A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 12,1990
Pennsylvania DHIA wants to make new optional
repots available that will be useful to help make dairy
farming more profitable. We have already started to
survey what services other state DHIA’s provide for
their members. But what we really need to know is what
you need as a farmer in Pennsylvania. So, we are asking
you to help us.
We would like you to answer two basic questions for
us:
A. What present reports are most useful to you?
B. What new DHIA reports could you use?
To help us help you, please take a few minutes to
answer the following questions and send us your
answers as soon as possible. The address of the Pennsyl
vania DHIA office is listed at the bottom of this
questionnaire.
PRESENT REPORTS
* Which of the present basic DHIA reports do you
find most useful? Please list them numbers 1 through 5
in order of importance. Leave blank any report that you
do not use.
a. The Monthly Report.
- h The Herd Summary.
c. The Reproductive Management Report.
d. The Life History Sheet.
e. The Cow Index Report
* If you do not use one or more of these reports,
please tell us why .
* In addition to the basic DHIA reports, optional
reports are also offered. Which of these optional
reports do you find useful? Again list them numbers 1
through 5 in order of importance.
a. Somatic Cell Count Report.
b. Group feeding (up to five groups).
_ c. 365-Day Option (365-day actual production).
d. Bam Card Option(s).
_e. Duplicate Reports (useful for consultants).
* Another option for DHIA monthly reports is to list
individual cows or groups of cows in various orders
based on the following criteria. Please check which
listing order is most useful to your operation.
Listing Order:
By bam name.
By test day milk lbs. (herd or group.
By test day fat lbs. (herd or group).
By estimated 305-day milk (herd or group).
By estimated 305-day fat (herd or group).
r By visible identification.
By index number.
Thanks for your answers. Please take a separate sheet of paper and make any additional When you have completed this questionnaire and made any comments or questions, clip
comments that will help us provide you with better DHIA reports. Also, if you have ques- out this page and send it to:
dons about specific services or reports that can be provided by DHIA, don’t hesitate to ask us Mr P M fPooffl Rarr manappr cnecial services
or your field supervisor for more information. **r. “ arr ’ mana B er special services
Pennsylvania DHIA
Orchard Road
University Park, PA 16802
Thanks For Your Answers
Your Answers Will Help Develop New Programs
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DHIA Has A Few Questions For You
* Is the listing order you checked above the same as
the listing order you now use on your DHIA Monthly
POSSIBLE NEW OPTIONAL
REPORTS
Now we present a list of reports that could be offered
from the data we have in our computers hoe at State
College. Read over this list and check any report that
may be helpful to your dairy operation. Items that
receive the most number of checks from the respon
dents to this questionnaire will be given high priority
consideration when new programs are offered by
DHIA.
PRODUCTION
* Items such as cow index number, name, estimated
or actual production, days in milk, production of milk,
fat and protein, can be arranged in many different ways.
Please check any three items on the following list for
production criteria that would be most useful to you.
By 305 milk.
_ By 305 fat.
By 305 protein.
By 305 fat corrected milk.
By last test day fat corrected milk.
By test day milk.
By test day fat.
By test day fat corrected milk.
—A culling guide based on your criterion (example:
80% below herd average).
’ Other: _
REPRODUCTION
* Items such as cow index number, name, date for
required action or check and number of times bred can
be offered. Which three of the following list would be
most useful to you?
List of cows to pregnancy check.
List of cows to check for heat
List of cows which have been bred more than 3
times.
List of cows due to calve.
List of cows to dry.
List of cows to breed.
Conception rate report by month and lactation.
Other:
HERD HEALTH
* Items such as cow index number, name, occur
rence which caused the listing, action required or date
of action can be offered. Which items of the following
list could you use:
Listing of cows with SCC above 300,00.
Analysis of why animals left the herd.
Other:
HERD ANALYSIS
* From the information available, summary reports
on a herd basis could be made available. Again, please
check any items on the following list that would be use
ful to you.
Herd lactation graph (quarterly or semi-annually).
Monthly milking herd average pounds of milk
(over a 24 month period for comparisons).
Monthly herd average % fat (24 months).
Monthly herd average days in milk (24 months).
Analysis of return over feed cost average (24
months).
Comparison of herd with state averages.
Other:
INDIVIDUAL COW ANALYSIS
* To show a wide range of information on each cow,
which items on the following list could you use?
Lactation graph at the end of each lactation.
Complete listing of reproductive and health actions
on each cow.
Extended parentage performance information.
_ Preprinted application forms for registration of
calf.
Other.
LISTINGS
* There are many additional ways in which animals
can be listed in your herd. Could you use:
Cows listed by sire.
Cows listed by service sire.
Cows grouped by lactation.
Cows listed by age.
Cows listed by days in milk.
Cows grouped by SCC linear score group.
Cows listed by per cwt return over feed costs.
Other
LEVEL OF REPORTING
* Please check the level of DHIA reporting so that is
most useful to you in your dairy operation;
_ Simple: A report that would simplify and group the
information of the present report.
Regular A report of the type you presently receive
along with a number of the above summary options.
_ Specialized: A report constructed to be very specif
ic to your individual operation for special analytical
work.
YOUR FARM BACKGROUND
* To help us get to know you better so we can more
effectively tailor our programs to your needs, please
give us a little background on your farming operation.
Name;
Address:
Town;
Phone: ( )
DHIA Herd Number:
* How many cows do you milk?
* How many acres do you farm?
* Do you use a personal computer, feed computer or
intergrated computer system of any of kind on your
farm?
♦ If you have no computer on your farm, do you plan
to purchase a computer within the next two years?