D4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 5,1993 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Centre Co.) Is your milking parlow cow-friendly? If you’re not sure, take a cow’s eye look at what milking lodes, sounds and feels like on your farm, suggests an animal housing expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Crouch down and examine your milking parlor from the cow’s point of view,” says Dr. Robert Graves, professor of agri cultural engineering. “This will help you identify factors that may make your cows uncooperative, endanger their safety or interfere with the milking routine.” Rough handling, slippery floors, shaky, uncomfortable grates or protruding pipes or bars can upset cows and disrupt milking. Factors to consider include: walking and standing sur faces in bams, lanes, holding areas and on parlor platforms. walls, fences, gates, doors and doorways parlor hardware and appliances animal catching and separa- Md. Land Preservation (Continued from Page D 3) am pleased we could purchase these ease ments which keeps our state number one in the nation in the number of acres saved for agricul ture,” Walker said. “Governor William Donald Schaefer has always been a strong supporter of our agricul tural preservation efforts. His determina tion is a strong reason why Maryland remains in the forefront of these efforts to save farmland as we move into the next century,” said Walker. In making the announcement, Walker noted that Gerald Red den of Worcester Coun ty, with the selling of the development rights easements on his 241-acre farm, was the person who pushed the state over the 100,000 acre milestone. “Farmers like Mr. Redden in every area of our state have demon strated a tremendous commitment to preserv ing agricultural land for future generations. This will have positive long range consequences both for the economy and environmental qual ity of life for all Mary landers,” Walker said. For more information on the Maryland Agri cultural Land Preserva tion Foundation, contact Paul Scheldt, executive director at the Maryland Department of Agricul ture, 50 Harry S. Tru man Parkway, Annapo lis, MD 21401, (410) 841-5860. Think Like A Cow To Achieve Cow Comfort lion areas lighting noise people and animals, such as visitors, children and dogs. Because cows walk on their hooves, they are at great risk of slipping. ’Treat walking surfaces to provide friction without irritat ing, abrading, puncturing or other wise injuring the hard and soft parts of the cow’s foot,” Graves says. “It’s common for milking par lors to use grooved floors to improve friction', but the floor should have no sharp concrete or aggregate edges sticking up to injure the hoof. Ifr the flow’s too rough for your bare feet, it’s prob ably too rough for your cows.” Cows have panoramic vision of more than 300 degrees, which means they can be easily dis tracted by things people don’t see. “Objects or activities to the side or rear may be very troublesome to a cow,” Graves says. Cattle also have limited depth perception, especially at ground level. “Cows often lower their heads and stop to get a better look Medium-Duty Cutter with Heavy-Duty Features! 15’Cut; 540 or 1000 RPM; Cat 5 Mam Driveline; Cat 4orsWmg Drivelines; 140 HP Divider Gearbox (1000 RPM); 100 HP Center and Wing Gearboxes, Pan Blade Carriers, 6” Blade Overlap; Mechanical Level-Lift Axle, 10-Gauge Deck, 1/4” x 10-1/2” Side Skirts; Full Swivel Clevis Hitch, Replaceable Skid Shoes; Wing Operation 90' Up and 22° Down; Rated for 2” Diameter Material Fully-Shielded Drivelines; Safety Deflectors Standard. See The Servis-Rhino De at strange items on the ground,” Graves says. “They may balk at drains, grates, hoses, shadow lines or changes in floor texture because they can’t see them very well.” Cows readily adapt to reason able levels of continuous noise, such as a radio, but are more sen sitive than people to high frequen cy noises. “People hear in the 1000 to 3000 hz level,” says Graves. “A cow’s hearing is most sensitive at 8000 hz. Sudden loud noises, such as banging metal gates or loud exhaust from air cylinders, can bother them.” Cows, like people, have a per sonal space, referred to as the flight zone. “People or dogs in a cow’s flight zone may make her uncomfortable and discourage her from moving through the parlor,” says Graves. Since cows are herd animals, they can become agitated when isolated. “Pens and other methods for separating animals are neces sary to contain them, but allowing cows to see other cattle nearby will help them stay calm.” Also make sure your gates, Servis-Rhino SRIS Tough Medium-Duty Cutters! 60” or 72” Cutting Widths; 90 HP Gearbox; Cat. 4 Driveline; Slip Clutch Protection; 10-Gauge Deck; 540 RPM; Updraft Blades; Pan Blade Carrier; 1/4” x 9” Side Skirts; Greaseable Tapered Roller Wheel Bearings; Rated for 2” Diameter Material; Replaceable Skid Shoes; Safety Deflectors Standard. 3-Year Warranty! ier Nearest You: fences and other containment constructed gates and fences, she facilities are strong enough to do will try it again ” Graves says, the job. “Once a cow successfully “Subsequent attempts may lead to escapes over or through poorly injury or damage.” Kroeck’s Advice (Continued from Page D 3) good because the price of the milk don’t know how we ever did it is down. You really need to look before without computers.” at the increased supplies in milk over the last 10 years and the increase in total consumption. “I’d really be concerned if we hadn’t have increased sales. (Before the dairy promotion prog ram) the consumption trend of dairy products for years had been dropping rapidly. Yet, as soon as the large amount of dollars has come in to promote dairy pro ducts, sales have gone up. “The whole agricultural process is very complex. People who grew up on the farm 20 years ago don’t realize what farmers are facing today. They need to file a farm plan, be licensed to use pesticides, things are constantly changing. Computers keep track of records. I “Some things are just built tougher than others.” TW6O/72 m Servis-Rhino® An Alamo Croup Company P.O. Box 712, Segum. Texas 78156 210-372-3080 Karl said changes will occur in the future, too. “You’re going to see a lot of technology, particularly biotech nology. Whenver I go on one of these trips to farm meetings, parti cularly when I fly over the cities, I see all the growth, the houses. I can see the farms deteriorate, yet we’re feeding more and more peo ple all the time. Some day there may even be a shortage of food.” Although farming has undoub tedly become more difficult, with operating costs rising so drastical ly that no room is left for error, Karl sees a ray of hope. “Ultimately, fanners will have to get more out of the market place for their products.” PA DEALERS C.B. HOOBER & SON Intercourse, PA (717) 768-8231 C.H. WALTZ & SONS, INC. Cogan Station, PA (717) 435-2921 CHARLES SIEPIELA Honesdale, PA (717) 253-3334 DUGAN TRACTOR, INC. Ulysses, PA (814) 848-7575 ECKROTH BROS. FARM EQUP. INC. New Rmngold, PA (717) 943-2131 ERB & HENRY EQUIP. New Berlinville, PA (215) 367-2169 J&M MACHINERY CO. INC. Greensburg, PA (412) 668-7850 MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INC. Everett, PA (814) 652-6101 R & W EQUIPMENT CO. Carlisle, PA (717) 243-2686 MD DEALERS CERESVILLE FNH, INC. Frederick, MD (SOO) 331-9122 GIBSON FARM EQUIP, INC. Ingleside, MD (410) 751=0262 RIO DEL MAR ENTERPRISES Easton, MD (410) 622-6166 NJ DEALERS FRANK RYMON & SONS, INC. Washington, NJ (90S) 689-1464 MID-STATE EQUIP. CO. INC. Titusville, NJ (609) 737-7400 PONIATOWSKI BROS. EQUIP. CO. Clinton, NJ (201) 735-2149 RODIO TRACTOR SALES, INC. Hammonton, NJ (609) 561-0141