A22—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 23,1982
Anderson boosters Perry Co. production
BY DONNA TOMMELLEO
LOYSVILLE Somewhere
along the line the dairy industry
got ahead otitselt.
it seems while geneticists and
breeders were making inroads
developing cows that could
produce two and three times what
dairy animals milked 50 years ago,
the development ot - milking
equipment to handle production
increases lagged. As a result,
mastitis jumped to number one on
the all-time trouble list.
One person who experienced the
industry’s period ot imbalance and
who helped bring about the
necessary changes was dairy
veterinarian Dr. Burleigh An
derson.
About 15 years ago, Anderson
became deeply involved with
nutrition counseling lor his clients
around his Loysville ottice.
"We soon got iantastic responses
in production levels,” recounts the
Perry County vet.
Anderson’s hard work also paid
oil with reductions in disease'
among his clients' animals. But
suddenly, there was a new problem
to lace.
"The next thing you know, we
had mastitis coming out our ears
because the milking equipment
and the mastitis control was not
sutticient to keep up with the level
ot production at all, ’ ’ he explains.
With mastitis on the rise, An
derson geared his eltorts towards
milking equipment analysis. Horne
ot his work involved the help ot a
private consultant trom California.
"He spent probably six months
in my practice area," recalls
Anderson.
Anderson and his consultant
updated milking equipment in the
area to meet their specifications.
While the veterinarian's clients
tavorably responded lo his
research and suggestions, some
equipment manutacturers
strongly resisted.
"It was really tire. They were
ready lo sue me because i was
attacking their products. But
that's way behmd us now,” em
phasizes Anderson.
Anderson explains that he and
tus consultant brought milking
equipment to meet specitications
that were being used in California.
Block establishes
committee on
Extension’s future
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Secretary of Agriculture John R.
Block has established a committee
to advise him on the future of the
nation’s informal education
network.
Block said the committee, called
the Joint Committee on the Future
ot Cooperative Extension, will
meet for the first lime on Jan. 27-29
at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel,
Arlington, Va. The meeting will be
open to the public.
The committee will advise the
Secretary on policies and
programs affecting the federal
state-local cooperative extension
system throughout the 1980 s and
beyond. The agenda for the first
meeting includes a review ot
background studies and discussion
of issues facing the new com
mittee.
The committee is a joint ettort ot
the U.S. Department ot
Agriculture and the National
Association of State Universities
and Land Grant Colleges.
"Of course these were not
unitormally accepted
specifications, nationwide,” He
adds, “These were what the large
commercial dairies in California
were finding what they had to have
in order to milk cows<”
Anderson’s clients that used his
suggested specifications got ex
cellent results at a tune when
many dairies were outfitted with
what Anderson terms, “inicky
mouse” equipment.
"It’s five or six different brand
names pul together, ’ ’ he defines.
Following.. the introduction of
'new equipment specifications,
Anderson then guided his clients
toward management practices
that would control and prevent
mastitis.
He began culturing whole herds
to pinpoint and eliminate the
.various pathogens associated with
sublmieal mastitis, such as Strep,
agalactiae and others.
"Fortunately Strep, ag. can be
completely eliminated,” Anderson
says.'As long as you know which
quarters are infected, you use
penicillin and it’s all gone.” '
According to Anderson, Strep,
agalactiae is probably the
predominant microorganism and
causes the highest somatic cell
count.
However, he stresses it whole herd again. We just keep
management and disease controls booslermg cows at the tune ot
are inadequate, lollowuig a Strep, turning dry,” he explains,
ag. eradication, other. "The use ot the vaccine is not the
microorganisms seem to take ' whole picture with regards to
over. Anderson notes that mastitis control,'' Anderson
Staphlyococcus mtections tall into strongly emphasizes.
that category.
"It has been known tor many
years that a dairy cow would
respond to a Staphlococeal vaccine
and it had varying degrees ot
success, ’ ’ he explains.
With that concept in mind,
Anderson began working on a
• custom-made” liiastms vaccine.
He manufactures culture plates
and provides laboratory service to
about IbU veterinarians.
The veterinarians perform the
necessary culture work on plates
they purchased horn Anderson.
They return the plates to Anderson
tor identification and manufacture
of the "custom-made" mastitis
vaccines.
When using the vaccine, An-
USDA members will represent
the secretary ot agriculture,
director of science and education,
and the Extension Service. Other
members will represent university
presidents, deans of colleges of
agriculture and home economics,
directors and administrators of
state extension programs, county
agents, extension users and
foundations supporting
agricultural work.
Leading the committee’s ac
tivities will be Raymond D. Lett,
executive assistant to Block, and
Darnel G. Aldnch, Jr., chancellor
ot the University ot Califorma-
Irvine.
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Dairy vet discusses mastitis
Dr. Anderson eyes just one of several plate vaccines, specific for an individual cow.
cultures which enable him to produce mastitis
derson doses the enure herd twice
luin the beginning.
"We never go back and do the
The combination ot sound
mastitis control and a balanced
nutritional program, says An
derson, permits the dairy cow u»
express her lull genetic potential.
"Alter all,- the genetic potential
was within 200 miles ot eastern
Pennsylvania,” he remembers ot
the early A.l. days.
Clinton, N.J., explains Anderson,
was the sue ot early A.l. work,
which quickly spread to Penn
sylvania.
"People came trum Calitomia to
buy cows, here. But when they got
them to California, they milked a
lot belter there,' ’ he laughs.
"We had the superior genetic
material right here, we jusl didn’t
express it, that's all."
Charles Mohn, left, associate administrator State’s College of Agriculture for the Ag Arena
of the Pennsylvania Farmers Association and project. The funds were contributed by PFA
Patricia Wolff, PFA’s director of political members and were presented to Dean Smith
education, present contributions totaling more during Farm Show week,
than $12,000 to Dean Samuel Smith, Penn
PFA contributes $12,000
But now, almost two decades
since Ur. Anderson began his in
volvement with Berry County
dairies, that part ot central Penn
sylvania has evolved into the top
mil K-producing county in
Commonwealth.
In 1981, Berry County producers
averaged 16,436 pounds ot milk and
616 pounds ot tat. The slate
averages lor 1981 were 16,134
pounds ot imlK and 6/0 pounds ot
tat.
Although Anderson remains an
uitluential' torce ui helping Berry
County slay on top, he is quick to
point out those Uiat truly are
responsible.
"The principle credit goes to the
ettort and the energy exerted on
the parrot these top-notch
dairymen and their top-notch
cows,'' says the Perry County vet.
"1 like to teel as it the advice 1
have given them plays some part. -
The New Jersey native and
University ot Pennsylvania
graduate passes along some ot the
advice which has helped propel Ins
county to number one.
to Ag Arena
I'he tollowing are Anderson's
gunliines tor proper mastitis
control.
Milking equipment Make
sure milking equipment meets
minimum tunclional standards.
--You cannot live with Strep,
agalactiae mastitis. It must be
eliminated trum the Herd. Quarter
sample .tie herd and tollow-up With
penicillin.
►'Use proper sanitation wlien
nulking.
►'Proper (eat-dippmg tollowing
milking! "Teat dipping, by itselt,
lias been proven to probably be the
most ettective tool available to Hie
dairy industry in reducing the rate
A>t new lutecium," .Anderson
stresses. _, <
"it there us any une loot that's
proven itselt, beyond any
reasonable doubt, it’s Hie leal
dipping,'' he concludes. •
And it dairy cows could talk, a
Berry County bovine just might
tell you that one ot her best tneuds
is Or. .Burleigh Anderson....beyond
any reasonable doubt.