Atlantic
BY JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
SEVEN VALLEYS (York
Co.) — Atlantic Breeders
Cooperative honored four of its
top-producing member herds dur
ing York County’s annual dairy
day. hosted at the Seven Valleys
Fire Hall on February 8.
Recipients of certificates of
merit from the Lancaster-based
breeding cooperative were Smys
er’s Richlawn Farm, Sinking
Springs Farm, B. Robert Charles,
and Ray Doll. Smyser’s Richlawn
Farm, York, topped the list, milk
ing a herd of 74 head, with a herd
average of 25,509 milk and 841
fat
Sinking Springs Farm, York,
was recognized for its milking
string of 66-head producing
20,179 milk and 771 fat. B. Robert
Charles milks 49 head on his Dov
er farm, with a herd average of
19,501 milk and 725 fat. Ray Doll
maintains a herd of 51 head on his
Larry Breech Columbia County Ist
Mike Shemon Adams County First
Kerry Woerner Adams County Second
Albert Ferens Fayette County First
Malenock Farms Fayette County Second
Brian Koch Schuylkill County Tenth
James Warburton Bradford County Fifth
Larry Zell Dauphin County Third
Robert Stola Luzerne County Second
William H. Schultz Montour County First
Breeders, Extension Shot# Dairy Defy Spoil
Long Hill Farm, averaging 18,598 r
milk and 692 fat.
To qualify for Atlantic’s certifi
cate of merit, a herd must average
at least 10 percent above the state
average for milk and butterfat, and
comprise more than two-thirds
progeny of Atlantic sires.
Director Earl Fuhrman
reviewed the cooperative activi
ties during the District 6 annual
meeting. Atlantic Breeders’ annu
al financial report for 1989 shows
a positive picture of the coopera
tive's operations. Net savings
frortt business amounted to
$383,256, resulting in a patronage
dividend of 6.7 percent
Four members were nominated
as candidates from District 6 to
Atlantic’s resource-promotion
committee. Nominees are Harry
Bickcl, Airville, Frank Feeser,
Hanover, Richard Foster, Paricton,
Maryland, and W. Allen Gal
breath, Street, Maryland. Election
results will be announced when
S&888
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Atlantic Breeders area technician Larry Amspacher, left, presented certificate of
merit awards to, from left, Dan Rice, Robert Charles and Robert Smyser.
membership meetings in the area of dairy producers on a slide-trip and teats.
9X6 °w ple “- review of herd milking manage- Studies have shown that pre-
Mastitis management ment. Dr. Hutchinson focused on dipping results in the reduction of
Extension veterinarian Dr. Lar- cleanliness and care of that most about SO percent of occurrences of
ry Hutchinson took his audience vital part of a milking cow, udders new quarter-infections of mastitis,
says the Penn State extension vet One side benefit is the
elimination of too much water used for cleaning udders,
especially in milking parlor operations.
A low-level iodine-base product is recommended, pre
ferably with iodine percentage at 0.1 to 0.25-percenL Dip
should remain on teats for 30 seconds to effectively kill
bacteria present, then be wiped dry with a clean paper tow
el. If udders are excessively dirty, teats should be washed
before dipping.
Post-dip is even mote important, stresses Dr. Hutchin
son. While pre-dipping works mostly with environmental
bacteria, post-dipping is effective against contagious mas
titis pathogens.
Dairymen should also exercise extreme care when
inserting treatment tubes into a quarter. Dr. Hutchinson
warns. Treatment tube cannulas can effectively carry a
wide range of bacteria into the fragile environment of an
udder. Partial insertion of the tube is less likely to damage
the teat canal and offers less chance for adding bacteria to
a quarter.
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With Pennsylvania disposing of 3.5 million tons of pap
er annually, the use of paper for livestock bedding is
generating plenty of dairymen interest
Newspaper is many times more absorbent than either
straw or sawdust according to extension’s area ag engi
neer Dan McFarland. While newspaper is getting positive
acceptance, magazines pose the hazard of staples, offer
much less absorbency and certain computer paper has
been found to cause teat irritation. Studies also show slow
er growth of mastitis-causing bacteria in chopped news
paper than in many other bedding materials.
McFarland recommends a layer of straw be applied
over a concrete housing-area floor before putting down
chopper paper, to avoid problem of stickiness. Bedding at
frequent intervals with small amounts is also recom
mended. He projects that many farmers will ultimately
bed with blends of chopped newspaper and straw.
Newspaper has been found to decompose quickly when
spread with manure in fields.
“Liquid manure handles it best,” says the engineer, “but
daily spreading is okay. Some caution should be used in
bedding with chopped newspaper in gravity flow systems;
it may be necessary to add extra water.”
Manure analysis on newspaper-bedding has been posi
tive in comparison to that of sawdust and hays. Heavy
metal levels are lower than those usually found in fields
spread with straw-manure.
Olhcr speakers on the dairy day program included
Naomi Spahr, for Dairy of Distinction awards, extension
area management agent Roland Freund and Bob McMil
len, of Miracle Feeds.
Read It - Chop It • Bed It