EB-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 12, 1988 BY PAT PURCELL ROTHSVILLE In today’s dairy industry, fanners must be sharplbusiness managers as well as intelligent dairymen. With milk price support cuts more production is not the road to greater profit. Greater profit must come from shaving dollars and cents off costs. Throughout Pennsylvania many farmers continue to throw away dollars on non-productive animals by allowing calving intervals to stretch beyond 13 and 14 months and also by freshening first calf heifers at 26, 27 and up to 30 months of age. Freshening at 24 months gives farmers the greatest return on their herd replacement program which is one of the most costly programs of their farming operation. Freshening after that steals money from the farmers pockets. Cutting costs can effectively be done by improving reproduction which was the topic of dairy meet ing organized by Hutchison and Trayer Veterinary Associates, held at the Rothsville recently. Bruce A. Beachnau, D.V.M. and Technical Representative for Upjohn Company, discussed the use and benefits of Lutalyse, which induces heat in cows. Used properly, assuming nutritional needs are met, Lutalyse, which is a natural prostaglandin, can be used to increase breeding efficiency by: keeping the cow herd’s calving interval to 12 months; helping to breed heifers at a younger age, enabling the producer to schedule the freshening of one or several heifers and controling the time Pennsylvania Junior Holstein Milk And Fat Winners STATE COLLEGE —Pennsyl- vania Junior Holstein Members were honored for their participa tion in the State Milk and Fat Con test There were 217 entries in this year’s contest. The averages for each age group are as follows: 2 Yr. Old class, 18,361 MP. 662 BF; 3 Yr. Old class. 22,283 MP, 799 BF; 4 Yr. Old class. 22,637 MP, 821 BF; Aged Cow class, 23,013 MP, 844 BF. Listed are the top five winners for each category, along with their cow’s name and actual record. MILK 1. Stephanie Corbin, Reynoldsville, Jeffer lon County, Corbinview Lmkpm Pollyanna, 2-11, 305 d, 26,147 m, 3.5%, 920 f 2. Susan Troutman, Myers town, Berks County, Ge-MaDe Cotton Candy, 2-02, 30Sd, 22,962 m, 3.3%, 759 f. 3. Shelby Notan, Bellefonte, Centre Coun ty, Franlo-Alken Roberta, 2-02, 305 d, 22,765 m, 3.5%, 764 f. 4. Terri Packard, Troy, Bradford County, Pack-Herd Jemini Bubba, 2-02, 30Sd, 22,360 m. 3.5%. 786 f. 5. WiHiam Davis, 111, Troy, Bradford Coun ty, Mat-Will Tri-Threat Caresse, 2-05, 305 d, 21,408 m, 3.3%, 709 f. 2 Year OMs - Fat 1. Stephanie Corbin, Reynoldsville, Jeffer son County, Corblnview Linkpin Pollyanna, 2-11, 30Sd, 26,147 m, 3.5%, 920 f. 2. Rebecca Kelly, Tyrone. Blair County, Spnng-Lane Vary Bubbles, 2-07, 305 d, 19.434 m, 4.3%. 826 f. 3. Justin McMurray, Eighty-Four, Washington County, Never-Rest-M Very Ginseng, 2-07, 30Sd, 16,147 m, 4.5%, 6161. 4. Terry W. Landis, Berlin, Somerset Coun ty, Te-Ola-Land WiHowvation Molly, 2-06, 30Sd, 20,097 m, 4.0%, 799 f. 5. Terri Packard, Troy, Bradford County, Pack-Hard Jemini Bubba, 2-02, 30Sd, 22,390 m, 3.5%, 786 f. 3 Year OMs - Milk 1. Patricia MHier, Nazareth, Northampton County, M-Maplegrawe ES Mystlda-ET, 34)2, 30Sd. 34,099 m. 3.6%, 1239 L 2. Susan Corbin, Reynoldsville. Jefferson (Turn to Page E«) Improve Profit Cutting Reproduction Costs they enter the milking herd. if a posuglandin, Ite Lulalyse is rf the‘Sia Correcting reproductive prob- to be effective. infected animals develop cancer, recently and has aroused some lems can reduce cull rates. Also, Nutrition is top priority or irs The disease will appear in three unrest among consumers. It is a conception rates resulting in fewer calf heifers and mature cows. If not four montJls a f ter infection with bacteria that can cause disease in AI services. On an average herd fed a properly balanc ration, a j oss> enlarged lymph many animals and people. It conta sizeof4o head studied every dollar Mother Nature wi sut own e no des, down cows, weakness in minates and lives the environment, spent returned five dollars. The heifers reproductive system pro i- ( 5ac j c en( j f evers a nd j n is shed in milk