A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 11, 1991
Smith’s Guernseys
(Continuad from Pag* A2O)
“It cuts down on any problems
with disease,” David said. “It
would be nice to have an isolation
area to keep new animals, but we
don’t have the room for an isola
tion area. We use all the area we
have.”
Robert said they use all their
available land for dairy produc
tion. In the past his father used to
keep hogs and chickens for family
use and local sale, but times
changed.
David does the breeding now
and is active in trying to improve
the breed.
Robert said his father was also
active in maintaining an all
registered herd. Robert carried on
the tradition.
For breeding goals, the empha
sis was clearly on production and
longevity good udders and
Growing heifers need adequate care and feed. These
young ones, some bred, relish down in the feed trough.
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“We hope we improved type,”
Robert said. “(Back then) We had
a local breeder do all the
breeding.”
For the Guernsey breed, Robert
said that while the number of ani
mals in the state is continually
decreasing, as is the case with
other breeds, “We try to keep our
breed improving type-wise and
with production.”
The farm is actually a combina
tion of two farms that were started
independently, according to
Robert Jacob started renting the
adjacent farm, then bought it dur-
ing the 19605 - .
The size of the farm has not
changed since.
The adjacent farm is different
construction. It has a high
limestone-walled bank bam that
currently houses the heifers. A pic-
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turesque, old red-tiled silo, stands
next to it, but that’s no longer in
use.
In half of the farmhouse (of the
adjacent farm) is where Dave lives
with his wife Kathy and two child
ren, Erin, 4, and Joel 11 months.
He shares the house with a fulltime
herdsman Tom Hostetler, who
with his wife Gloria, has three
children showing dairy animals in
4-H . . . guess which breed.
Actually, Hostetler’s children
have an aged cow and two 3-year
olds. The aged cow gave a Septem
ber heifer calf, and the 3-year-olds
produced June and March heifer
calves.
The set up of the milking bam
has remained at 65 stalls since
Jacob expanded it from about 45
stalls, years ago. The 2-inch pipe
line was installed about 20 years
ago.
The heavy beams of both bams
attest to the age and durability of
the structures. And with windows
and large fans, ventilation in the
milking bam is very good.
Manure is not a problem, using
classical aisle gutters with scrap
ers. Spreading manure is not a
problem either, since the ISO acres
can adequately carry the load.
The most recent roiling herd
average for the herd is 19,264
pounds of milk, 672 pounds of fat
and 595 pounds of protein.
Dave said the production has
been increasing because of an
improvement in forage quality.
This year protein levels in hay
have been around 19 percent Last
year, protein levels in hay were
about 15 percent.
The Smiths use horizontal
trench silage storage with good
results and feed a mixture of hay,
grain and com silage.
Dave said that eventually, when
milk prices turn around, he’d like
to switch to total mixed rations, but
for now the cost is prohibitive and
he hand scoops grain from a cart.
He fills the cart from an over head
shute located at one end of the aiise
of the milking bam.
According to the Smiths, the
problem with the dairy industry
isn’t because of what breeds are
being used. The problems have
more to do with artificial and man-
Farm Calendar
(Continued from Page A 10)
Baron’s Inn, Greene, N.Y.,
Centre Co. Dairy Princess
Pageant, Logan Grange Hall,
Northwest Keystone Junior Beef
Classic, Crawford Co. Fair
grounds, Meadville, thru May
26.
ipulated demands.
In the meantime, David con
tinues to work steadily and volun-
teer his help in coaching the Leba
non County dairy judging team,
along with Alan Hostetler and
John Bombgardner.
In fact the whole family is
involved in dairying in some way
or the other.
Tom Smith, the youngest of the
three Smith sons, is a graduate of
Delaware Valley College and he
works for Atlantic Breeders
Cooperative as a technician.
Dave’s other brother, Dale, also
helps out at the family farm in
addition to driving school bus and
coaching track and wrestling at
Palmyra High School.
Monday, Mav 27
Memorial Day
Snyder Co. farmland preservation
meeting, Middlcburg High
EAYFA Ag Issues, “Food Safe
ty,” Kreider’s Restaurant, 7:30
a.m.