This fattier- eon
<* BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
MANHEIM - A sue-
'1
idividual bulk tanks in
an enlarged milking house. Both had their own tanks before going into business
together and they chose to keep their milk separate, with the agreement of their
cooperative.
cessful father and son
dairying operation is not so
unusual, but D. Lamar
team has unique arrangement
Wumer and his father
Harold, Manheun K 3, .have
an arrangement that could'
ULj
4
just be the first of its kind in
Lancaster County
Lamar and his lather each
have their own herd of cows
and share facilities. They
share a barn, milking
equipment and work, but
each has his own feeding
system, bulk tank, milk
check and bills to pay.
It may sound unusual, but
for the Witmers, the
arrangement is one that
suits their needs at this point
and one which is working out
well since its initiation in
August
Lamar figures the
arrangement may mean less
record keeping than a
partnership or other
financial arrangements,
because they each get their
own milk check and Lamar
buys his own feed He pays
his father rent per stall tor
use of the facilities
Lamar, 24, had been
milking cows in his own herd
independently tor about
three years Alter
graduating from Lancaster
Mennomte High School in
1974 he worked as herdsman
tor Shelly Shellenberger tor
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 6,1980—A13
two years and then worked
as a breeding technician for
V/2 years While breeding
cows he began his own herd
and milked the cows at a
neighbor’s bam for two
years. When the bam was no
longer available he sold that
herd, but quickly began a
second herd
He rented another
neighbor’s barn for about
one year but then he and his
father decided to work
together. Lamar says, ’T
wanted more of a permanent
situation and a place where I
knew I could stay a while.
My parents invited me to
come here and I appreciated
it
‘We are both very happy.
Neither of us wanted to go
t
Quality udders are a distinction of the Witmers'
two herds. This well-attached udder belongs to one
of Harold’s cows, Lynette. She is an 83 point aged
cow who milks 100 pounds daily and has a 19,000
pound record on two times a day milking.
pennfield
Dairy Miherol
Program
While most minerals are only needed
in a small level in a dairy feed, they are
nevertheless very important in
maintaining good milk production and
optimal herd health.
Particular attention needs to be paid
to the mineral nutrition of dairy cows
because the forages that they consume
vary widely in mineral content.
For this reason, the Pennfield Mineral
Program is composed of three different
formulas which are designed to com
plement the forage feeding programs on
the farm. These minerals can be fed
free choice, used in complete rations or
top dressed on the bunk.
Fat Booster Pack is helpful in milk fat
depression problems commonly found
in the summer and also for cows on low
fiber roughages.
SAVE ON ALL OF PENNFIELD'S
LIVESTOCK MINERALS
OCTOBER 20 THRU DECEMBER 12
50* OFF EACH 50 LB. BAG
Ppennfieldfeeds
711 Rohrerstown Road Lancaster PA 17604
Local calls Lancaster 299 2561 • Red Lion 24A-4511
In 717 and 215 areas dial toll tree 800 -732-0467
into partnership because I
have brothers to consider.
This is less complicated and
we are both operating in
dependently.” Lamar has
two brothers at home, Jeff,
20, who drives a milk truck
and Rodney, 14.
Lamar is milking 26 cows
with the Royal Dream prefix
and his father has 34 milking
wnh the Lan-Lebco prefix.
Lamar’s herd average is
18,025 pounds milk, 3.6
percent and 645 fat. Harold’s
average is 15,839 pounds
milk, 3.7 percent and 581 fat.
When it was decided to
share facilities and work, the
Witmers built an addition
onto the barn to house
Lamar’s herd and they
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