and can be spread to labor and time saved by not watch- biting the animal from becoming decreased milk production. BLV is animals and people, according to ing for heat was not included and pregnant until her own nutritional more critical t 0 cattle breeders who Reed. neither was the savings of a needs are met. The veterinarian s CX pQ rt t 0 t he foreign market. Some of the symptoms of the decreased cull rate with fewer efforts are in vain iftheamma s are p arms w hich depend on exports disease are alarming because there replacements being needed. Con- not getting the proper nutrition. must p revent an( j contro i the dis- are few. It can hinder the absorp sidering this the savings to the pro- The energy level is cnoca it e There is now manadatory tion of minerals, cause diarhea or ducer could be substantially animals is to go into eat. testing for exports. Positive testing death in the more advanced stages, higher. BLV and Salmonella for BL y eliminates animals from It is sometimes confused with Joh- Freshening.heifers at 24 months Dr. Brian Reed, D-V.M. of exportation. nes. If caught early it is treatable, is the optimum schedule. Accord- Hutchison & Trayer Veterinary j t ma y not b e beneficial to every To prevent human contamination ing to the latest figures available. Associates, dicussed the latest farmer to test. According to statis- the milk must be pasteurized, each month the animal is not bred information on the Bovine tics, 30-35 percent of the aniihals Using anti-biotics such as tet costs the producer $5O to $BO per Leukemia Virus. New concerns j n dairy regions are infected. The racyclin in the feed can prevent month for each non-productive about BLV are raising a lot of test is easily done through blood other animals from contracting the animal. Although many producers questions on its relation to the wor |c and not expensive. disease, but will not cure the ani claim to observe their animals dairy farm operation. jf herds are found positive mals already infected, closely and contend the animals BLV can only be spread by em bryo transfers can be used to Dr. Trayer reported that three missed heats. However, according blood from the infected animal, so cleanup the herd. It is most impor- herds within the area have dairy to Beachnau, studies show that it farmers should be careful when tant to disinfect tools and materials cattle dying from BLV and this is was producers failure to catch the using gougin dehorning methods, a f ler eac j, dehorning,tatooing, the highest incidence of BLV he animals in heat and that only 10 removing teats, and using needles removing extra teats. Any proce- has seen during his practice in the percent of the animals were non- without stabilizing them before dures must be scrutinized. Farmer area. Disease increases as the num cycling. But nutrition and patho- reuse. It is a cause of cancer in s h ou jd use disposable needles or berof animals increase per square logical disorders must be ruled out cows, but the disease does not w j t j l ster ;i e wa i er- foot. Look at the difference atrazineon Two or more pounds of atrozine for quackgrass can cost your dairy operation two ways. First, labeled rates of atrozine can only suppress quackgrass, not really control it. As a result, quackgrass will often come back within weeks of treatment, and year after year after that. Second, as little as two pounds of atrozine used in any one of the three "com" years before alfalfa has an almost 70% chance of causing carryover damage-even if you cut back later. Although the damage may not be obvious to the I fcfv >/ ' JU / v-. 71. K >M 515, Liam B; I Tbps and roots control with no carryover. •r in [ l£A eye, this level of atrazine residue can cause an almost one third tonnage loss and a 20% stand reduction (published university data). Ranger gives you true control with no carryover Ranger® herbicide is a better answer for quad grass. Ranger works differently than atrazine. Sprayed pre-plant before com on emerged quackgrass tops, Ranger moves down througl the plant to its roots and kills the entire root
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