A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 22,1989
Growing Beef
(Continued from Pag* Al)
the Hesses several advantages.
“We wanted to be marketing
throughout the year,” Karl stated.
“Using Holstein calves gives us
the opportunity to keep the feedlot
full and utilize the calf bam, which
we already had. In addition, there’s
minimal stress on the calves once
you get them here: they’re not get
ting trucked all over.”
Because Holstein calves are
available all year round, the couple
can sell large groups of beef to
packers four or five times each
year rather than once or twice. This
not only keeps the cash flowing, it
also allows the Hesses to take tet
ter advantage of the market
Raising the cattle from calves
also allows the Hesses to'spot pom*
doers earlier. “With feeder cattle,
you don’t know their background
and some guys unload their slow
doers as feeders,” commented
Karl. “When you raise calves,
before you have invested $2OO,
you will have a pretty good indica
tion if any need to be culled. You
can cull calves at 200 pounds at a
lower expense than if you bought it
as a feeder and fed it a few
months.”
Extensive records are kept on
the calves and their performance.
Among the facts noted include
where the calf was purchased, its
weight going in, purchase price,
feed consumed, and health prob
lems and medication needed.
Rather than buy the calves
themselves, the Hesses put an
order in with a buyer. “It would
take a lot of phone calls and run
ning around to get 70 calves in two
to three days,” said Karl. “I don’t
have the time to train my eye to see
problems that a buyer could. A
borderline calf may look good at
its home farm, but putting it
through the stress of moving could
push it over into poor health.”
Another reason they use a buyer
is that he can almost always get a
better price. Usually farmers who
buy their own calves want to fill
the buck up that day and will spend
extra money in order to do so. Buy
ers can fill orders over a few days
at a riesser price per head.
Once an order is in, Karl does
the trucking and moves the calves
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Ridge Road
* Utitz, PA 17543 ,
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onto his farm within three to five
days.
Weaning begins almost imme
diately with the calves being fed
grain as well as milk replacer. As
they get older, the animals are fed
mostly grain with a small amount
of hay.
“We feed about 1 to I'A pounds
of hay or the equivalent in silage,”
said Elma. “Some calves’ bodies
can’t tolerate high energy feed and
their body quits. Karl found that
feeding a little hay gets the rumen
working. In fact, with a little for
age, it’s even possible for poor
doers to do well on grain.”
The Hesses farm with their sons
Konrad; 12, Jonathan, 10, and
Michael, 4, on a 350-acre property
that was deeded to Karl’s family in
1754 by Thomas and Richard
Penn. Karl set out to become a doc
tor, but as a medical student began
yearning for farming. The couple
rented a farm for a couple years
before returning to the home farm.
Karl plants com, soybeans, and
alfalfa. He feeds all the com and
the soybeans function as a rota
tional crop. Some alfalfa is fed
while the rest is sold.
The Hesses began buying Hol
stein calves last summer and con
tracted with a packer on a limited
basis to raise beef-cross steers.
They welcomed the opportunity to
be in a contract because they were
able to learn more about the beef
production industry at a lesser risk.
But they will be just as glad when
the beef-cross cattle are moved
out. “Being on contract has been
advantageous,” commented Karl.
“We’ve learned things to do and
not to do.”
Once of the things they’ve
learned is the advantage of a herd
health program. Currently they are
working with their veterinarian to
develop a vaccine program for the
calves by using blood samples.
Karl enjoys working with Hols
tein steers because he feels they’re
feeding patterns and growth are
more predictable than that of a
beef-cross steer. “My theory is that
the Holstein gene pool is smaller
than that for traditional beef cros
ses. Feeding patterns are likely to
work from group to group because
of their close genetics.”
Servicing Clients for
11 years in Integrated
i Pest Management,
f Fertility Management
And Agricultural/
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Atlantic Awards NICE Scholarships
SOUTHAMPTON (Bucks
Co.) — Six high school students
have been awarded scholarships
by Atlantic Dairy Cooperative to
attend the 1989 National Institute
on Cooperative Education
(NICE), July 24-27 in Indianapo
lis, Ind.
The youth scholars, sons and
daughters of Atlantic members,
were selected to attend the NICE
conference based on their partici
pation at the 1989 Pennsylvania
Association of Farmer Coopera
tive’s Summer Institute. The four
day program was held June 25-28
at Shippensburg University.
The Atlantic scholars are: Ste
ven E. Dietrich, Germansville; sis
ters Linda C. and Penny Fisher,
McVeytown; Paul Rauhauser,
Dover; Clinton W. Shontz Jr.,
Vincentown, N.J.; and J. Chris
Zimmerman, East Earl.
Steven Dietrich, the son of Wil
liam and Imogene Dietrich, is a
junior at Northwestern Lehigh
High School. He is a member of
the senior high band and is active
in the Lehigh County 4-H dairy
and swine clubs. He is a member
of Jerusalem Red Church.
Linda & Penny Fisher are the
daughters of William and Faye
Fisher. Both girls are juniors at
Mount Union Area High School.
Linda is a member of the French
Club, the FFA, the Girls Athletic
Association and the Outdoor Sign
Club. Penny is involved in the
FFA and the Girls Athletic
Association.
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301-662-1128
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They are both members of the and baseball teams. He is also
Atkinson Mills United Methodist involved in 4-H, a local youth
Church and the Wayne 4-H Club, group and sports.
Additionally, Penny is a member Clinton W. Shontz Jr. is the son
of the Mifflin County dairy and of C. Wayne and Roberta Shontz.
sheep clubs. A 1989 graduate of Northern Bur-
A senior at Dover Area High lington County Regional, Clint
School; Paul L. Rauhauser is the plans to attend Cook College, Rut
son of Charles and Patricia Rau- gers University. He is Central
hauser. Paul is studying vocation- Region vice president of the FFA
al agriculture and is a member of and is involved in 4-H activities,
the FFA. He is also active in the The American Institute of
Dover Young Farmers and the Cooperation, based in Washing-
Central 4-H Dairy Club. ton, D.C., sponsors the National
J. Chris Zimmerman, the son of Institute on Cooperative Educa-
John and Cheryl Zimmerman, is a tion to explain the role of coopera
junior at Garden Spot High tive’s in today’s business world.
School. He is a member of the The theme of this year’s confer-
FFA and participates on the soccer ence is “Cooperatives Indeed!”
Swartz Named Interim Director
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) — David L. Swartz has been
appointed interim director and
agricultural agent for Penn State
Cooperative Extension in Perry
County.
He has served as an agricultural
agent in Chester County for the
past five years, specializing in
dairy production, farm manage
ment, agronomy and water qual
ity. Before joining Penn State
Cooperative Extension, he was an
assistant herd manager for J.B.
Brymesser Sons, a large dairy
operation in Cumberland County.
Swartz received a bachelor’s
degree in dairy science with a
minor in agricultural education
from Penn State in 1982. He is a
native of Cumberland County and
BURCHFIELDS, INC.
112 S. Railroad SI.
Martinsburg, Pa.
814-793-2194
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Maryland Dealers
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Penna. Dealers
STOUFFER BROS. MBLVDT J. BHEFFER,
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717-637-3606
Rd 3, Box 610
Sussex, NJ
201-875-8672
David Swartz
is looking forward to working
with Cumberland County neigh
bors in Perry County.
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