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UtQMinirrarimng, siturdiy. Junr 4. i
Family And Farming
Synonymous At Maple Lawn
(Continued from Page At)
“We have it so that one person
can operate it,” lager said. “It
takes one person about three and a
half hours to milk 175 cows.”
After milking, the cows are re
leased in groups of nine, with ac
cess to nine computer feeders.
Each of the 175 milking cows has
a transponder on her neck with a
computer chip inside. A computer
in the office has programmed each
cow individually, and a computer
read-out in the office each morn
ing at 9 a.m. tells the lagers exact
ly what each cow has eaten the
previous day.
“For example if you want the
number 10 cow to have 12
pounds, she can have three
pounds every six hours,” lager
said. “She can’t have all 12
pounds at once, but she can eat
three pounds every six hours to
consume her 12 pounds.”
As a cow walks into a stall with
a computer feeder the computer
reads her chip. There is a click and
the sound of the 20 percent protein
concentrate being dropped into the
feeder.
After they have visited the com
puter feeders the cows can feed on
a total mixed ration (TMR) which
is set for about 75 pounds per cow
per production. “Any (cows) that
produced over 75 pounds we sup
plement on the computer feeder,”
lager said.
A nutritionist from Wilson En
terprises in West Virginia visits
Maple Lawn Farm every six
Maryland Holstein Picnic
Set For June 26
At Maple Lawn Farm
The Maryland Holstein picn
ic is scheduled to be held at
Maple Lawn Farm on Sunday
June 26. The lagers wrote this
note to cordially extend a spe
cial invitation to all members,
juniors and adults, to come.
There will be tours, swim
ming, games and a picnic start
ing at 11 a.m. and continuing as
long as desired. Fried chicken
and drinks will be provided.
Each family should bring lawn
chairs and a covered dish to
share.
To get to the farm follow
these directions;
From Baltimore: 1 mile West
weeks to balance the ration with
the ingredients the lagers have on
hand, to save cost and give Maple
' Lawn Farm the highest milk pro
duction possible.
“They take samples of the com
silage, alfalfa haylage and hay to
check the protein and moisture
content,” lager said. “You want
your TMR to have 50 percent pro
tein all the time. We use alfalfa
hay, alfalfa haylage and com sil
age, roasted beans and corn.”
These are all products raised on
lager’s farm. They also purchase
vitamins and minerals, beet pulp
and cottonseed to add to the TMR.
Then it is mixed in a mixer with
built-in scales and served to the
cows just outside of the milking
parlor. With one bite the cow has a
balanced feed to be metabolized.
Charles lager compares free feed
ing to going to a cafeteria and eat
ing just the things we like instead
of the things that are good for us.
Maple Lawn Farm maintains a
rolling herd average of about
22.000 milk/3.6 percent fat, and
3.2 percent protein. After classify
ing just weeks ago, they have an
unofficial BAA of 104.8. Two
hired hands help them on the farm.
“We’ve had a bunch of high
production cows,” says Mr. lager.
“But our goal has always been to
have a 300,000-pound cow. We
haven’t yet. We have had a couple
dozen over 200,000 and lots over
150.000 though. The lop produc
tion was about 40,000 with 1,200
to 1,300 pounds of fat.” Maple
of Route 29 on Route 216. 4
miles West of 1-95, take
Scaggsville/Route 216 West
exit.
From Frederick: take Route
70 East towards Baltimore.
(Immediately past Howard Co.
Fairgrounds, which you see
from 70,) take Route 32 tow
ards Clarksville. Go right on
Route 108 for 2 miles. Go left
on Route 216 at light at High
land for 2 miles. Farm on left.
For questions or comments,
call: Charles & Judy, (301)
725-6751; Gene & Kathy. (301)
725-8387; Mike & Heather,
(301) 725-4611; Farm, (301)
725-2074.
i*r wi
Lawn Farm’s highest classified
animal was a 96-point cow named
Maryland Maple Lawn Marquis
Glamour. They sold her for
$1,500 to help pay for their milk
ing parlor, then she was resold for
almost $70,000. One of that cow’s
offspring later sold for over a mil
lion dollars in Wisconsin.
Judy lager says they are lucky
to have three boys who are inter
ested in the farm and have been
very willing to help over the years.
“All the different things they can
do they have tried hard to do and
have done it,” she says. All three
sons, Michael, Matt and Mark
have gone to National 4-H Club
Congress just as their father did
when he was young. Michael and
Matt have gone to National Hol
stein Conventions as distinguish
ed juniors from Maryland. Mark is
set to go this year. Michael was
the first president of the Maryland
Junior Holstein Association in
1987. Michael attended the Uni
versity of Maryland. Matt is a
graduate of Delaware Valley Col
lege and is currently in his second
year of vet school at Virginia
Maryland Regional College of
Veterinarian Medicine at Virginia
Tech. Mark graduates from high
school this year. So the tradition
of educated farming at Maple
Lawn Farm continues.
As president of the Maryland
Holstein Association, Charles lag
er says his long-term goal is to or
ganize a workshop at a farm.
“Maybe for next year,” he says,
“where all the 700 membership
could go to a modem farm and
look at their operation. While
there, we could have exhibitors
demonstrate the latest, up-to-date
things that a dairyman can learn
about TMR, milkers, ultrasound
pregnancy tests or sexing eggs.
Maybe someone from the DHIA
could come in and explain how to
understand their sheets and an
swer questions related to the red
book or the sire summary that
comes out twice a year. We could
find out about the newest ways to
register cows and we might even
have a judging school for those
who want to be on the judging list
It could be an all-day thing with a
fun meal and an educational set
up with adults and kids welcome.
Doing all these things could help
the farmer become more efficient,
make money and maybe pick up a
few things about farming.”
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