A fmm* .2,1*4 CATTLE AND HOG FUTURES MARKETS COSH HIGH LOW LAST CBG 2960 2934 2950* -4 3016 2994 3010* 0 3034 3010 3024* +2 2866 2854 2864* 0 2710 'BBRSS\RKR( 0 2764 2756 2764* -2 2800 2794 2800* -4 2810 2794 2810* 0 2564 2560 2564* +2 SOYBEANS HAS 6796 6770 6790* +4 HAY 6856 6830 6846* +lO JLY , 6882 6860 6876* +l4 AUG 6810 6786 6810* +26 SEP 6630 6600 6610* -2 NOV 6486 6456 6470* -6 JAN 6530 6506 6524* -4 HAS 6584 6580 6580* 0 JLY 6600 6574 6574* -20 NOV 6234 6210 6224* +l6 Chester County Dairy Milk Lines Walter Wurstcr Dairy Agent Chester County Holstein Club Farm Tour The Chester County Holstein Club is taking their annual spring farm tour to Berks County this year. The trip will be on Tuesday, March 1 with the bus leaving from Dick Hostetler’s Farm, on Route 30, Parkesburg, PA at 8 a.m. There will probably be a stop in (Article two cf a two-part series) In the first article, I discussed the challenge of keeping high producing cows in proper flesh, getting them bred back, and keep ing them healthy enough to stay in the herd a few years so they will have an opportunity to reward you with some valuable offspring, a little satisfaction and some profits. It’s hard to do this without good dry matter intakes. Dry Matter Intake Top managers feed cows all they will eat, and many of them continually entice cows to eat CHICAGO WHEAT " HIGH HOW LAST CHG 3772 3726 3734* -22 3660 3620 3634* -2 3502 3480 3484* -14 3510 3490 3490* -16 3580 3566 3572* -10 3410 3410 3410* 0 OATS 1324 1300 1306* -4 1376 1354 1362* -4 1412 1394 1404* 0 1446 1430 1434* -2 SOYBEAN NEAL 1964 1955 1961* -1 1965 1955 1958* -3 1967 1954 1960* -4 1954 1941 1942* -10 1938 1928 1935* -4 1922 1908 1918* -3 1915 1904 1910* -2 1917 1909 1909* -7 NAS HAY JLY SEP Extension Honeybrook and/or Morgantown on the way north. The cost is $l5 per person which includes the cost of the bus trip and the dinner. Plar ticipants should pack a lunch for the trip. All dairy fanners and friends are welcome. For reserva tions call: Stanley Guest. 469-6627, Dick Hostetler, 857-2780 or Jane Pepple, 932-3975. GLENN’S UDDERINGS By Glenn A. Shirk Lancaster Extension Dairy Agent more than what they actually want They offer their cows high quality rations that are palatable and packed full of nutrients. They manage their herd and their feed ing program in a manner that promotes good rumen function, a lot of cud chewing activity, and a healthy gut, all of which maxim izes digestibility of feeds and absorption of nutrients. Many things affect dry matter intake, nutrient intake and nutrient absorption. Let’s look at a few of them. 1. Gut Capacity. This is some thing you don’t wait until calving (CM* bid*: WadMaday, Fabuar? 9, 1 994) K.C. WHEAT HIGH LOW LAST CHG HAS 3684 3660 3662* -10 HAY 3616 3584 3584* -14 JLY 3476 3444 3444* -26 SEP 3576 3456 3460* -24 DEC 3530 3520 3524* -6 HINN WHEAT MAS 3824 3792 3800* -12 HAY 3684 3654 3660* -20 JLY 3560 3540 3540* -20 SEP 3450 3414 3416* -20 DEC 3490* -14 SOYBEAN OIL NAS 2843 2826 2838* +l3 NAY 2842 2825 2838* +l2 JLY 2830 2813 2820* +ll AUG 2785 2765 2776* +7 SEP 2735 2718 2721* +4 OCT 2635 2625 2625* 0 DEC 2580 2565 2569* +4 JAN 2567 2558 2558* +5 The tour features an outstand ing collection of top Holstein herds in Berks County. Stops will be made at Vista Grande Farm, Dave and Phoebe Bitler (Phoebe will also demonstrate her '‘Crafts in the Country” business); Elwood Ohlinger and Scott Troutman Dairy; Rothrock Golden Hol steins. Jack Miller; Junge Farms, Ray Moyer, Russeldale Farm, Ray Bicksler; Fantasyland Holsteins, David Poole; and Hidden View Farm, Tim and Theresa Kissling. Chester County 4-H Center Dairy Sale Chester County dairy farmers are having a sale of donated dairy animals to fund the development of a 4-H Center that will support youth programs in the county. This sale is one of many contribu tors to the fund raising effort The sale will be on Saturday, April 2, at the Solanco Fairgrounds, Quar ry villc, PA. Currently the commit tee is contacting dairy farmers for sale animals. If you are interested in supporting this worthy cause and have not been personally con tacted, call the co-chairpersons: John St. John, 868-8745 or Mil dred Seeds, 269-0759. Next month’s column will have more information on the event. time to develop. Heifers that are well grown out and calve at a weight of about 1.300 pounds (large dairy breeds) have fewer difficulties at calving time and begin their lactations with more aggressive appetites and a greater capacity to consume feed. Once these larger heifers are in milk, fewer nutrients are needed , for growth. More are available for production and restoration of flesh, the result being better con ceptions and heifers that are in better flesh and are better able to begin their second lactation with a running start As you push for rapid growth and development of heifers, be careful not to get them too fat Getting young calves