REYNOLDSBURG. Ohio The American Jersey Cattle Club's Research Foundation has funded a project which may help dairy producers leant more about managing (he Jersey cow. “Standards of Weight and Height for Jersey and Guernsey Heifers,” is an article by A J. Hein richs and GJL Hargrove, both with Pennsylvania State University, which was published last year in the "Journal of Dairy Science.” In addition to new growth stan dards, researchers showed that bet ter managed herds with higher milk production and reduced age at first calving have heifers that ate larger at all stages of development OSCAR Daugther Wildmead Oscar Nina Santa, VG-85 2 0 290 d 17,363 m 3.7% 640 f 3.3% 571 p Michael Swartley & Clair & Pat Thrush, Ulster, PA PROTEIN SIRES 9H1293 CURIOUS 9H1289 OSCAR 9H1279 DANCER 1H414 TESK 1H626 WHITE GOLD 9H1271 BALANCE 1H532 SANTA 1H406 SECRET ✓ 1H625 TOP SECRET ✓ 1H621 ADMIRER 9H939 FRONTIER ✓ New graduates Northeentrat PA J. Hershey Myer Phone 717-523-3090 Jersey Association Offers Growth Charts According to Heinrichs and Hargrove, "White promotion of large heifers isn't die issue, our research shows that die greater growth in heifers at a given age may allow them to calve younger to produce greater amounts of milk." Standard growth charts are designed to help Jersey breeders monitor heifer growth perfor mance and allow closer scrutiny of the various age groups on their farms. Dairy producers should aim at having their heifers fall within or above the averagewtevel listed on the growth Charts. Previously, the only standards available for measuring Jersey Sire Power, Inc. RR 2, Box 10, Tunkhannock, PA 18657 717-836-3168 • Fax: 717-836-1490 Representative Earl Kepner Phone 717-935-2485 Southcentral PA Ed Qulnac Western PA Phono: 814-847-2520 _ Rust Jacques Phone: 814-425-2562 growth were 30 to 50 years old and based on a limited number of experimental herds. The new study was designed to develop a modem appraisal of the growth of Jersey heifers and to compare growth of heifers from herds with above average milk production to heifers in the entire breed. Forty-nine herds in Pennsylva nia and New York, with a total of 1,564 Jersey heifers, participated. The growth of these heifers, mea sured in both weight and skeletal height, was compared to the over all management of the farm during the past 12 months. Information was gathered on the Northeastern PA Don Hibbard Phone 717-836-3168 Direct Herd Representative Russell Jacques 717-587-2868 size of the-millongherd, herd aver age milk, and average age at calving. According to the researchers, their broad database allows the results to be applied across a wide range of the U.S. Jersey heifer population. The results of the new Jersey growth standards were similar to those recorded in past studies with CURIOUS Daugther Mor-Dale Cunous Gladys Geme, GP-80 2-6 187 d 12,166 m 3.6% 438 f 33% 399 p, Inc. Ralph & Crystal Moyer, Myerstown, PA ♦TPI SIRES CURIOUS TESK GLOW OSCAR TOP SECRET AMBITION BALANCE RYAN FRONTIER SECRET 9H1293 1H414 9H1173 9H1289 / 1H625 9H1294 9H1271 9H1253 9H939 1H406 ♦TPI is preliminary Southeastern PA A NJ Eldon Ford Direct Herd Representative Nelson James 215-562-7117 Washington, Graan & Fayatta Co. In PA Jim Filer Phone: 304-686-2100 lancatttf Farming, Saturday, February i, IW2-A23 MUC irSHTNBS YOU CAN MONK. +1126 +1074 +lO6B +lOl9 +lOll +lOO5 +989 +9BB . +982 +947 MARYLAND Ted Ridgely Phone; 301-898-9101 Technician Service 1-800-227-6417 Direct Herd Representatives Pete Bohacek 301-371-6834 Dave Elston 301-898-9101 the exception of animals from one to six months: Jerseys up to six months of age show larger weights and heights than previously. Weights mid heights of heifers fronvsix to 24 months were similar to the 1950 standards. Larger ani mals in the very young segment suggest that current mature weights of older cows may be cor respondingly larger. I Jersey Breed Averages Balloon REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio During 1991, Jerseys enrolled in Dairy Herd Improve ment Registry (DHIR) averaged 14,544p0unds milk. 680 pounds fat, and 542 pounds protein, shattering record aver ages set the year before. These mature equiva lent (m.e.) avenges are based on a total of 48,867 lactations for milk and fat with 48,846 lactations for protein. This production shows an increase of 3.4 percent protein. 3.2 per cent milk, and 2.7 per cent fat over 1990 fig ures. These figures clearly show the great est production increase was in protein. At the current rate of increase 11.8 pounds protein and 273 pounds milk per year the Jersey breed will reach its goal of 650 pounds protein in the year 2000 and boast a 17,000-pound milk average. In addition to a record-high average for the Jersey breed, the 1991 DHIR Lactation Averages brought good news for individual herds. Two herds surpassed the 20,000-pound level for average milk production this year. This marks the first time in history a Jersey herd has reached this level of production. As production levels for Jerseys continue to climb, the increase in numbers of Jerseys is also evident. At the end of 1990, 156,288 Jerseys were enrolled in Dairy Herd Improve ment (DHI) testing programs. This is an increase of 2.6 percent over the previous year and a 17 percent increase in the last five years. Semen sales also con firm that Jersey popular ity is on the rise in the United States and around the world. Domestic semen sales increased almost 12 per cent from 1986 through 1990.