AM-PM test requires monitor COLLEGE PARK, Md. - During the past decade, there has been a need to streamline the DHI Testing Program. As dairy herds have become larger, it becomes more difficult on some farms to have milk samples taken at both evening and morning milkings, says University of Maryland dairy professor, J. Lee Majeskie. DHI supervisors have been able to supplement their income by enrolling herds on the unofficial owner-sampler program. With this program, the dairyman is responsible for weighing milk, obtaining samples and recording the information. There is less cost to the dairyman and less time involved for the DHI supervisor. Although owner-sampler records provide the same production and management information for a dairyman, the records are unof ficial and can be used for only management purposes. In an attempt to increase the number of official DHI herds tested by a supervisor and reduce cost to thp dairyman, the DHI AM PM program was developed. This testing program requires a monitoring device for herds enrolled in this official testing program. The electronic device is attached to the vacuum pump or bulk tank to record the milking time, and determines the milking intervals so correct factors may be used to estimate production for the 24-hour period. An unofficial AM-PM program is available to herds without a monitoring device. Some people are concerned that a considerable amount of production information for genetic evaluation is being lost to herds on the unofficial AM-PM program and have pushed to make it an official program. However, at the recent national DHI meeting in Fresno, California, FARMER BOY AG Prize Winners From The Middle Creek Swine Breeders Winner of DEKALB SPECIFIC CROSS BOAR Given By Dekalb Swine Breeders, inc. JOHN DAVID HOOVER RD #l, Reinholds, Pa. DEKALB DEKALB Male Lines Female Lines Terminal Cross AGAIN, OUR SINCERE THANKS TO ALL THAT HELPED MAKE THE OPEN HOUSE A BIG SUCCESS v V-tc<^ y.t&o' 0 ' 457 E. MAIN AVE., MYERSTOWN, PA 17067 Call 717-866-7565 For An Appointment or Stop By Our Office. Our Trained 1/2 Mile East of Myerstown Staff Will Do Their Best To Assist You With Layout And Design. the voting delegate body strongly defeated a proposal to make the AM-PM program without a monitoring device an official program. When a dairyman enrolls his herd in a DHI program, many factors, including costs, are considered. A less costly unofficial program may be satisfactory to a dairyman who has a commercial herd of unregistered cattle and only wants to use the records to help him more effectively manage his herd. Once this decision is made, these records cannot be used for genetic evaluation of males or females. _The loss of genetic information from cows on unofficial programs causes some concern to the A.I. Industry. If considerable in formation is being lost unofficial records are not being used for sire evaluation, a revision of the present policy could include some of these records in sire proofs. With the ‘ method presently being used, unofficial records could be included without altering the accuracy of the sire proof. One reason that the dairy cow has improved genetically during the past few decades has been the unbias collection of data by -DHI supervisors. If a dairyman wants official records, the DHI, DHIR and DHI AM-PM (with monitor) programs are available. It is extremely important not to change a tremendously successful DHI program in order to make more data available for genetic evaluation of sires. The additional production information would serve little purpose if the reliability of the information was reduced. Before the Industry considers accepting records from the unofficial AM-PM program, there must be some very strict and OPEN HOUSE held Friday, June 26 M Swine Confinement Systems RMEH BOY Best in Design, Price and Experience definite guidelines established to give a degree of integrity and authenticity to the records. First, a scheduled milking time must be recorded with the State DHI Manager or Extension Dairyman in charge of the DHI program and the DHI supervisor. Secondly, the surprise element must be put back into DHI testing so that die dairyman, would not know when the supervisor would beatthefarm. Thirdly, a refusal to test would automatically eliminte the herd from being tested for that month, and in most cases, two refusals would jeopardize the official status of the DHI records. The strength of the DHI program w6uld be weakened if the Industry recognizes AM-PM records as official without a monitoring device at the present time. Only when all states are able to enforce the requirements necessary to verify the data from the unofficial AM-PM program should it be considered official. Until that time, let the AM-PM program without a monitoring device serve the purpose for which it was designed-to help dairymen manage their dairy herds more 1 effectively, conclues Majeskie. Jean B. Massey, of Elmer, New Jersey, who wrote the letter in the July 3,1981 issue of Lancaster Far ming, page Al 2, entitled “N.J. has dump problems too” requested a correction be made to the paragraph concerning farming the land. She pointed out “no root crops can be raised on the treated land for three years. And soybeans are not to be grown on seepage ground according to a representative of theD.E.P.” Is Pleased To Announce The Winners of LIMITED EDITION HOG INDUSTRY PLATES: Inscription on Back of Plate Reads... Pork... Gracing America's Table This fine porcelain plate has been created by World Wide® Art Studios as a tribute to the Pork industry. Produced in a limited edition of ten thousand pieces, the eleven color design was kiln fired fusing color with glaze to insure that its beauty will last forever. Thanks, We Treasure Your Good Will. Farmer Boy Ag Larry Yarger RO»2, Middleburg, Pa. Robert Sebert RD #l, Weatherly, Pa. Correction Erich Schmitt RD #3, r Bemville, Pa. Brett P. Lutz 719 Fritztown Rd., Sinking Spring, Pa. Collins to head Ag Engineers NEWARK, Del. - Norman E. Collins has assumed leadership of the University of Delaware’s department of agricultural engineering. A member of the department since 1965, Collins is a specialist in energy conservation. A native Delawarean, he grew up on a farm near Middletown. He holds a B.S. in agriculture from the University of Delaware, an M.S. in agricultural engineering from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D in civil engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.. Collins is best known in the state for his studies of the energy requirements of poultry produc tion an ongoing project which involves him as a researcher for the University of Delaware’s Agricultural Experiment Station, together with Extension agricultural engineer Ernest Fire damages co-op plant LAUREL, Md. An early mor ning fire on Thursday damaged a butter and dried milk manufac turing plant owned by Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Association, said co-op.spokesman Robert Rawlins. Ten fire companies battled die blaze which was confined to the Alan C. Lutz 821 Fritztown Rd., Sinking Spring, Pa. Groig J. Lutz 713 Fritztown Rd., Sinking Spring, Pa. Lancaster farming, Saturday, July 11,1981—A37 of Del. U. Walpole, and members of the Delmarva broiler industry. With Extension agricultural engineer, Tom Williams, he has also studied the energy used in producing crops on local soils. He is currently, working on a pilot project designed to use solar energy as a heat source during the early stages of poultry growout, and is collaborating with another colleague, Kenneth M. Lomax, on a study of energy use in mushroom production. He was named Young Engineer of the Year in 1979 for the North Atlantic Region of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, and an Outstanding Educator in 1975. Collins replaces Ernest N. Scarborough, who has stepped down after 13 years as department head in order to devote more time to teaching. bag room in one of two dryers as well as the roof at the Laurel plant. The cause of the fire is unknown. Although necessary repairs may take up to three months, the fire will not drastically hinder plant operations, Rawlins explained. “The second dryer will be able to handle all the surplus milk.” David Petroski 49 Bradford Dr. Leola. Pa. Larry Mullen, Sr Peter Borden RDM, RD #2, Bainbridge, Pa. Hampton, N.J. Eli Hoover R.D. #l. Reinholds, Pa. • '5? *
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