A26-UncMt*r Fanning, Saturday, Dacambar 13,1986 Jefferson County Herd Leads Pa. DHIA Rolls BYBETHNESBIT Indiana Co. Correspondent REYNOLDSVILLE - Situated down a country lane among the vast fields of Jefferson County is a farm that houses a herd of 35 Holsteins. During the 1985-1986 testing year, this herd received the top milk production honor in Pennsylvania. After seven years of dedication and hard work, 31-year-old Brad Smith along with his wife, Marcia, have attained a herd average of 25,939 pounds of milk and 832 pounds of protein the numbers that made them number one in the state. In 1976 Brad graduated from Delaware Valley College with a degree in dairy husbandry. Without the benefit of a dairy background, Brad moved to Bradford County to work on a dairy farm for two years following Brad is pictured here with one of the oldest cows in their herd, Lucy, 10 years. Lucy's best record is over 32,000 pounds of milk and 1,060 pounds of fat. > EAR CORN c Paying Top Prices For ( Good Quality Ear Corn Wet or Dry (•No Quantity too large I or too small (• Fast Unloading - | Dump on Pile &Go (• Easy access - 2.2 y miles off 283 bypass r Manheim, Mt. Joy C exit (• Daily Receiving 7:30 > A.M. to 5 P.M. - un r loading evenings & C Saturdays by appt. %• Trucks available for > pick up at your farm. > Call Anytime For Price I 717-665-4785 I JAMES E. NOLL GRAIN graduation. With this experience and schooling, he moved back home to Clearfield County to begin farming on his own. Brad and Marcia established themselves at what they now call home in early 1979. For a year they managed the farm owned by Byron Moore. Then in 1980 the young couple bought the cattle and machinery and leased the real estate with the option to buy. Actual production increase did not begin to take place until the 1983 dairy diversion program. Brad believes that his participation in the diversion program was one of the initial steps to better production. According to Brad it was “the best thing we ever did.” Participation in the diversion program cut his herd from 50 to 30 cows with a roiling herd average of 20,000 pounds of milk. The Jefferson County dairyman stated that he does not want to fall into the vicious cycle of increasing quantity. He doesn’t believe that quantity is important, it is quality that counts. When the Smiths began working for Byron Moore in 1979, the herd was not on test. After settling in, Brad and Marcia started the herd on the DHIA testing program. Brad credits the Youngs feeding program to the high herd average along with the constant ration each cow receives. Today the Smith’s herd ration consists .of 10 to 12 pounds of hay, 25 pounds of haylage and 25 pounds of silage. Besides feeding his own mixture of ear com, shelled com, soybean, barley and minerals, Brad top dresses the ration with soybeans and distiller’s grain. Brad doesn’t foresee a repeat of this production. He based this prediction on the fact that in the 1985 crop year he had a better quality of forages than in the 1986 crop year. One of the few things that Brad has not changed since he began in the dairy industry is his breeding program. He handles most of the breeding work himself using Atlantic sires. One of Brad’s best producers is “Sherry,” a 4-year-old Superior daughter out of one of the highest producing families in the Smith herd. Sherry’s current record stands at 33,000 pounds of milk. One of her maternal sisters produced a top record over 20,000 pounds of milk and a second peaked at 26,000 pounds. The Smith note that receiving the state title for milk and protein leaders has positive and negative points. Brad stated, “Now I’m on every committee every heard of.” Marcia pointed out, “It gives you a sense of gratification knowing we have achieved this position after all the hard work.” The persistence and dedication of this young couple have been two key characteristics to maintaining their quality Holstein herd. FLO-STAR" claw Bou-Matic®’s Flo-Star™ milking claw improves milk flow for: • Better cow health • Faster milk throughput , and • Better milk quality. Bou-Matic engineers designed the Flo-Star claw so milk flows smoothly and quickly out the bottom. Less agitation equals less chance of milk “mist” carrying bacteria among teats. So the Flo-Star claw can mean less mastitis spread at milking. Prove it to yourself by calling your Bou-Matic dealer for a free, on farm demonstration. BOU-MATIC J ™^ Y ** Medford,NJ 609-267-0198 MILKING SYSTEMS DIEM FARM SYSTEMS McAllisterville, PA 717-463-2606 The Smiths look at the final Dairy Herd Improvement sheet of the 1986 testing year. Pictured left, Brad holding Dustin, 11 months, Marcia holding Michelle, 3 years. Brad's herd remains in the 38 stancion barn during the night so they have better access to grain and mineral supply. WASHINGTON - An estimated 8,800 head of dairy cattle were slaughtered in federally inspected plants during the week ending Nov. 22, as a result of the Dairy Ter mination Program, the U.S Department of Agriculture an nounced Wednesday. This total includes all cows, heifers and calves identified as dairy animals designated for disposition in compliance with the program requirements. The cumulative total of cattle slaughtered under the program DAIRYMEN, INO. Sykersville, MD 301-549-2100 USDA Buyout Report from April 1 through Nov. 22 is an estimated 870,600 head. The purchases of meat in ad dition to normal purchases are to help offset the effects of the DTP on the domestic meat market. The cumulative purchases, reported bi weekly as of Dec. 5, total 333.3 million pounds. Dairy cattle reported for export under the program for the period April 1 to Dec. 5 totaled an estimated 45,719 head. An estimated 1,206 were exported during the week ending Dec. 5. V-* Wand J L&WAG DAIRY SALES AU S? i MA J? ON Oxford, PA _ PA , 717-529-2569 Dave -717-4354057 LANCASTER DAIRY FARM AUTOMATION Manheim, PA 717-665-7300 TRI-STATE FARM AUTOMATION Hagerstown, MD 301-790-3898
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