The Gable Formula:
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
EL VERSON (Chester Co.)
Charles-Oon Gable Farm took a
good, long lode into their fanning
operations several years ago. In the
end, they came up with winning
combinations that put more milk in
their pipeline.
Those combinations involved
using a nutrition service to exa
mine the quality of forages and
feed and making necessary adjust
ments that, this year, made them
the most improved Ayshire dairy.
Those changes allowed them to
post a 1,877-pound milk increase
for the DHIA record year.
A 76-pound increase in fat and
80 increase in protein also worked
hand in hand to help them realize
prof) from listening to their nutri
onist and understanding his
advice.
“That’s the reason the herd
average jumped last year, because
we had good forages,’’ said Don
Gable, who, with his father Char
les, farms about 135 crop acres
ncarElverson. “That’s a large part
of the reason. Just better hay. And
we forage test all the time.”
I« makes out a feed list while holding son Joshu-
allowed the Gable farm to post a 1,877-pound milk Increase
in their Ayrshire herd, according to Don Gable, who feeds
the cows.
a
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Valuable information
The farm milks a total of 80
cows from a frees tall with a milk
ing pipeline. The farm manages
approximately 60 replacement
head. Herd average at last report
was 17,800 lbs. at 4 percent fat and
3.4 percent protein.
What got them to that point dealt
with how much they garnered from
their nutritionist. Dr. Walter Ken
nett of F.M. Brown’s Sons, Inc.
Valuable information it was,
indeed. The forage improvements,
combined with good growing con
ditions, allowed them to improve
from 1989 (a wet, dismal year for
growing), through last year, one of
the best ever.
This summer, the Gables also
enjoyed a good growing year.
They were a part of the state’s
southeastern comer that enjoyed
rainfall that, for the most part,
shielded them from the statewide
drought.
“We were very fortunate this
year," said Charles Gable. "We
had rain. From New Holland west,
it started getting dry.” Gable said
the field was checked recently at
205 bushels of com. In compari-
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WITH FLOTATION TIRES TO MINIMIZE SOIL COMPACTION
Better Forages
son, “if you go to Carlisle, they
had five bushels,” he said.
Listening to weatherman
As for the forages, Gable said
that “listening to the weather
man” and drying the alfalfa hay
out as soon as possible helped
ensure good quality.
Also, the farm ground is heavy,
and when it rains too much, a great
deal of the alfalfa hay stands are
lost In 1989, with the wet season,
they lost a great deal of the stands.
But improvements in the weath
er blessed them with a better crop
this year.
The secret, according to Charles
Gable, is “the nutritionist.
Old school
“You see. I’m of the old
school,” he said. For the older far
mers, much of the information is
difficult to understand and apply
on the farm because of the lingo.
“It’s getting so technical, it’s bey
ond me anymore. That’s why,” he
said, motioning to his son, “I send
him to school.
“High detergent fiber, and this
kind of fiber and that kind of fiber,
I don’t know what they’re talking
about He can just understand it”
Charles said.
Don Gable was graduated from
Penn State with a degree in dairy
science. Charles said that his son,
because of the valuable Penn State
training, can more fully under
stand and apply knowledge of for
ages to the farm operations.
“When I came on after high
school.” said Charles, “and the
changes I made, there was a tre
mendous increase (in milk). The
same thing happened again. The
biggest change has been the nutri
tionist And breeding is better.”
Program changes
“The feeding program always
changes around with the different
advancements, the different find
ings,” said Don. “Yoy’re always
striving to get your best produc
tion. And with different findings
from research, that you can work
into your situation. Whatever com
es along that we can incorporate in
a cost-effective way, we’ll try to
do.”
Don said the farm would be able
to enjoy the benefits of a TMR,
which at this point they don’t have
because they aren’tequipped for it.
And the Ayrshire breed is diffi
cult, when compared to the higher
quantity of milk produced by the
Holstein. “If you look at the statis
tics,” he said, “Ayrshires are low
man on the totem pole. They’re not
w < ;
/A *
Lancaster Farming Saturday, December 7,1951-D7
Charles Gable helps round up the cows at feeding time.
“When l came on after high school,” said Charles, “and the
changes I made, there was a tremendous increase (In milk).
The same thing happened again. The biggest change has
been the nutritionist. And breeding Is better.”
a lot of Ayshires around. With
Ayrshires, we have to search high
and low for semen that we can use.
It's not nearly as readily available
as Holstein (semen).”
Don said that they are working
on trying to obtain better milk and
to improve the genetics of the herd,
not so much to expand the herd.
Shearer In
T raining
QUINCY, El. Alonza W.
Shearer of Chambersburg, Pa.,
participated in a comprehensive,
six-day training seminar here at
the headquarters of Moorman
Manufacturing Company.
Alonza is a sales representative
for Moorman’s, which serves
American livestock producers.
Alonza was selected for the
LLI
o
More Milk
“We’re milking 60, and we
want to make those 60 better
genetically and feeding-wise,’’
said Don. “We want to feed them
as best we can and keep making
genetic advances with them, so
hopefully they’ll be belter produc
ers than the cows here before them.
We would just like to make the ani
mals we have belter.”
Moorman
Seminar
seminar because of his sales and
service excellence.
In the week-long program,
Alonza was trained in livestock
management and health, product
knowledge and application and
service and support.
Shearer was one of more than
65 participants from across the
United States selected to attend.
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LU
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