National Holstein Research Study
brattleboro. Vt.
Registered Holstein dairymen
who accept emerging biogenetic
technologies and closely manage
their profit margins can look for
ward to a more important industry
role and exciting business oppor
tunities during the 90’s. Those
who don’t, face an uphill battle,
according to findings of a national
research study commissioned by
the Holstein Association.
Conducted by Bruce K.
Symonds & Co., Inc,, St Paul,
Minn., and the Management Cen
ter for Agribusiness, Kansas City,
Mo. The study, designed to profile
the dairy industry and identify fac
tors which will be associated with
profitable dairy enterprises during
the next 10 years, was presented to
the Holstein Association national
directors at their December meet
ing in New York City.
Opinions expressed in the com
prehensive, six-month study rep
resent those of 140 registered and
grade Holstein dairymen in nine
stales, plus 50 key industry leaders
associated with AI firms, DHIA,
Farm Bureau, milk marketing co
ops, export services, dairy sup
pliers, government agencies and
university specialists.
Douglas Maddox, Riverdale,
Calif., chairman of a Trends Task
Force comprising a dozen industry
leaders who directed the study,
said the final report will be shared
with the Holstein membership at
the 1990 Winter Holstein Forums
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Maddox said the next 10 years
promise to be a decade of signific
ant, dramatic changes for the dairy
industry. “We wanted to identify
and monitor those changes,” Mad
dox said, “so we can help our
members make plans to stay
competitive.”
The board of the largest breed
organization in the country has an
obligation to its membership to
base its strategic planning on the
best information we can obtain
about the future impact of regional
economics, new technologies, and
consumer-and environmental
issues, Maddox said. ‘That’s why
we did this study,” he said, “to
keep our association relevant and
our members competitive.”
Maddox, who is national direc
tor of the Holstein Association,
was joined on the Trends Task
Force by Hugh Sutherland, N.Y.;
Dr. William Pettit, Jr., NJ.; Paul
Knox, N.H.; Mike Rainey, Ga.;
Tom Kelly, Pa.; Robert Kindig,
Pa.; Ted Halbach, Ariz.; Dan Ran
ney, Calif.; Elmer Paper, Iowa;
Gary Wagner, Wis.; and Dr. Paul
Miller, Wis. TTie group was instru
mental in setting general direction
for the research study and arrang
ing for thirteen group interviews
with registered and grade dairy
producers.
Bruce Symonds, whose career
with Ralston Purina and as an
agricultural marketing consultant
PENNSYLVANIA
FARMERS’
ASSOCIATION
spans 40 years, interviewed and
tape recorded the thoughts of 50
industry leaders, many of whom
had conducted their own research
on selected areas of the industry,
“We wanted the very best
thinkers to give us their thoughts
on tough questions about the
future,” Symonds said. The final
report includes their responses to,
“Where will the major dairy pro
ducing areas be by the year 2000?,
What role will the registered
breeder play in the 21st century?.
What changes are anticipated in
the price support program?”, and
“What challenges and opportuni
ties will face the Holstein Associ
ation during the next ten years?”.
“According to industry sour
ces,” Symonds said in his final
report, “many of the trends we’ve
seen during the 80’s will continue,
and at a faster pace. As productivi
ty per cow increases, cow num
bers will decline, but farm mem
bers will decline even more. With
the advent of cloning, semen sex
ing and DNA genetic selection,
registered breeders will have glob
al opportunities to market very
special genetics. The marketing
opportunities created by develop
ing special cows for special pur
poses are unlimited.”
Inquiries regarding the full
report should be directed to the
Holstein Association Member
Service Unit at (802) 254-4551.
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Herd Management
(Contlmrad from Pag* DIO)
out of the information each time
he comes to the farm.
McCulloh vaccinates for IBR,
PR3, Lepto 5, hemophilis, and
BVD. Heifer calves are vacci
nated the day they are bom.
McCulloh treats repeat breeders
if they have discharge, and uses
GNRH if they require a third
service.
The most important data to him
about his herd’s reproduction are
his DHIA records and the breed
ing wheel.
Heifers are housed in an area
where he can watch them daily.
They are bred artificially at 16
months.
Sherwin Brechbill, along with
his father, a herdsman and two
part-time employees, milks 156
cows on a farm near Chambers
burg. The herd’s calving interval
is 12.3 months, with 1.8 services
per conception. Cows are
observed for heat in the parlor and
the feed lot. Brechbill paints the
cows’ tailheads to aid him in heat
detection. “We rely on that a lot,”
he said.
The veterinarian visits the farm
twice a month to pregnancy check,
and to examine recently fresh
cows.
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FARMER’S MACHINERY SHOW • FEB. Bth
Lancaster Katina Saturday, January 27,1990-Dll
Cows are given Lepto S and
respiratory vaccines. Dry and
recently fresh cows get vitamin
boluses and electrolytes to help
keep their stress levels down.
Brechbill gives repeat breeders
a shot of lutalyse if they have been
confirmed non-pregnant by the
vet. He uses a clean-up bull with
his second group of cows. All
groups are fed the same total mix
ed ration. “A good feeding prog
ram is important,” in reproductive
management, he said.
Brechbill uses his breeding
wheel to give him a fast indication
of his herd’s status, and is also on
a record-keeping program with his
veterinarian. He cites the routine
visits of the vet as the most impor
tant aspect of reproductive man
agement. “It helps us to keep
abreast of what’s going on with
the herd,” he said.
A home-raised bull out of a
good cow, or a purchased bull, is
used to breed the heifers, which
are kept at a second farm.
In other business, Darren Ston
er, of Mercersburg, won a heifer
calf given away by Farm Credit of
York. The calf, a Russell Dale
Promise daughter, had been pur
chased from Ro-Meyer Farm, St
Thomas.
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