iust je on
400-acre farm with 260 Holsteins. “My dad always taught me to use my head for more
than a hat rack,” Jennifer said of the many challenges she faces when working on the
farm.
milk in the bucket,” said Ken, who
is inclined to stop the practice of
registering the cattle. “It only helps
if you’re selling cattle and we are
not into selling. We are in it for
milk.”
His wife and daughter disagree.
“You can’t show animals at the
fair if they aren’t registered. Who
knows how many grandchildren
will come along and want to show?
A lot of money and time will be
wasted if we have cream-of-lhc
cropcows thataren’tregistered. At
$4 an animal, we aren’t talking a
lot of money to register,” Barb
said.
Consequently, mother and
daughter work together in register
ing the cattle.
A full-time herdsman, who they
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say does a fantastic job, is employ
ed for many years by the Grimes.
Ken’s 81-year-old father, who
lives across the road and from
whom the Grimes bought the farm,
helped with chores until last year.
Jon would like to increase milk
ing to 2SO head. The Grimes are
researching the pros and cons. To
do so, the family would need to
add an additional full time herds
man and an additional milker. The
dairy to which they ship, Guers
Tumbling Run Dairy, would be
unable to take the excess milk and
it would need to be shipped to
another dairy. At present, 90 per
cent of the Grimes’ milk is class
one and bottled.
Full housing would help hold
production costs down, and it’s
“I was brought up to. , oneway to jgs
right way,” said the state dairy princess of the chores she does around the farm.
LuiDMMr ftomtaCL oniHhif 4|j,
outer to manage bjg than small,
both father and son agreed.
The Grimes are taking a look at
their housing and feeding facility.
The cows are under too much
stress because the temperature is
cold, and when leaving the holding
pen, and the cows must come
down steps that arc sometimes icy
when entering the pole bam.
According to slope recommenda
tions, it’s too steep to get to the
trough.
“the cows are eating only two
times a day when they should be
eating six or mote,” Jon said.
“It’s better to have the cows at a
natural graze than head in a
trough,” Jon said. “Now it’s two
feet higher and it isn’t
comfortable.”
To remedy the problem, it
would require ripping out the free
stalls and putting headlocks at the
back of curbs. Open calf hutches result
The elder Grimes prefers to take in much healthier calves,
(Turn to Pag* A2S) accordii to Jennifer.
able to order customized
considerations, now you
left holding the bag. Call
© 1993 Agway Inc
■,mm