84-LancMt«r Farming, Saturday, Fabniary 20, 1988
Midlife Crisis
"(Continued from Pago B 2)
performance program for breed
ers. The Guide Lines program is
used for herd improvement much
as a dairy farmer uses his DHIA
records. The program entails keep
ing records of such things as birth
weights, weaning date and weights
and other data that compares one
animal with another.
The Wilkins use artificial inse
mination and a bull to breed their
cows. In recent years, Nancy says,
because they have Butt, a quality
bull, they have been using natural
methods much of the time. Butt, or
Dunwalke Somerset, was sired by
BTCL Domina 44M out of Dun
walk Victra 75N, a good trophy
and doner dam in a prestigious cor
porate herd.
“Butt has been valued at
$10,000,” Nancy states. “He’s the
most correct (by conformation)
and one of the nicest bulls on the
farm. His birthweight was 91
pounds and his weaning weight
was 750 pounds and he has a 6+
frame.”
A couple years ago, Nancy adds,
Butt’s full sister placed first in her
class at the Polled Hereford Asso
ciation National Sale. At a later
farm production sale one quarter
interest in her was purchased for
$28,000.
Drew, the Wilkins’ son, who is
also employed fulltime at Taylor
Packing, Inc., is very much
involved in the farm. He owns
eight or nine cattle within their
herd and is the owner of Genie
Romino, a cow which recently
received a Gold Benchmark Dam
award this year from the American
Polled Hereford Association.
Genie and PJ., also designated a
Benchmark Dam, were two Wil-
Stock Farm cows among the 814
elite dams winning this high honor
for being the breed’s most efficient
and consistent producing females.
Any day now the cows will
begin calving, signalling the start
of Nancy’s favorite season on the
farm.
“I wait for Spring each year.
Really and truly, there is nothing
more reassuring about the life
cycle or more exciting than seeing
a-cow have a calf,” she proclaims
enthusiastically.
The Wilkins’ cattle calve from
middle February to middle April.
Then from the first of May through
July the bull is turned in the pasture
The World’s Largest Double Door
GAS or ELECTRIC
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with the cows
Nancy explains they prefer the
cows to calve in February rather
than in June because the calves get
a double boost. They are not only
getting extra milk from their
mothers, but are soon old enough
to eat the grass themselves. By the
end of October, the calves are
weaned from their mothers. An
average polled Hereford calf this
size may weigh in the neighbor
hood of 750 pounds.
During the past eleven years the
Wilkins have not only added
acreage to their farm and increased
the number of Herefords they
raise, but have worked to increase
the individual size, and therefore,
quality, of their animals. Their
cows now range in size from a
frame 4 to a frame 6 which means
as a yearling the cow could weigh
1250 pounds. The frame measure
ment, Nancy explains, refers to the
skeletal size of the animal with the
larger numbers corresponding to
the larger skeletal size of an ani
mal. By way of comparison, Nan
cy observe, the cows they pur
chased with the farm were size 3
frames. She feels for their type of
operation and for the customers
they serve they have almost reach
ed the optimum sized animal.
Since Ron and Drew work full
time, the only crops they raise,
according to Nancy, arc oats and
hay. They buy their com. Four
years ago they went to 3 foot by 4
foot round bales which in combi
nation with a hay rack designed by
Ron necessitates feeding,their ani
mals hay on a twice weekly basis.
In addition to talking with pros
pective buyers, raking hay, and
spending about an hour daily feed
ing and bedding the animals, Nan
cy does all the record keeping. She
enjoy keeping records, she says,
because she can see the progress
they’ve made.
What is it Nancy likes most
about what she’s doing?
“Basically, not many people
have a job that they like. It was a
choice we made on our own. It has
provided for us a way of life we
enjoy,” she replies.
Nancy notes Ron and Drew
enjoy working on the farm after a
day at the office. Ron finds it a
good way to relax.
Concerning what they’ve
learned about farming in the past
eleven years, Nancy chuckles as
• Effective refrigeration without
she relates advice given them by a the herd year around. Make hay the questions, watch what your neigh
well-intentioned gentleman soon second week of August—that way bors do.”
after they began farming. you get t h e first and second cut- Still chuckling, Nancy notes,
“He said,‘Leave the cows alone tings together. And if you have any “And he was from a city, too.”
when calving. Let the bull run with
Bradford County Programs
Tuesday, March I
12:30-2:30 p.m. Culinary Hearts
Kitchen Course, Extension
Office
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Wil-Stoch Farm offered a new career to the Wilkins.
7:00-9:00 p.m. Culinary Hearts
Kitchen Course, Extension
Office (Advance registration
required)
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Thursday, March 3
7:30-9:30 p.m. Safe Slimming
Leader Training, Extension
Office