crops and stability to Wilkinson Farms o from local farmers and sales. They are put in lot with other unbred heifers. “We like to get heifers in the program at about 600 pounds,” Charles Wilkinson explained. “The younger we can get them in the program the more feed we market through them.” As the heifers mature the Em- Tran veterinarians and technicians select heifers suitable for embryo transfer. The cattle are then hauled by Wilkinson to EmTran for heat detection, syn chronization and transfer. After they have been transfered they are brought back to Wilkinson’s where they are housed with other recipients heifers for three months until they are proven safe with calf. Last summer at the home farm Wilkinson began to board mature bulls for Dream Street Holsteins. The bulls are in the Dream Street’s young sire program. The first group of 80 bulls arrived in mid summer, they are from three to five years old and are housed together. A second group of 50 youngers bulls is housed nearby. Semen was collected from the bulls y >y , „ construction crew for use by Genetics Unlimited. The facility, located near Avondale, provides for feeding, housing and transfer of it heife t" "ibryo tr? >fr- L *1 Tom Wilkinson, standing, looks over budgets with the farm’s full time accountant, Eric Dawson. before they arrived. They are waiting to be proven. If a bull proves his genetic transmitting ability to be superior he is taken to one of Dream Street’s farms in New York, where they are given more individual care and put on a more demanding collection schedule. “Our construction crew built special facilities for the bulls that allows us to feed the bulls from the outside,” Wilkinson said. “We built a separate run lot and feeding area, so we can bed the loafing shed with corn fodder while the bulls are penned in the run lot.” When the bulls arrived Wilkinson increased his liability insurance to two million dollars. But the risk of boarding bulls also gives a dimension of stability by bringing in a monthly boarding fee. Plans are underway for selling the farms dairy steers in order to bring another group of young bulls from six months to two years of age. At a farm owned by Wilkinson near Avondale, Wilkinson boards yet another group of recipient heifers for Genetics Unlimited of West Grove. The construction crew built a lab and surgery facility onto *"* * k. %y Jt Wilkinson Farms, Landenberg. This is a picture of the home farm, communications base and headquarters for the large, diverse operation. President Reagan met here with Pennsylvania farmers in the spring of 1982. the barn. Wilkinson charges an additional fee for the use of these specialized facilities. James F. Evans, V.M.D. and the Genetics Unlimited staff take responsiblity for the health care of the animal, but it is up to Wilkinson to bed, feed and water the heifers. “I can provide many services to boarders,” explained Wilkinson. “If they want cattle hauled we Sms* > - •;«*■s& - *• • This facility houses the Wilkinson’s own herd of dairy cattle. The herd is milk is an eight staunchion carosel milking parlor. m*' •'kf That’s a lot of bull. Wilkinson Farms in Chester County boards over 100 mature bulls for Dream Street Holsteins. These bulls are around five years old and are waiting to be genetically proven. *** *> V** ~ , ♦ have trucks and drivers. We provide all the feed. If they need something done, we can do it quickly because we have the men and the equipment.” “Because of the livestock that we board I can offer my crop landlords the benefit of a good crop rotation program,” he said. “We plant wheat, soybeans and corn in rotation. I can use the wheat for wv * ♦ . r>*, ■*. V „ wheatlage or straw. I can offer the landlord a package deal.” Wilkinson’s aggressive management style is also helping to keep fanning alive in an area where there is an inertia to idle acres as residential and com mercial building looms ever nearer. Some of the property he farms might otherwise lay fallow waiting for construction. „ I*> * * * * % -
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