VOL 26 No. 40
Texas firm develops straw
for frozen embryo
BY DONNA TOMMELLEO
LANCASTER A straw for
storing and inseminating frozen
embryos has been developed by a
Texas firm, Donald Seipt, Penn
sylvania National Holstein
Director said Thursday.
However, a spokesman for Rio
Vista Genetics, San Antonio, Texas
said a patent for the straw may
take 180 days.*
Seipt, a member of a five-man
panel that discussed embryo
transplants at the Lancaster
County Holstein Field Day,
demonstrated the nine-inch plastic
straw at the John Landis Farm
near East Petersburg.
The straw, about the same
length as a cane which contains
semen goblets, can be easily stored
in a semen tank, said Seipt.
One end of the straw is a five
inch handle while the remaining
four inches contains a deydrated
Dairy producers, here’s what you’ve been waiting
for the 1981 USDA-DHIA Sire Summary. This
complete comparison of the A.L hulls in all breeds is a
modem tool for working genetically towards a higher
producing herd of dairy cattle. An added feature to
this year’s Summary is the milk component figures,
listing solids-not-fat and protein for bulls with 40
percent repeatability or greater. It’s all here for you
on seventeen fact-filled pages of Lancaster Farming,
starting on page DIL
Herr shews hog champ
BY DICK ANGLESTBIN
LANCASTER - Thursday's I9lh
annual Lancaster County FFA
Market Hog Show may possibly
If you gotta go to market, how do you make the most of it? If
you’re the grand champion of the Lancaster County FFA
Market Hog Show, you jump up into the auctioneer’s booth
and help the bidding along. It works, too. Price went to $4.45
a pound. Here, owner Chris Herr, of Narvon, shoos Duroc out
of booth at Lancaster Stockyards.
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Demonstrated at Holstein field day
embryo surrounded by an air sac
and fluid.
Seipt explained a certain amount
of fluid must be drawn from the
embryo before freezing.
"The freezing process will
rupture the cell,” he said.
After a 90 second thaw in a warm
water bath, it is neccessary to
shake the straw in the same
fashion one would shake a ther
mometer. This causes the air sac
to break and allows for the
rehydration of the embryo, said
Seipt.
The embryo can then be in
seminated with a breeding gun.
Almost 400 persons that attended
the Field Day got a look at the
genetic innovation, which to date
has been researched on beef cattle.
Seipt was joined by Robert
KauffmamElizabethtown, Galen
Crousef*3tevens and Robert
Wenger, Quarryville. The
At Lancaster Show
become the basis tor a script tor
tfye popular TV show, "Dynasty.”
Because, that’s just about what
shaped up in the competition held
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 1,1981
dairymen currently use embryo
transplants in their breeding
programs.
The panel agreed that donor
animals should be the best cows in
a herd and should drop bulls that
can be marketed.
However, Seipt cautioned that
donor cows should descend from a
superior cow family as well as a
proven bull.
In addition to the panel
discussion, judging contests were
held and the judging participants
were divided into three groups,
Under 18, Men and Women.
There were a total possible 150
(Turn to Page A 22)
Pa. farmers gear up for Ag Progress Days
ROCK SPRINGS - The Penn
sylvania farm community is once
again geanng up for the annual Ag
Progress Days, scheduled for
August 25-27. For the sixth straight
year, Penn State’s Agricultural
Research Center crews are
preparing the grounds to welcome
the thousands of people who crowd
in to see the latest in farming
from crops to equipment.
“This year’s show should be the
biggest and best ever,” says
Joseph Harrington, Penn State
agronomist and general chair
mand of the event.
Educational displays and
commercial exhibits from Canada
at the Lancaster Stockyards.
After ail the squeals, grunts and
applause quieted down and Judge
Henry Gruber, of A and B Packing,
made his last round of the show
ring and surveyed the last ot 153
head, not one but two family
dynasties were dominant among
the top award winners.
One was the Herr dynasty, ot
Narvon, with 18-year-old Chris
repeating with the grand champion
ot the show tor the second straight
year and younger sister,
Margaret, 14, stepping from the
wings onto the stage. Margaret
won the junior fitting. Chris was
runnerup in the senior fitting and
also showed the reserve champ in
the middleweight division.
And the other FFA hog dynasty
emerging is that ot the Ptautz
family, ot Stevens. Brothers, Mike,
lb, and Tun, 14, captured no less
than seven major awards.
Mike had the reserve cham
pionships in carcass on-toot,
breeder exhibiloi and heavyweight
division, plus the junioi showman
championship.
(Turn to Page A3O)
Jim Hess, Quarryville, right, displays the first place awards
he earned in the Men’s Division and Overall Judging contest
at the Lancaster County Holstein Field Day at the John
Landis on Thursday. Also pictured with Hess are fifth place
winner, Leonard Stoitzfus, Gap, left, and third place winner.
Don Eckman, Peach Bottom, center.
and the eastern United States are
growing m quality and numbers,
providing a strong regional
reputation for the event, the
general chairman adds.
Approximately 250 commercial
companies will be exhibiting their
products for home, farming, and
country living. These include
buildings, farm machinery, silos,
feeds, crop seeds, and farm and
home supplies.
“A theatre program will feature
a variety of home and garden
related presentations each of the
three days,” Harrington points
out. “Included will be new ways to
preserve home-grown produce,
arts and crafts, selecting equip
ment for the home, and
recreation.”
Featured exhibits include
energy and resource efficient
animal and crop production. Back
again will be special exhibits and
working demonstrations m the
areas of on-farm waste disposal,
soil and water conservation, and
safety.
"Youth activities will feature
cluck hatching, puppet shows, dog
obedience and training, and
numerous prize-winning
demonstrations by 4-H and FFA
Inside
This
Week’s...
Elevation daughter brings $15,000 at Sire Power 5a1e...A20.
For a farmer, the learning never ends, and neither does Penn
State's research ..A26
Seventy-six Lancaster County 4-H horse and pony club
members turned out for their annual county competition last
week. CIS.
Young dairy couple wins Las Vegas trip. Find out how on
page .DB. - -
$7.50 Per Year
membes,” the field days chairman
notes.
Ag Progress Days activities will
start at 9 a.m, and end at 5 p-in. on
August 25 and 27. Hours will be 9
a.m. to 7 p.m. on August 26.
(Turn to Page A 34)
HOME AND YOUTH
Homestead Notes, C 2; Home on
the Range, C 6; Farm Women
Societies, C 9; Kid's Korner, Cl 2; 4-
H, Cl 3; FFA, Cl 5; FWS calendar,
Cl 9.
COLUMNS
Editorials, A 10; Now is the time,
AID; Joyce Bupp’s column, C 5;
Ladies you heard? Cl 6; Ida’s
Notebookfci?; Farm Talk D 3.
. DAIRY
Berks Holstein Clubpicruc, A 24;
Adams DHIA, C4O; Bedford DHIA,
C 29; Cumberland, C 39; Juniata
DHIA, C2B; Mifflin DHIA, C 37;
Perry DHIA, C 42; Somerset DHIA,
C3l; York DHIA, C 32; Dairy Photo
Album, C 26; Susquehanna Dairy
Princess, Cl 7; ASDA honors
members, D 5.