A2O-Lmcastor Fanning, Saturday, April 1,1989
CARLISLE (Cumberland)-The
north central dairy school with an
intensive educational agenda
brought together representatives of
Master Mix dealers from as far
away as Canada and included reg- *
ional and local dealers as well.
Since Master Mix has a patented
process for creating by-pass pro
tein, one of the topics that was
extensively covered in the school
was the functions of the dairy
cow’s rumen.
Dr. Donald Jaquette, dairy nutri
tionist, Central Soya research
farm, Decatur, IN, said that one of
the major factors necessary to get
enough feed into the cow to main
tain high production centered
around the rapid turnover time of
forages in the rumen. Higher qual
ity forages require less time for fer
mentation, so they move on
through the digestive system faster
and allow the cow to consume
additional ruffages.
“You need to look at the rumen
as a large fermentation vat with a
diverse population of bacteria,”
Jaquette said. “These bacteria each
has its special work to do. So,
when you change the cow’s diet,
you need to make allowance for
the time needed for the bacteria to
change too. You need to consider
what you feed the bacteria as much
as what you feed the cow,” Jaquet
te said.
Jaquette said there are from IS
to 80 billion bacteria to every drop
of liquid in the rumen.
“We have changed how much a
cow can produce through genetics,
but we have not changed the
rumen,” Jaquette said. “Production
has outgrown the rumen.”
Feed Price Increase Calls
For Farmers’ Action
STRONGSVILLE. Oh
Climbing feed costs and falling
milk prices give greater credence
to the fact that dairy producers in
northeastern Ohio and western
Pennsylvania must organize their
resources and negotiating abilities
to help inicrease the price they
receive for their milk, says Tom
Croner, dairy farmer from Berlin,
Penn, and president of the Produc
ers’ Equalization Agency (the
Agency).
Croner says that reports, being
compiled by the Pennsylvania
Milk Marketing Board, show that
farmers in Federal Order 36
(F. 0.36) are operating within an
increasingly “poor financial posi
tion.” This economic environment
calls for an organization like the
Agency to assist all farmers
cooperative and independent—to
work together in helping to offset
further decreases in farm incomes.
“Dairy farm families are getting
hit with the double whammy. By
spring, milk prices are predicted to
drop anywhere between $1.50 and
$1.75 per hundredweight. Then,
add the feed situation. The
drought is finally making its
impact,” sayd Croner. “Dairy far
mers who normally grow their
own feed grains are having to
replenish depleting feed reserves
with high priced commercial
feeds. Financially speaking, it’s a
killer of a situation for dairy
farmers.”
Statistical data, presented to the
Board by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the Pen
nsylvania Farmers Association
(PFA), puts dollars and cents fig
ures behind the glaring fact that
Master Mix Holds Intensive Dairy School
Representing Master Mix dealers across the North Centr
al region at an intensive dairy school this week are (I to r):
back row, Lee Britcher, Larry Shifter, Connie Dulashaw,
Mike Harboid, Dan Hoke, Phil Houston, Bob Martin and Bob
Rick Muster, dairy product
marketing manager. Master Mix,
told the dairy school participants
that the buzz words in feeding for
mulas are “by-pass protein.” Mus
ter explained that by-pass protein
is protein that goes through the
rumen protected from digestion
ready to be used by the animal in
the blood stream.
With conventional protein you
get about 30 percent by-pass pro
tein. With Master Mix ProTek you
producers are hurting.
According to USDA’s monthly
agricultural price report, farm feed
costs are up 26 percent over the
last 12 months. Averaging well
over last year’s prices are hay, up
45 percent; com and soybean
meal, up 20 to 30 percent; and
concentrate, up 21 percent.
The USDA estimates that sus
tained high feed costs, combined
with the expected drops in milk
prices, will push the milk to feed
price ratio back to the July 1988
level of 1.16:1.
Croner says that a report, recen
tly issued by Mel Eckhaus, PFA’s
local affairs director, brings those
national figures down to a more
personal level for area fanners.
Eckhaus reported that, between
1987 and 1988, per farm milk pro
duction costs rose SO cents per
hundredweight The cost of pur
chased feed, to replace feed grains
lost in the drought rose from
$2.18 per hundredweight in, April,
1988 to $3.58 in November, 1988.
“One Pennsylvania dairy far
mer reported having to spend
$25,000 extra on feed to carry his >
100-cow herd through the year.'
