VOL 38 NO. 16
Laptop Computers Come To The Barn
VERNON ACHENBACH, JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
SCHAEFERSTOWN (Lebanon
Co.) Linda Genth is a milk
technician for Pennsylvania Dairy
Herd Improvement Association.
Her schedule is full and irregu
lar, mirroring the milking patterns
of the owners of the dairy herds she
includes on her list of clientele.
Her job is to gather data. How
ever, it has become much more
than that. She also serves as a data
processor, printer, interpreter and
delivery person.
That’s the expanded role of milk
technician under the new Pa.DHI A
computer program options. The
expanded role also calls for addi
tional education. A technician
must become computer proficient.
Not that they have to write any
complicated computer programs;
Pa.DHIA is continuing work on
that through Jim Boyer.
Pork Producers’ Livelihood May Depend On Improving Herd Genetics
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
EPHRATA (Lancaster Co.)
Packers constandy remind pork
producers to get their product lean-
er or risk being able to make a
living.
Producers don’t have to panic,
however. There are methods they
can use to improve their herds
genetically and affect their profits
or losses.
For the past 27 years, a top
Canadian breeder has tried the lat
est genetic technology and tech
niques to reach the standards
demanded by packers and consum
ers. Along the way, the producer
claims great inroads to success that
Recently Connie Rutt spent three weeks in Poland to help
set up a 4-H program. Connie used slides of the dairy farm
she and her husband Ken operate to help the people under
stand the concept of sole proprietorship. For more about
Extension’s wortc In Poland, turn to page 82.
Four Sections
Boyer has written and continues
to modify the current bam sheet
computer program with its wide,
customizing flexibility.
The goal is not to razzle-dazzle
the dairyman with interesting, but
useless lists, charts and graphs,
according to slate DHIA officials.
The goal is to eliminate the need of
the dairyman to adapt to the paper
work limitations and constraints of
the current bam sheet
The computerized version will
allow a dairyman to determine
what information is important for
him to keep.
Pa.DHIA also is gearing up for
Dairy Comp 305, which is a prog
ram designed so that a dairy pro
ducer can lake all of the informa
tion he has stored on the bam sheet
for each cow and it can be com
pared, graphed, charted, or listed
in almost everyway.
(Turn to Page A34}
have directly benefitted the profits
of many producers from Canada
who face tough competition in
North American and worldwide
markets.
In this region of the country,
producers can realize a better
return from their product by
improving herd genetics. The
place to start is with the ‘ ‘four-way
cross," according to Richard
Stein, owner of Thames Bend
Farms Breeding Stock Company
in Ontario, Canada. Stein spoke to
pork producers at a special swine
biotechnology meeting on Tues
day night at the Ephrata High
School.
Lancaster Firming, Saturday, February 27, 1993
Pa.DHIA tester Linda Genth shows John and Laurene Martin and their nephews
Gary, left, and Micheal Hursh, the uses of a laptop computer in the barn.
Genetic base
For producers, the most dollar
return can be obtained by using a
Hampshire/Duroc boar on a York/
Landrace female, according to
Stein. The reason? “It will give
you the most free use of the genetic
base,” he said, which provides
producers “with the heterosis that
will give you higher birth weights,
higher litter weights, more pigs
bom alive,” and important carcass
Feet Condition Reveals Cattle Health
VERNON ACHENBACH, JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
PRESCOTT (Lebanon
Co.) The horn of the claw of
the foot of cattle is a diary about
the care and health of that animal,
according to Dr. Paul Greenough,
cattle veterinarian with the West
ern College of Veterinary Medi
cine with the University of
Saskatchewan.
Like rings on a tree, it is possible
to tell if an animal has been
stressed and generally what kind of
stress it was under by examining
the hom.
Greenough was the speaker at
the Penn State Extension
sponsored dairy day events this
week in Lancaster and Lebanon
counties. While he wasn’t the only
speaker, his presentation domi
nated the event.
For the past few years, exten
sion agents from Lebanon and
Lancaster counties has collabor
ated with their dairy day events,
offering almost identical
programs.
Lancaster held its event Tues
day at the Lancaster Farm and
Home Center, Lebanon on Wed
nesday at the Prescott Fire Hall, in
Prescott.
Greenough was the featured,
speaker at both events, his pre
sence coming at the request and
with the sponsorship of area large
animal veterinarians because of
characteristics that packers
demand.
Stein said that the most dollar
return, in Thames Bend experience
dealing with breeders in Canada
and U.S., comes from using a '
Hampshire/Duroc boar. Durocs
provide the best marbeling and
best flavor of any pork being pro
duced today worldwide, according
to the swine breeder. Hampshires
provide the biggest loin eyes com
Greenough’s acknowledged
expertise with cattle feet and legs.
The topic is timely, according to
the extension agents, because of an
apparently growing incidence in
cattle, especially dairy cattle, of
feet and leg problems.
Using several trays of graphic
slides, Greenough talked about the
causes of a number of foot
problems.
He explained the structure of the
foot, its interior composition and
Berks 4-H Slates
Second Jamboree
CONNIE LEINBACH
Berks Co. Correspondent
LEESPORT (Berks Co.) The
Berks County 4-H will present
another Jamboree on Saturday,
Match 6, from 6to 11 p.m. here in
the 4-H Community Center.
This is the second hoedown held
to raise funds to build a pole bam
behind the center, said Rick Kauff
man, 4-H extension agent.
Along with square dancing to
the music of the Blue Marsh
Ramblers, there will be an auction
of various items and services
organized by Mike Firestine of
Lebanon Valley National Bank,
the auction sponsor.
Since the land was leveled last
spring by the volunteer efforts of
60i Per Copy
pared to other breeds. And the
Yorkshire and Landrace breeds are
important to increase litter size and
survivability.
“In Canada, it’s an accepted
industry standard to use the York/
Landrace female an FI female
not a ‘mongrelized’ ani
mal .. . that has three and four
and five crosses in it. Those ani
mals cost you money,” he said.
(Turn to Pag* A 22)
the functions.
In a paper he distributed, Gree
nough wrote, “In recent years
European veterinarians have come
to realize that when lameness
becomes a herd problem it is
necessary to look further that at
accidental causes for an
explanation.
“More and more evidence is
being accumulated that laminius is
(Turn to Pag* A4l)
members of Local 542 of the Oper
ating Engineers union, Kauffman
and other volunteers have been
working on obtaining drawings for
the site.
“We have the building plans,”
Kauffman said. “Now we have to
decide how to go after the money.”
A dinner featuring beef bar
beque catered by Big John will
precede the festivities.
Tickets are $lO for adults and S 5
for children 6 to 18. Children
under 6 are free.
Tickets are available through
Berks County 4-H office, (215)
378-1327, or at Big, John’s
Restaurant on Schuylkill Avenue,
Reading, and at Keystone Farm
Credit in Shoemakersville.
$19.00 Per Year