A2O-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, March 2, 1991
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming StaiT
LANCASTER (Lancaster
Co.) Dairy herd management
and breeding were the focus of
dairy day activities in Lancaster
and Lebanon counties this week.
Glenn Shirk, Lancaster dairy
extension, agent and Kenneth
Winebark, Lebanon County lives
tock extension agent, held separate
but similar dairy days to help
dairymen in both counties better
manage their dairy herds, especial
ly in light of low milk prices.
A number of professors spoke at
the events. Dr. Bruce Bcachnau
with Upjohn, a manufacturer of
farm pharmaceuticals, spoke on
breeding heifers and cows and
using Lutalysc, a heat-inducing
drug.
According to Bcachnau, a
scvcn-day system of injecting with
Lutalyse and then observing heats
can help dairymen cuts losses due
to missed heats, extended calving
intervals and milk flow loss.
According to Beachnau, there
are many heifers and some cows
that will not display a proper heat.
He suggested using a program
called the “Monday Morning
System.”
The system works in that all the
heifers are injected with the heat
inducer and observed and bred for
the next five days.
Those that don’t display by the
following Monday are separated
and given a second injection, again
with the same observation and
breeding following.
Of those that again don’t display
a heat, they arc given a third injec
tion, the following Monday.
If there is no response to the
third injection, Beachnau said a
veterinarian should be consulted to
determine the cause.
Both Beachnau and Dr. Paul
Chandler, from Dresden, Va., said
the ideal calving interval is about
13 months.
Both men also said that it is
important to have heifers up to
proper weight for the first calf. If
not, it could lead to the “second
lactation slump,” a phenomenon
commonly observed when a heifer
isn’t quite in shape to make a lot of
milk following a second
freshening.
Chandler said the time to add
condition isn’t during the dry per
iod, but during the second part of
lactation. And to help in success of
breeding, it’s important to not let
the cow get overconditioned it
can cause problems with breeding
and during delivery.
Chandler’s main talk was to talk
about feeding and managing dairy
herds in times of low milk prices.
Jersey Shore
Livestock Market, Inc.
Auction every Thursday
at 4:00 pjn.
Jersey Shore, Pa.
Report supplied by Auction
Thursday, Feb. 28, 1991
RETURN TO FARM CALF 90-1 50.
GOOD VEAL 65.00-8900.
COMMON VEAL 30.00-64 00
CHOICE STEERS 77.00-80 10
SELECT STEERS 65.00-76.00
COMMON STEERS 58.00-64.00.
COMMERCIAL COWS 39 00-55 00;
COUPLE 6000.
CANNERS-CUTTERS 43 00-56.00.
SHELLS 37.00-42.00.
SELECT HEIFERS 65.00-72 50
COMMON HEIFERS 59 00-64 00
GOOD FEEDERS 70.00-93 00.
COMMON FEEDERS 59 00-69 00.
BULLS 53.00-69.00.
GOOD HOGS 49.85-50 10.
HEAVY HOGS 47.00-50.00.
LIGHT HOGS 45.00-49.00 *
Dairy Days Feature Breeding,
Chandler said that the difference
in milk price should make no dif
ference in feeding it should be
well-balanced and designed for the
cow no matter what price the milk.
However, whether that means
substituting lower cost feeds for
higher costs feeds in the ration and
the changes made to that, the
dairyman should consult his feed
dealer or extension agent for gui
dance in choosing the appropriate
amounts.
Chandler added though, that as a
result of tests on carcasses of dairy
cattle, it can be showns that most
cows can stand to lose one score in
body condition during the early
part of lactation that time when
peak production is being set.
Chandler showed charts that
indicated that no matter what level
a cow produced, the lactation
curves were almost identical and
that in order to get more milk, it is
important for the cow to make milk
during the first part of lactation. He
said that the rate of milk produc
tion that can occur during early
lactation and the peak reached
within the first 60 days sets the
level for the rest of the 305 days.
He said that feeding to encour
age production and also to encour-
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Dairy Days event responds to audience questions on
heifer management and feeding and managing dairy herds. From left is Dr. Paul
Chandler, Jeff Zechman, Dr. Bruce Beachnau, Dr. Carl Brown and Glenn Shirk, exten*
sion agent.
age ihc cow to use some of her con
dition off her back during early
lactation could help dairymen get
more milk and cut overall feeding
costs.
He added that a cow should be at
least have a body score of 3 in
order to lose one score.
Other speakers included Dr.
Feeding Of Cows
II
Stanley Curtis, with Penn State
University, who spoke on good
dairy husbandry and animal
welfare.
Later Beachnau said that with
all speakers, the emphasis has been
to care for the cow, with properly
designed stalls for cow comfort to
proper feeding to keeping in good
while managing atrazine and preventing unwanted
side effects, try Laddok
And make growing a
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Ililllli
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conditioning, good water sources
and social interaction.
He said that as a start in educat
ing the public as to what animal
husbandly is really like, perhaps
they should start talking about sub
stituting the word “welfare”
instead of other terms used to
describe animal culture.
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