A2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 10,1982 Adams GINGER SECRIST MYERS Staff Correspondent LITTLESTOWN Adams County Holstein breeders recently received guidelines to help them make their mating selections at a Twi-light Meeting held at the farm of Guy and David Kehr, Kehr Acres, Littlestown. Also included in their information-packed agenda was a slide presentation on herd promotion, plus an op portunity for breeders and friends to sharpen their dairy cattle judging skills. Featured speaker for the evening was Ron Buffington, sire director for Select Sires. Buf fington, who has been with the artificial insemination unit for the past six years, is m charge of product knowledge, bull and daughter pictures, and sire directories. in discussing mating selections, Buffington demonstrated the linear system to evaluate the cow’s traits, matching them to the linear coding of the bull’s traits as listed at Select Sires. Other studs have similar linear coding for their bulls. The linear system has been endorsed by every major U.S. dairy oreed association. When choosing a service sire, Buffington explained, "Look for the cow’s good traits and ap preciate them. Hope that those traits will transfer. Then, list the things that you would ask the sire to do and choose from there.” Noting that a single mating will not correct all the cow’s faults, Buffington said, "The trouble with type evaluations is that you can’t go for the whole package. Sometimes you have to sacrifice fixing everything, but the correlation of parts is helpful.” Buffington explained that breeding to correct one fault may help to correct another fault since, genetically, they seem to correlate. He used the example of bulls that improve stature and also improve pasterns. AWESOME6O 60” DUAL-PURPOSE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL FAN • Designed exclusively for heavy duty commercial application. • Provides up to 23,000 C.F.M. 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The sire director also stressed that while it is beneficial to know as much as possible about the cow’s pedigree, breeders should not become lost in the traits and numbers involved in too many generations back in the pedigree. When asked whether the genetic base of the breed had become saturated with Elevation blood, Buffington replied, “It happens a lot and it seems that most of the really good animals of the breed have some doubling-up of blood in their pedigrees. We’re seeing it happen more and more with Elevation daughters being bred to Elevation sons. A lot more people are gpmg to try it just to, see what, theyget. We have better animals today and better traits. With the data that we can get today on a greater number of cattle, I think we’re writing a new chapter on in breeding and imebreeding in dairy cattle. It seems that everyone asks for outcross bulls, but then everyone only wants to buy semen from those Elevation sons.” While adjourning from the cow stable to the upper floor of the barn, breeders were given the opportunity to view the Kehr’s new 90 stall Rigid-Ply freestall barn and their new manure storage area. Seated on bales on the Kehr’s barn floor, breeders viewed a slide presentation by Buffington which featured herd promotion techniques. Buffington stressed that for breeders to take full ad vantage of their registered FEATURING: PHONE 717-274-3488 SWINE SYSTEMS LEBANON PA. tQUiy Mf W,T features mating guidelines Ron Buffington, Sire Director for Select Sires, places a heifer class at the Adams County Holstein Breeders Twi-light Meeting held recently at the farm of Guy and David S' - ,m ..-1,. Holsteins, they must team to breed * their herd ■ average*; them to good Ai bulls, manage better care of their cows are their them properly, and then do a good present objectives. They are trying job of merchandising and retailing to improve their homebred stock, them from the farm. Kehr explained by only using bulls Buffington noted that there is a that are plus on type, plus on test tremendous demand for dairy and have a PD$ of at least $l5O. cattle m the South. He predicted The next event scheduled for the that those who know how to retail their cattle, would be the ones who would profit from this demand through increased sales. Hosting the evening meeting were Guy and David Kerb, a father -son partnership, operating on 159 acres and milking 68 cows. The partnership was formed two years ago. According to Dave, improving Want To Increase Your Milk Production? Farmers are increasing milk production 2-4 lbs. 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Adams County breeders is their dairy toor to Lancaster County set for Friday, July 23. The tour will include farm-visits and lunch at Groffs Farm Restaurant. The cost is $lB per person which includes the meal plus transportation and disposable boots. ROPE IN *4- SOME EXTRA /* fa CASH! /»#» Advertise With A , SC LancasterFarminc ' j' CLASSIFIED A 0... JM'-' Phone: 717-394-3047 * or 717-626-1164 it Increased Milk and Butter Fat Production ★ Depresses Methane Gas Production VAN-MAR FEEDS, INC. Shoemakersville. PA 215-926-2121
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