Young stock gets attention at
BY ROBIN PHILLIPS
Staff Correspondent
LEESPORT - More than 100
dairymen filled the auditorium at
the Berks County Ag Center,
Leesport, on Tuesday for the 1984
edition of Berks County
Cooperative Extension’s Dairy
Day.
Penn State Extension personnel participating in Berks
Dairy Day include, from the left, Mike O'Connor, Jud
Heinrichs and Jack Kirkland.
Interest ran high throughout the
day as many questions were an
swered about young dairy heifers,
alternate forages, forage storage
and the new mitt program.
“It looks like the dairy industry
does have a future. I’m glad to see
all these young guys here,” Ernest
Miller, extension board of direc-
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tors, stated as he began the
program.
With most dairymen under
pressure to scale down costs in
their operations, there was much
concern over the costs involved to
raise healthy young stock. Clyde
Myers, Berks County Extension,
spoke on the problem of sulfa
residues in veal calves. Taking this
one step further, Jud Heinrichs,
Penn State dairy specialist,
discussed calf raising and genetic
potential.
“Calf and heifer management is
probably one of the biggest
problems behind mastitis and
reproductive inefficiency,”
Heinrichs stated.
“Fifteen to eighteen calves are
lost per 100 bom on Pennsylvania
farms,” he continued. “This leads
to a genetic loss, a loss in heifers to
replace cows that must be culled,
and a future milk loss. We can’t
afford to do less than the best job
we can,” he concluded.
Heinrichs also discussed com
puters on the farm. “Management
computers are really turning into a
tool to help the farmer do a more
efficient job,” Heinrichs stated.
They do not save hours and hours
of time, but cause a farmer to do a
better job of managing, according
STATE
Berks Dairy Day
to Heinrichs. They allow for the
daily monitoring of records and
look for that cow in the herd that is
not eating ok 1 milking, like the
others.
“Attaining economic gains by
improving reproductive ef
ficiency,” was discussed by Mike
O’Connor, Penn State dairy
specialist. O’Connor encouraged
dairymen to take advantage of
monthly herd health checks by
their veterinarian. After the
physical work is finished, “sit
down with your veterinarian and
discuss those health problems,”
O’Connor stressed.
Clyde Myers announced plans to
randomly select 30 Berks
dairymen. Extension personel will
visit the farm and measure all
heifers. Measurements will be sent
to Penn State to be compared
against the optimum growth rates
of the breed. Results will help to
develop a county-wide average and
alert dairymen to problems in
raising heifers or deficiencies in
feeds.
Brassicas were discussed by
Harry Schaffer, Berks County
agent. Schaffer outlined the trial
acreage grown in the county and
the advantages and disadvantages
in each crop. Some tentative
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training seminars
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The dairy
case is well recognized as a leading
profit center and traffic builder in
the retail trade. Its looks and
appearance can be a major factor
in dairy sales. Studies have shown
that proper management methods
can increase sales by as much as
25 per cent.
As a service to retailers who
want to maximize their dairy sales
potential, the American Dairy
Association and Dairy Council is
offering “Dairy Department
Management Training Seminars.”
This one-day program instructs
those involved in the dairy
department how to operate more
efficient and profitable dairy
cases.
ADA-DC is launching this new
program this month. Although the
seminars themselves are one day
long, there is a great deal of
background work involved in
preparing for the workshops. ADA
DC staff visits participating stores
three weeks prior to the seminar in
order to assess the specific needs
of each store. They examine or
dering, handling, rotation and the
cleanliness of dairy cases. Pic
tures are taken to be used during
the seminar, pointing out in
dividual strengths and
weaknesses.
Workshops are available to both
retail and convenience store
personnel throughout the New
York, New Jersey and Penn
sylvania area. Anyone interested
in obtaining further information on
the dairy case seminars should
contact Art Fellows or Bruce
Krupke toll free at 1-800-ADA
MILK (in N.Y.) or 1-800-HOT
MILK (in N.J. and PA.)
ADA-DC is a producer funded
and directed milk promotion
agency serving New York, New
results were given on the limited
county acreage.
“I believe the brassicas can do
us some good,” Schaffer said, “we
are in a period where we need to
reduce costs.”
Forage management was
compared by six area farmers on a
panel, as Jud Heinrichs talked
about the guidelines in properly
harvesting and storing them.
“Reduce your losses as much as
possible and get the best quality
out of your silo,” he advised.
Heinrichs stressed good
management practices with any
system, harvesting at an early
stage of maturity, and testing of all
forages. “If you don’t know what
forages you’re feeding, you don’t
know how to mix your grains,” he
said.
Lester Burkholder, Moselem
Springs, told about his ag bag
system. Mark Wolfskill, Jr.,
Robesonia, discussed his con
ventional silos and feeding
methods. Nelson Troutman,
Richland, talked about round bales
in his TMR rations. Carl Myer,
Bernville, discussed sealed steel
storage. John Stump, Bernville,
talked about sealed concrete silos
and Ernest Miller, Hamburg,
talked about the advantages and
disadvantages of trench silos.
Jack Kirkland, Penn State ex
tension milk marketing specialist,
was on hand to discuss “The milk
bill Where do we go from here?”
He predicted a three to five per
cent decrease in production in the
East.
He expected more participation
in Florida and the Midwest.
“The Midwest is an important
area, if they go for it, it’ll look
pretty good.” He said the gover
nment is hopinj for a seven per
cent reduction throughout the
nation.
“If we get that much, we’ll be in
pretty good shape,” he concluded.
ADA plans