That’s a chunk of change. Few
farm family’s can afford-that type
of added expense especially when
milk incomes are expected to drop
so dramatically this spring,” says
Croner.
Croner furthers that the eco
nomic climate is right for the
establishment of the Agency. The
Agency prices milk produced by
F.O. 36 farmers (members of
cooperatives and non-affiliated
producers in northeastern Ohio
and western Pennsylvania) by
get 40 percent by-pass protein.
Thus, the degradable protein is
reduced to 60 percent. Tests have
shown that when degradable and
undegradable protein is put in
proper balance, you can lower the
total protein in the ration. That’s
the objective behind the ProTek
program as outlined at the school.
“With our patented process. Mas
ter Mix can offer a premium pro
duct at the same cost as a more
common feed,” Muster said.
establishing an over-order price to
milk processors.
According Croner, the Agency
gives the farmers, who produce
most of the milk supply, a greater
ability to negotiate for higher
prices.
‘The facts are on the table.
Every dairy producer in Federal
Order 36 is being impacted by
these conditions,” says Croner. “If
we, as dairy farmers, are to main
tain some type of stable farm
income...if wew are to survive in
the business, we will need to
Pinta
SHAWANO, Wi. A Hol
stein bull calf, acquired from Pinta
Lane Niki Syndicate, Narvon,
Pa., is now available from the 21st
Century Genetics sampling
program.
The nation’s largest, direct
member, farmer-owned cattle
breeding cooperative finished
1988 in strong financial condition
and again had the number one bull
in the industry, 21H1800 Dixie-
Lee Ivanhoe Henry-ET, in the
January USDA sire summary.
The newest offering from the
full-service organization is
21H1739 Holly-Dell Rotate
Norman-ET, a son of Arlinda
Rotate.
Combined with his maternal
grands ire, 21st Century Genetics’
own 21H280 I-O-State Chief
Ford, Norman has a Pedigree
Index of +sl44, +46F. +2BP,
i
I g/g
Wagner. Front row, Ernie Young, John Mancullch, Sam
Oberholtzer, Jenny Hinish, Mike Sensenlg, Keith Laydlg,
Jan Kloesmeyer, Pat Norman and Dave Macik.
Principle speakers at the Master Mix dairy school are
from left: Dr. G. K. Stlllabower, senior livestock veteriharl
na, Central Soya, Rick Muster, Dairy Product Marketing
Manager, Master Mix and Dr. Donald Jaquette, dairy nutri
tionist, Central Soya.
establish over-order premiums.
We can only accomplish this if all
dairy farmers participate.”
The Agency creates a winning
situtation for both processor and
producer, says Croner, adding that
the Agency’s goals are to provide
processors with an equitably
priced raw milk supply and dairy
farmers with higher returns for
their product.
Lane Niki
By 21st Genetics
+1216M and a Genetic Index of
+sl99, +67F, +39P, +1619M.
Norman’s dam is O-Pinta-Lane
Ford Niki, EX-90. Her top record
was as a three-year-old with
28,670 pounds of milk, 1,308
pounds of butterfat and a 4.6 per
cent butterfat test in 365 days. Her
current Cow Index is +sl73,
+S6F, +31P.+1475M.
Norman’s dam is one of the fin
est Ford daughters. His maternal
granddam is Very Good-85 with
two records over 1,000 pounds of
butterfat and over 4.0 percent but
terfat test
Norman is now housed at the
Stewartville, Mn., sire housing
facility of 21st Century Genetics;
one of 135 high genetic potential
Holstein sires sampled each year.
As a sampling sire, users of his
semen will be eligible for pay
ments under the cooperative’s
“It’s time for farmers in this
marketing area to help themselves
before their situations worsen,”
says Croner. “A look at the
1989-90 dairy picture says it all. If
we are to meet the financial chal
lenges ahead, dairy farmers need
to know that there will be milk
prices to support their
expenditures.” I
Released
incentive program.
The 21st Century Genetics sam
pling program yielded nine addi
tions to the January active line-up,
helping to boost the average Pre
dicted Difference Dollars
(PD$) for 21st Century Genetics
to +l5l.
Norman and the other bulls
sampled this year will have to wait
for about four years before their
first USDA sire summary is pub
lished. Currently, only about one
out of eight bulls sampled yield
credentials high enough to make
the active line-up housed in Sha
wano, Wi. and New Prague, Mn.