ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming StafT
LORETTO (Cambria
Co.) Individual cow care, and
knowing how to keep the animals
clean and well fed, helped boost
Valewood Dairy to a somatic cell
count (SCC) of 90,000 the best
in the state for cow operations
with over 100 cows, according to
the Pennsylvania DHIA.
The farm, co-owned by Bill,
Matt, Pat, Kim, Andy, and Dan
Itle, and Jan Lidwell, includes 1 IS
head of registered Holsteins and
100 replacements. The operation is
free stall with a double-6 parlor (12
units total). The Itles milk the cows
twice a day at 5 a.m. and 4 p.m.
and involve the entire family in
the operation.
Valewood Dairy’s SCC was
brought about by “not any one
thing,” said Jan Lidwell, who
helps with the operation. When the
farm was first placed on DHIA, “it
didn’t seem to pay. We took the
cows off one year. But then, when
we started seeing a mastitis prob
lem, we went back on the system.
“We couldn’t operate without
our DHIA records at all, ” she said.
Using the DHIA records has
helped Valewood identify and
control the mastitis problem.
Through a program of individu
al cow care, and maintaining the
cleanliness of the stall, the SCC
was lowered. In addition, the farm
uses a special post-dip method to
control the bacteria count
By taking time with each cow,
and cleaning out the freestall regu
larly, helped keep the SCC as low
as it is. Jan said they are consider
ing using a pre-dip method to see if
that may help lower the SCC even
further.
Valewood Dairy totals about
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Cow Care Big
500 acres (about 450 tillable). The
farm has been in operation since
1933, and the members of the Itle
family that now own the farm pur
chased the operation in 1986.
The Itles grow their own hay
and purchase high-moisture com.
The use a special computer-fed tot
al mixed rations, which they began
using in 1983. Two mixes are used,
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
SHARPSVILLE (Mercer
Co.) You have to be careful
with automatic milkers often
they don’t do their job quite right.
In the case of one Mercer Coun
ty farmer, just standing by and
keeping the automatic takeoff on
for 15 seconds or more longer
increasing output by 2 to 3 pounds
of milk—has increased the rolling
herd average by 1,138 pounds.
This made the farm number 1 in
milk pounds improvement in the
Guernsey breed under the Pennsyl
vania DHIA.
Harold Ealy, of Ealy’s Highland
Farm, grows his own feed, includ
ing a high moisture shelled com
haylage. But feed wasn’t necessar
ily the factor in the increase,
including a protein increase by 34
pounds, making it the number 1
improved Guernsey breed by pro
tein in 1990. It was simply milking
the cows completely that helped
improve the averages.
Harold began fanning 35 years
ago. He purchased the farm from
his father, Randall Ealy, in 1967.
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Factor In Lowering SCC
including a soybean/mineral mix
and a rolled com mix.
Members of the family take
turns so everyone gets one
weekend off every month, said
Jan.
“I really like cows,” she said.
“Cows are easily domesticated,
and they are people animals.”
Cows Competely, Says Farmer,
Milk
Randall’s father purchased the
farm in 1898, and it’s been in the
family for 92 years. Harold farms
the 230 acres (200 tillable, 60 acres
rented) with help from his son-in
law, Chad Welsch.
Ealy’s herd size is 70, which he
milks twice a day. There are 10
bred heifer replacments, and 16
with a bull for next fall. He milks
out of a milking parlor with a
pipeline.
Bradford Co. Christmas Tree
Management Short Course,
University Park, thru Jan. 4.
Franklin Co. Dairy Day, Kauff
man’s Community Center.
Lycoming Co. 1991 area income
tax meeting, Comfort Inn, New
PRICE G«l.
$159 1000
$249 1250
$199 1500
2100
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Farm Calendar
(Continued from Page A 10)
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Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, December 15, 1990-A33
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The day begins at 6 a.m., and
finishes with the final milking at 6
p.m. The rest of the time is occup
ied with field work and other farm
chores.
“My dad had Guernseys,” he
said. “My dad and my uncle raised
Holsteins and Guernseys. But my
father ended up with the Guern
seys. and so did I.”
Ealy likes the Guernsey breed
Columbia, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.,
thru Jan. 4.
Lycoming Co. 1991 area income
tax meeting, Comfort Inn, New
Pennsylvania Farm Show, Farm
Show Complex, open forjudg
ing only.
: V
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because it is a high protein produc
er and “a real gentle animal, and
doesn’t eat as much as a Hols
tein,” he said.
Ealy has been with the DHIA
since 1969, and believes that there
is a lot of work to farming. He
believes that cows must be milked
out completely in order to improve
production and a farmer must
look at each cow separately to
determine how that is done.
Pennsylvania Farm Show, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
thru Jan. 11.
Pennsylvania Farm Show, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
thru Jan. 11.
Annual Dairy Industry Confer
ence, Stouffer Dublin Hotel,
Dublin, Ohio, thru Jan. 8.
Farm Women Society annual con
vention, 10 a.m., Farm Women
banquet, Penn Harris Motor
Pennsylvania Farm Show, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
thru Jan. 11.
1991 Eastern Pa. Turf Conference
and Trade Show, Valley Forge
Convention Center, Sheraton-
Valley Forge Hotel, 10
Pennsylvania Farm Show, Farm
Show Complex, Harrisburg,
thru Jan. 11.
1991 Eastern Pa. Turf Conference
and Trade Show, Valley Forge
Convention Center, Sheraton-
Valley Forge Hotel, 10
a.m.4:30 p.m., thru Jan. 11.
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