B2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 6,1981
DHIA records prove
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
LITTLESTOWN - Mervm K,
Myers has been using Dairy Herd
Improvement records for thirty
years but this year they held
special significance - they made
his Piney Lane Guernsey Farm at
Littlestown in Adams County the
top Guernsey herd in the state in
both milk and fat production.
His fifty-six head of cows had a
record of 14,088 pounds of milk and
705 pounds of fat.
Mervm and his son David who
works m partnership with him are
modest about the accomplishment
but proud of the achievement
which is a first for them.
Mervin says, “We were a little
surprised, but I guess you could
say it was considered a goal. We
are just trying to do our best and
the cows responded well.”
They currently milk 55 head and
have about 55 head of young stock
and they are pleased that they can
know each cow as an individual.
David says wryly, “We also know
all their problems.”
The Myers family are unabashed
Guernsey enthusiasts, and Myers
said it was his grandfather Daniel
Sell who started the Guernsey
tradition. His father Harry also
had Guernseys and Mervin worked
with him for 10 years before
beginning on his own with 21 head,
including 14 cows and seven
heifers. His father had his herd on
DHIA test and Mervin followed.
“We are backed by 30 years of
constant testing,” Myers states.
“Testing is definitely an ad
vantage if you are going to have
continuity. But if you don’t use the
records, it won’t help. We use it in
culling and also in measuring our
feeding program.”
David adds, “Otherwise you
don’t know who’s low.”
Myers also has his animals on
protein testing, something Mervin
feels more dairymen should
consider. “Component pricing is a
coming thing. I think it is the an
swer to the surplus problem,” he
states.
Myers feels that if component
pricing were used, dairymen
would cull more heavily from the
bottom which is where the surplus
problems arise.
He feels strongly that support
should be given for efficiency in
production, one good argument for
component pricing. He explains,
“Everybody thinks there will be a
big chance in payout if component
pricing comes. But the lower half
will get $.02 per hundred less and
the upper half will gain.”
He feels Holstein breeders stand
to gam the most from a change in
that direction.
Myers is a strong supporter of
promotional programs, adding, “If
we had an increase in consumption
it would help the surplus problem.
1 support promotion and our local
farmers association backs the
Dairy Princess program.” Their
group also sold real milk shakes
during the Apple Blossom
Festival, a taste treat to festival
goers.
Myers quotes Extension Area
Marketing Specialist Larry
Yeager who believes that farmers
have always been known for
helping themselves, and who
advises that they go out and sell
their products.
In their feeding program they
feed high moisture ear corn on top
of com silage. “They seem to like
the combination,” Mervm states.
“It seems to hold production.”
The com is stored in a 12 foot by
65 foot concrete stave silo with a
top unloader. Mervm points out,
“We are very critical about the
for
moisture level when we put it in.
We mill it at the silo. We used to
chop it in the field and that gave us
a problem.”
Seventeen percent flaked feed is
fed in the stall and four pounds of
40 percent protein crumble is fed
on top of the feed in the bunk. They
use a combination of Total Mixed
Ration and individual rations, and
any cow below thirty pounds
doesn’t receive grain m the barn.
They make all their own hay, an
alfalfa and grass mixture and
make pure alfalfa hay for sale.
They farm about 250 acres.
Mervin and David work together
on the dairy program and the field
crops. Mervm says, “You must
have adequate crops. Cows take
management and so do crops. The
two go hand m hand.”
Milking is done with a pipeline
milker and two people working.
Mervin says, “One person can
handle it but it goes better with
two.” Calves are raised in hutches
“with good success.”
Recently the Myerses con
structed a semi-solid manure pit
which is 132 feet from the bam and
is served with a ram-pump through
a 12-inch PVC pipe. They are
pleased with it and Mervm says,
“It eliminates going to the field
every day.” For projects like this
and other up-to-date information
they consult the Extension Service
and use information from Penn
State University.
They raise their own young stock
and occasionally purchase
animals. They have two cows
which have produced five sons now
in AI service. These two cows,
McDonald’s Danmost Linda and
McDonald’s Danmost Kitty, rank
second and third m the country m
lifetime per day production. Kitty
had a record of 156,240 milk and
8,558 fat m 10 lactations making
her the fifth highest lifetime fat
producer in the country.
They have superovulated Linda
who has a USDA mdex of +758
milk and +36 fat, but Mervm says,
“We approach it with mixed
emotions.” Of the 20 fertilized eggs
from Linda, six were discarded, 14
were transferred and eight
recipients earned calves.
Nevertheless, they observed
problems with further conception
and feel it can be justified only
with “top caliber cows.”
They use artificial insemination
widely, looking for size, capacity
and strength in the bulls they
choose. Mervin is cntical of the
trend to using only very high PD
bulls, saying, “I think it is a
mistake to emphasize only num
bers. I guess I’m a real con
troversial fellow. We don’t have an
elite cow in the herd.”
They always use plus proven
bulls but do not use only extremely
high ones. “We don’t want a big
ramus on test,” Mervin states.
David comments, “Daughters of
high PD bulls are sometimes too
frail. A cow has to have the
equipment to do the job.”
Mervm also feels there should be
more emphasis on maternal
contributions to the genetic
product, without basing everything
solely on sires. He adds, i think
there is too much emphasis on milk
in the Young Sire program and r
then you get low fat results. I agree
with the concept, but now what it is
doing.” He feels participation in
the Young Sire program is not
adequate.
Mervin has been very active m
community organizations, having
served as president, vice president
and a director of DHIA for many
years. He was county president of
the Adams County Farmers
(Turn to Page B 4)
Piney
Mervin Myers coaxes one of his heifer calves - /es get a herd which was
from the hutch as son David looks on. These high in the state in DHtA records this year.
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J 6 ■ a gei jernsey cow, which was highest DHIA herd in the state.
and here Mervin enjoys being in the pasture three-year-old classified 87 points.
>th one '
Mrs. Myers is often found in the barn or in she also works away from home on a part time
the milk house helping with chores although basis.
a plus
Lane Guernsey Farm