GEORGE F.W. HAENLEIN
Extension Dairy Specialist
University Of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. Again and
again I am asked why we publish
and promote rolling total herd
milk, fat and protein averages?
The question comes out of the
concern that some state organiza
tions publish and promote actual
milking cows-only records. Either
approach has merit.
When I read that a farmer has a
herd average of 25,000 lbs. milk
per cow, I have questions. How
was this figure derived? Was this
the total milk the farmer shipped
to the processing plant every day
on average for the last year? Or
was this average only for cows
that completed a lactation during
the year? And over how many
months 10, 12 or more?
Individual outstanding cows are
always in demand, of course. A
herd made up of outstanding cows
would draw people interested in
selecting a dam for a future bull as
a stud purchase or for a private
herd, or maybe a future heifer buy.
Deals like this can make a signif
icant contribution to herd income.
In fact, a few herds have become
national and world leaders this
way, generating important export
deals.
Such herds succeed regardless
of size. For example, Winterthur
near Wilmington, Del., offered
outstanding Holsteins for years as
does Arlinda in California current
ly. and for Ayrshires, there’s
Ardrossan not far from
Philadelphia.
However, the great majority of
dairy herds derive only a minor
QUALITY TURNKEY CONSTRUCTION
I - >J£r4
W.fcmmmm*
A Poultry Dlv. of GSI
Broiler & Turkey Facilities Offer An Opportunity For Part-Time Income
On Your Farm. Production Contracts And Financing Are Available To Those Qualified.
QUALITY
INSTALLATION
Use Rolling Herd Averages To Manage Dairy Herd
portion of their herd income from
the sale of outstanding cows and
bulls. Most dairy herds, often
termed “commercial,” get
between 80- and 90-percent of
their herd income from the sale of
milk. This means that the herd
owner is interested in the herd
milk average for all cows in the
herd at a given time, not just those
that complete a lactation during
the year.
The herd owner is very much
aware of those cows that did not
complete a lactation during the
year. How many were there, and
what was the percentage in the
herd? These cows, referred to as
“dry” and/or “open,” reduce the
herd milk average, but continue to
consume feed, require labor for
feeding and milking, take up
building space the same as the
high-producing cows do and, pos
sibly, incur additional veterinary
costs.
Herd records on how much
these cows produce reflect the
financial efficiency story of the
herd management. For this reason,
I am more interested in publishing
and promoting the rolling total
herd averages. It gives the herd
owner a measure of the number of
freeloaders which the rest of the
milking cows have to “carry"
when it comes to paying bills.
Whether freeloaders are imme
diate or later candidates for the
stockyard depends on total herd
management objectives. But all
the while, costs keep adding up
from those cows that do not con
tribute their share in filling the
farm tank.
Farmers talk with pride to their
Ph: 717 - 274 ’ 3488
%
CONFINEMENT SYSTEMS INC.
608 E. Evergreen Rd., Lebanon, PA 17042
neighbors and farmers in other
states, comparing notes on the per
formance of their cows and herds.
And farmers deserve to have pride
in their individual top cows. This
enthusiasm carries dairy people
through the daily drudgery and
frustrations, and it feels good to
outdo a neighbor or relative.
However, the business end of
dairy farming requires that we,
reduce the number of freeloaders
we feed and care for. Rolling Herd
averages, not Milking Cows-Only
or Completed Lactations-Only
averages, reveal whether some
cows are not producing up to par
and how many.
Three important parameters can
tell more precisely what is going
on; age at first calving, calving
interval and average days in milk.
The age at first calving tells when
heifers start paying back the
investment in being raised to 24
months of age or later.
Calving interval is important,
because it includes the number of
days open or dry, and repeal
breeders with long calving inter
vals arc freeloaders. When the
calving interval is longer, the
Rolling Milk Production average
per cow per year is less and fewer
calves arc produced and available
per year. Also the farmer has few
er cows available for culling to
improve genetics, and he has more
veterinary and breeding bills, but
less income from milk and sale of
animals.
Average days in milk is another
important parameter, because the
more cows in the herd that have
average days in milk before the
middle of lactation, the more are
ILATION v
& ELECTRONIC CONTROLS
FEATURING:
■ fancam
Computers
Engineered Computer System Features:
* Timing & Staging Of Fans
- Heater Control
- Sidewall Curtain Control
- Fogging System Control
• Temperature Control To Automatically
Adjust The System According To The
Age Of The Birds
- CALL FOR DETAILS -
in peak lactation and this helps fill
up the herd tank faster, belter and
easier. These cows arc the oppo
site of freeloaders.
All of these parameters corre
late directly with money in the
bank, an important consideration
N.J. Hort
TRENTON, N.J. The New
Jersey FFA Horticultural Exposi
tion, scheduled for the Quaker
Bridge Mall, Route 1, Lawrence
ville, consists of two slate £FA
events.
The state FFA floral design
contest, sponsored by the New
Jersey Florists’ Association, will
be held Friday, March 15. The
State FFA Flower Show, with
more than 600 plants and flower
arrangements exhibited, will
begin on Friday, March 15 and
end on Sunday, March 17 at 6
p.m.
The floral design contest is
open to all FFA members in New
Jersey. Members will design two
arrangements on location. One
design will be assigned by the
judges and the other will be the
choice of the student Arrange
ments will be scored and winners
MILK.
IT DOES A
BODY good:
MThe
EfUSS^
aerotecn
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 16, 1991-C3
now that milk prices are so low.
Overall, our interest in Rolling
Herd averages, not just for milk,
but for fat and protein content as
well as somatic cell counts, is the
best direction for better herd
profitability.
Expo Set
will be announced later that day.
The students’ designs will be
available for sale after all scoring
lakes place. All proceeds will go
towards premiums for the Flower
Show.
Students competing in the
Flower Show will be entering
arrangements and plant material
that they have designed or grown
in school. More than 50 different
theme classes are available for
students to enter. Preparing an
arrangement for a formal dinner
party is one example of a theme
class. Arrangements may be
entered in the “fresh” or “silk and
dried” categories.
Ribbons will be awarded to the
top five entries in each class, and a
rosette will be awarded to the best
of division entry. In addition, the
Best of Show Award will be
presented.
INTERI
Hours: Mon.-Fri.
7:00 to 4:30;
Sat. 8:00 to 12:00
- Direct
Drive
Fans With
Cast
Aluminum
Propellers
- All
Aluminum
Shutters