too fat can impair udder development and start foundering them at a very young age. These problems can remain with them for life. Bred heifers can and should carry a little more flesh, but try to keep them below a body condition score of about 3.75. Fat heifers are more sluggish and they have a lower immune response. Their conception rates are poorer, they have more difficulty at calving time, and they can have sluggish appetites. Heifer and dry cow programs that focus on developing capa cious, well-functioning rumens is LIVE CATTLE HIGH LOW LAST CHG 7295 7257 7270* +2 7530 7490 7502* -12 7370 7342 7355* -5 7310 7285 7295* +lO 7372 7337 7357* +2O 7390 7375 7385* +7 7350 7335 7335* +5 SWISS FRANC 6783 6722 6759* -7 6764 6717 6751* -7 6762 6720 6754* -7 BRITISH POUND HAS JON SEP NAB 14628 14522 14606* +2B JUN 14580 14474 14556* +2B SEP 14520 14440 14516* +2B JAPANESE YEN HAS 9258 9197 9246* +l4 JUN 9286 9234 9281* +l4 SEP 9330 9291 9324* +l4 DH Looehill Farm Roaalyn Ken St Marilyn Umble Jolly John S. Stoltzfus Lot 1228 Ardrossan Farms Cav Evn Merle J. King Sugar Levi Silting Anita Harold St Glenn Ranck Robena Dun wood Farm Hanna Gideon Stoltzfua Jr. Penny Tim & Phyllis Barlow Sal Richard Hoover 117 122 Charles J. Moore Trans Kevin Stahlnecker Dolly Dale Hostetler Jocelyn Paul Martin 93 George Strutynild & Sons 69 43 David F. King 109 Jody 92 Alvin R. Zook Dana Melwood Farm Mildred Windy Blacky helpful too. That’s why many pro ducers and nutritionists prefer to feed drier, longer-stemmed, medium-quality, grassy forages over a lot of grain and com silage or finely chopped haylages. 2. Pre-Calving Care. The 2- to 3-week period prior to calving is a good time to increase grain feed ing rates. This stimulates the gut wall to develop more papilla (fin ger like projections that grow out from the gut wall). The more papilla there are and the longer they are, the greater the amount of surface area that is Lancaster DHIA Board Reorganizes the new colored laser reports that are planned fen* April or May 1994. George Book was recog nized for starting eighteen new herds and Harold Probst with ele ven new herds last year. The Board thanked retiring member, Bob Wenger for his six years on the Board with the last two serving as President His leadership was noted with results in more effi cient service for Lancaster Mem ben. The Board elected the fol lowing officers for 1994: Presi dent - Joe Graybeal, Peach Bottom; Vice-President - Steve Henhey, Manheim; and Secretary - Larry Aaron, Quanyville. JLmncmmtmr / ?HZA/ Laneaatar Oaky Hardknpmramant Aaaoc. fS92 Old L/na Rd. Man/ta/m, HA t7S4S LEOLA (Lancaster Co.) Lancaster D.H.I.A. Board and Technicians recently met in a joint meeting at Leola Family Restaur ant. President Bob Wenger thanked the Technicians for their commitment to serving the dairy men and asked for suggestions from everyone for ways to improve service. Suggestions on improving tum-a-round time was discussed. Directors were shown FBEDEK CATTLE HIGH LOH LAST CBG 8107 8080 8092* +l2 8020 7995 8002* -2 8000 7975 7982* -10 8107 8090 8105* -2 8067 8050 8067* -10 8037 8020 8035* -7 8105 8070 8097* -12 7960 7950 7950* 0 CANADIAN DOLLAR 7459 7444 7453* +l2 7454 7440 7448* +l3 7445 7445 7446* +l4 US DOLLAR INDEX HAS JUN SEP HAS JUN 9700 9685 9700 a +l5 9785 9770 9748* -24 S&P 500 INDEX HAR 47360 46890 46945*-385 JON 47445 47010 47065*-385 SEP 47605 47200 47215*-385 DEC 47795 47370 47405*-385 Chester County DHIA - January 1994 Cow* producing over fiQQ lb*, protein ere; (rt7j aossoao LIVE BOGS HIGH LOH LAST CHG FEB 4912 4865 4892* -2 APR 4972 4927 4957* +5 JON 5460 5430 5445* -7 JLY 5397 5362 5370* -7 AUG 5240 5205 5217* -15 OCT 4845 4825 4827* -5 DEC 4920 4905 4917* +2 FEB 4975 4965 4975* -5 PORK BELLIES FEB 5765 5562 5577*-185 HAR 5780 5562 5572*-190 HAY 5840 5617 5632*-185 JLY 5840 5642 5660*-182 AUG 5605 5432 5440*-172 FEB 0 GERMAN NARK HAR 5700 5658 5694* +23 JUN 5669 5632 5665* +23 SEP 5640 5610 5645* +23 DEC 5634 5634* +23 7-04 30,068 778 S-03 952 30,502 8-02 1026 25,414 S-04 24,977 980 24,803 3-00 943 24,981 4-03 818 5-03 24,143 1023 974 4-03 25371 5-01 27340 801 1030 4-02 26,132 6-00 3-05 32302 25380 1142 700 3-03 28,734 27,264 941 1017 5-04 2-11 25,785 1027 6-03 22,950 949 5-03 5-02 26,302 27,053 773 740 5- 6- 29,325 28,818 1070 1112 7-04 918 26,078 6-03 4-08 2-11 27,362 33,475 26,125 1308 895 1162 1035 908 883 available to absorb nutrients from the digestive system. The goal is to get these papilla developed before calving so they are ready to function at time of calling and in early lactation, when the need for nutrients is greatest. This is also a good time to gra dually acclimate cows and heifers, as well as their rumen microflora, to feeds that will be fed in early lactation. 3. Ration Density. A few days after calving, start increasing (Turn to Pago A 23) 872 937 833 815 844 802 837 846 833 994 819 813 828 801 805 865 805 874 908 803