has an EPA of .80 x +5OOO = +4OOO pounds. EPA values for all cows are listed on the Com puterized Life History Sheet, WASHINGTON, D.C. - The basic interest rate on home ownership loans made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Home Administration has Been raised to 12 percent, Alex P. Mercure, USDA and you can easily compare the EPA for all cows in your herd. COMPUTING THE COW INDEX (Cl) The Cl is an 'estimate of a cows ability to transmit her qualities to her offspring. Sire analysts check the Cow Index value before considering her for a planned mating contract. Based on production records, it is an expansion of the cows average Herdmate Deviation (HD) and the Predicted Difference (PD) of her sire. Both are modified by a weighting factor. The factors are different from those used in calculating the Estimated Producing Ability. No Records 12 3 4 5 6 7 Weijht 15 21 24 26 27 28 2 The formula is: Cl = .5 [(Cow factor X HD) + (Bull factor X Bulls PD)]. The Bull factor for a Bull with 90% Repeatability is .85. Example: The cow in the above example has an HD of +5OOO lb. milk on 4 records. She was sired by a bull with 90% + Repeatability, and a Predicted Difference of 1000 lb. Her Cl is computed as follows: Cow Index = .5 [(.26 x 5000) + (.85x1000)] Cow Index =.5 [l3oo+ 850] Cow Index = 1075 Obviously, the more records a cow has, with a high Herdmate Deviation (HD), the more reliable is her index. If the above cow had only one record, her Cl would be 800, probably too low to be considered for the contract mating game. Even if you don’t want to bother to figure your own EPA or Cl, I thought it might be fun to see how it’s done. FmHA boosts rural home interest rate assistant secretary for rural development, said Wed nesday. The previous rate, in effect since June, was 11.5 percent. Mercure said the rate applies to rural housing loans to families of moderate income. Formulas used in setting interest rates for Fanners Home Administration and other government lenders, said Mercure, are MEMCO" MWIOO “THE TRUE DUAL SOLID FUEL BOILER’’ First, Loading The Way Patent #3,177,827 Tested & Approved: E.T L M 1. 50-gallon water volume for safety and efficiency. 2. Large fill door “17x22” 3. DUAL SOLID FUEL SHAKER GRATE (control front burn separate from rear), two separate shaking actions give maximum efficiency for wood, coal, or wood-coal combination burning. 4. Removable ash pan, entire length of MWIOO 5. Wet leg design, water surrounds combustion cham ber plus wet flue baffle 6. 6GPM domestic hot water coil, optional •May be used separately or manifold to existing boiler. •Combination systems avail able m Oil-Gas-Electnc Boilers as back up for maximum safety and efficiency PENNOEL HEARTH & HOME 'ME Hesston waivers of Finance help you get the equipment you need, no Hesstoh makes it a lot easier for you to buy the Best of the Breed in hay and forage harvesting equipment, now at today’s prices while you delay your finance payments until later. Hesston is offering Waivers of Finance on a wide range of machinery, to June I, 1981! Includes: wind rowers, mower-conditioners, round balers, square balers, pull-type and self-propelled forage harvesters and StakHand® hay stackers. Check with your Hesston dealer for full details on the financing and payment qualifications for these programs. Get the Hesston machine you need now, pay no finance charges until later. Up to *lOOO Factory Rebates Available See these dealers soon: DONALD ERDLEY CAP FULTZ R.D. 1 R.D. 1 Lewisburg, Pa. Spring Mills, Pi 717-524-2410 814-422-8805 LONGENECKERINC. RD 2 Williamsburg, Pa 814-793-3731 CLAIR J. MYERS RO 1 Thomasville, Pa 717-259-0453 PETERMAN FARM EQUIPMENT INC. 225 York Rd. Carlisle, Pa 717-249-5338 prescribed by law and are closely tied to the cost of federal borrowing and prevailing private market interest rates for similiar maturities. The change in interest rate applies only to non subsidized housing loans made by the Farmers Home Administration, the rural credit service of USDA, in rural areas including tours 123 Pennsylvania Avenue Avondale, Pa. 19311 Telephone: 215-268-8222 Hours: Tuesday thru Friday 12 - 5 and 7 - 9 Saturday 10 - 5 Dealer inquiries Invited MKVTM MM CO 9 MECKLEY’S LIMESTONE PRODUCTS R.D. 1 Herndon, Pa 717-758-3915 STOUFFER B Chambersburg, 717-263-8424 WERTZ GARAGE Lineboro, MD 301-374-2672 VERNON STUP R.D.2 Frederick, Md. 301-663-3185 of not more than” 20,1 population. Loans still will available as rates as low one percent to low-incoi families under the “inter* credit” provision of t national housing at Mercure said. registered trademark of Hcsston Corp IVAN ZOOK Belleville, Pa. 717-935-2948 ,000
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers