GEORGE F.W. HAENLEIN Extension Dairy Specialist University of Delaware NEWARK. Del.— No one would argue that, in our region this year, temperatures became hotter sooner and to a higher degree than in previous years. this situation immediately sug gests possible trouble in getting our dairy cows bred, which is a source of continual concern for the dairy farmer. As soon as temperatures go above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, our cows, especially Holsteins, are out of their physiological comfort zone. To counteract this, cows try to adjust metabolically, usually by reducing the activities of estrus, eating and milk production. One result is that conception rate is lower .than it should be. Studies in Florida, as well as here in Delaware, have shown that directly hosing down cows' bodies with water and then blowing air generated by fans over their backs to evaporate the water is an effec tive way to cool them down. Under these conditions, normal conception rates, body tempera tures, eating and milk production are soon restored. Automatic sprinkler systems, the kind usually used on lawns and fields, turned upside down and fastened to the rafters of the cow bam keep cows wet and cool. This innovation works very well. Casualties in Delmarva broiler houses are not uncommon on very hot days, but dairy cow managers GRAIN BIN SPECIALISTS With 30 Years Experience Let Us Help To Plan Your System PLAN NOW FOR BEST PRICES ON YOUR GRAIN SET-UP GSI m @) <§§> (g§) (gsD YOUR EXCLUSIVE (p SI (@) (|sD Cow Reproduction: Bulls seem to know how to control the overheating problem for their animals. Another approach to better con ception rates has been to bring in a natural service bull as a supple ment to or substitute for A.I. The thinking on this is that a bull is a much better spotter of estrus in cows than even the best and most conscientious herdsperson. This practice is not uncommon in the South, where temperatures are often much higher than they are here. What then are the results? Research work in Georgia reve als some interesting data. Two groups of dairy herds from the Georgia DHIA were com pared. The first group bred 90 per cent or more of their cows to a natural service bull. The second group used A.I. on 90 percent or more of their cows. If the assumption is correct that bulls are better settlers of cows than A.I. because they are better estrus spotters, then one would expect superior reproductive data in herds using natural service bulls. The 62 Georgia DHIA herds using mostly bulls averaged 154 "days open," 70 "days dry" and 14.3 "months calving interval." In comparison, the 122 Georgia DHIA herds using mostly A.I. averaged 146 "days open," 70 "days dry” and 14.0 "months calv ing interval." Few differences were in evi dence, but if any differences did exist, they favored A.I. The real differences in this study surfaced in milk production. The GSI From 2'/. FEED TonT ° BINS 150 Ton “aH vfeis: JI, A (vVI ' * Full Lint Parts Dipt * Sail, Ssrvica & Install * 14 Herrvllle Road v Willow Street, PA 17584 (|g| Ph: 717-464-3321 or Toll Free 800-732-0053 7-27 Sion Houn; Mon.-StL 7:30 All M 0310 PM = M herds on which A.I. was predomin antly used averaged 16,832 pound s milk and 587 pounds fat versus 14,139 pounds milk and 501 pounds fat for the natural service herds. At $l2 per hundredweight of milk, this 2,693 pounds milk advantage translates into a plus of $323.16 per cow per year for the A.I. herds. Many factors may be at work here. To explain more fully these var iations, however, the bottom line is that dairy farmers who used bulls instead of A.I. to breed their cows did not achieve better reproductive performance in their herds to jus- (Continued from Page A 23) gers’ herd are often recognized by the National Brown Swiss organi zation for production records. Taking reserve grand/senior champion was also a 4-year-old cow. Wind Mill Blen Calypso, bred by William Daubert of Pine Grove, and owned by Thomas Zartman Jr., of Ephrata. In the Jersey breed, there were 11 entries from six competitors. The top Jersey was a junior 2-year-old entry from Tiffany Yeager, of Chester County, Agape Royal Tootsie. Yeager bred and owned the entry, a daughter of J.S. Quicksilver Royal. Taking reserve grand champion Jersey was also bred and owned by Yeager, a 5-year-old, Agape Observer Shmad. Shmad is the daughter of Gramhil Observer Poet. m • Weight-Tronlx Feed Mill • Transport Augers • Bucket Elevators • Stirring Systems • Grain Bins • Feed Bins • Wet Tanks • Utility Augers • Grain Dryers • Air Drying Systems Also Available For Air Drying Flex-Auger Systems, PVC Tubing, 2”, 3”, 3Vj ” & 5” Die. Systems FACTORY WAREHOUSE m :gsi: FFA Show (GSp^SpCGSI) Computerized Aeration Monitor SSI isl m Versus AI tify this seemingly physiological advantage for the price of a genetic disadvantage. They may even have had an inferior reproductive performance, not to mention the headache of keeping a bull around. And they certainly had inferior herd milk production at a money differential that could even have paid for some very expensive A.I. semen. This brings us back to the strategy of keeping our cows watered down and fan cooled to lower body temperature, which ensures their eating well and pro ducing milk better. In the end, it is a question of how we manage the energy metabolism S.E. REGION FFA Dairy Show Results HOLSTEIN JUNIOR CALF 1 .Dann Nolt B 2 Scott Nolt B INTERMEDIATE CALF 1 Lavonne Lehman B 2 Rebecca Pyles B 3 Robert Aukamp R SENIOR CALF 1 Dann Nolt B 2 John Risser B 3 Matthew Kolb R SUMMER YEARLING 1 Peter Semen B 2 David Lentz B 3 Brent Shuey R JR YEARLING 1 Kraig Sellers B 2 Jennifer Bashore R 3 Jacy Clugston R INTERMEDIATE YEARLING 1 David Lentz B 2 Thomas Zartman B 3 Jarred Johns R SR YEARLING 1 Melanie Balmer B 2 Jason Hostetler R 3 Sandra Gross R JR CHAMPION David Lentz RESERVE JR CHAMPION Peter Sonnen DRY COWS. 1 Thomas Herr B 2 Andrew Bicksler 3 Thomas Shuey R JR 2-YR-OLD. 1 Matthew Kolb B SR 2-YR-OLD 1 Andrew Bicksler B 2Ammon Peifter Jr. R 4- I. Corwin Bomgardner B 2.Andrew Bicksler B 5- David Lentz B 2 Matthew Hoov er B SR CHAMPION. Corwin Bomgardner RESERVE SR CHAMPION Thomas Herr GRAND CHAMPION: Corwin Bomgardner RESERVE GRAND. Thomas Herr BROWN SWISS SR CALF: I.Scott Wagner B SUMMER YEARLING; 1 Tom Zartman Jr B PAUL B. BtJuQOuQCg^DuD^Da DIAPHRAGM DEMAND PUMP -Jt / • Designed for heavy duty spraying applications • Durable and efficient • Superior value • Small compact size • Quiet operation • Adjustable switch settings BUILD YOUR OWN APPLICATOR FOR BALERS - BLOWERS - SPOT SPRAYERS 3 Gallon New Larger Model 1.8 GPM Heavy Duty 3.7 Gallon $68.00 $102.00 $160.00 WE STOCK TANKS AND FITTINGS TO BUILD COMPLETE UNITS fm=* PACE# B. {upsf <***** m?) 738-1121 ...JV'! *