J. LEE MAJESKIE Extension Dairy Specialist Dept. Animal Sciences University of Maryland COLLEGE PARK. Md. The DHI system provides dairy pro ducers with valuable information. Not only are production data provided on individual cows, but important herd data helps produc ers cffcicnily manage their dairy herd. These data are also useful tools for the extension dairy spe cialist, veterinarian, feed consul tant and other people who may be involved in helping dairy produc ers to efficiently "use the dairy records. Most DHI processing centers provide detailed management data on the herd. Recently, DHI-Provo deve loped the “Personal Herd Profile" report that allows dairy producers to develop and customize a special report from the data listed on the monthly DHI herd summary. On the Personal Herd Profile, key management statistics can be grouped into a short, concise report, making it easy to compare statistics that each dairy producers Teels arc vital for efficient manage ment oT his or her herd. A detailed report, listing numer ous items from the monthly herd summary, or a simple report, with only a few selected items, can be designed. In the example given (see accompanying table), four major areas selected were production traits (milk, fat, protein), udder health (somatic cell count data), reproductive performance, and genetic evaluation (cows, sires and service sires). The dairy producer can select the data for each item by lactation group (first lactation, second lacta tion, and third lactation or more), or a herd average for each item. Many times it is important to identify the lactation group where a problem exists. A dairy farmer can compare information from his/her herd summary to up-to-date area aver ages by county, state and region, as well as production groups within the region. This allows producers to quickly compare herd informa tion with area averages on one easy-to-read page designed by them. DHI-Provo There are also statistical evalua tions given to help dairy producers to interpret the information on the report. As shown in the example, the gray area in the center of the Per sonal Herd Profile includes the present data for the herd. To the right of the herd data are listed the percentiles for each item. The per centile provides a ranking of all. herds within a set grouping (i.e. herd breed) from high to low. Thus, the highest value would receive a percentile ranking of 100, while the lowest value would receive a percentile ranking of 1. If a herd is ranked in the 64th percentile, then 64 percent of the herds have a value less or equal to the herd’s value and 36 percent have a value greater than the herd’s value. The desirability of an item rank ing over another is based on the individual herd summary trait (item) selected. For example, a high percentile ranking would be desirable for the comparison of pounds of milk or percent protein, while a low per centile would be desirable for a trait such as cows with high soma tic cell score, or services per conception. To the left of the herd data, a dairy producer can list goals that he or she would like to see attained for the herd. The goals are reported next to the herd summary item on the report. DHI-Provo will then generate a report with the specified goal for each of the items. These goals can be changed at any time once the situation has been evaluated. For the herd reported in Table 1, a herd goal of 22,000 pdunds of milk has been Isited. Since the herd already averages 21,089 pounds of milk, this goal should be easily attainable. Each of the items under the major categories can be evaluated to see where strengths occur and identify weaknesses that must be improved to reach the 22,000 pound goal. In the columns on the right side of the repfort, listed as “East Holstein,” there are four pro duction groups reported. Within each region of the coun try, the herds processed by the DHI-Provo are classified into four production groups within each Develops Custom Reports breed, using the rolling herd aver age for milk production. It is easy to distinguish what factors are cor related with high production when comparing the high and low pro ducing herd'groups. In quickly analyzing the herd in the four major areas, the second lactation group' average of SS.9 pounds of milk ranks diem in the PP PERSONAL HERO PROFILE - MF I RSt NOCSYTTn NCRO MUD or 070 OCV PRODUCT 100 OROUPt mo pmouptiom county otaw rioioo opals rata pctl var pit pert oroup i oroup » oromp 2 droop o OUMOCR or HCR9S 101 Ml DM HI U) 247 Hi 1 invantaryt i 101 CWI in NorO OT TO 10 1)7 07 00 02 79 *0 1 110 Caw* in Milk 71 00 07 110.07 70 71 00 >1 PraOuatian: 710 RMA PawnU* mu 10021 10027 10101 21009 00 21070 19200 1770) 1921) 112 1 100 Ml Ik (N)lklno) 00.0 00.0 02.2 07.7 00 21 12.0 00 07.0 01.9 09.2 02.7 112 2 Lift Milk (Nilhlnt) 00.0 00.2 09.1 * 00.9 00 20 10.9 27 00.0 09.1 00.1 00.0 112) LOO Milk (Nilhlnt) 0* 0 97 9 00.0 72.0 9) 20 17.9 27 07.7 09.0 07 2 09.) 112 LOS Nilk (Milking) 00.7 00.9 07.2 02.2 79 27 10.0 02 02.0 07.9 9) 0 00 4 [too (fit (AM) 2.091 2.02} 2.92 g 2.oft 20 14 .01 00 ).91g 2.9)1 3.9*1 ).40S i 197 g Prntnin (AM) 2.17 S 2.29 g 2.10 g 2.22 X 90 9 .20 IT 2.17 g 2.10 g 2.10 g 2.205 Ipaak PraOwatlon; j 220 1 Path $ Nilk <9O DIM 00.0 40.2 79.1 fTl t f. T* 1* 9 1 OO 74.0 49.0 44.7 40 1 220 2 Pn«fc fMlIk < 90 OIN 02.0 00.0 00.0 91.01 TO 10 D.l 97 97 2 00.2 0) 2 7)2 220 2 Pnak f Nllk <99 OIN 09.2 09.7 92.0 Vft*& I* 14 14 0 7) 192.7 92.9 00 0 70 2 ! 224 1 Days Paakad 7) 74 77 72 fOO 00 2) Of 79 70 74 7* 220 2 Hyi Paakai 07 07 07 »«' OO 90 20 00 97 94 97 9a | 220 2 Raya PnafcnO 40 09 99 00. 01 04 29 20 00 99 54 97 Emrapaiatad 209 Natwrn t|ul«, > '2OO 1 Kxt 200 HE Milk 20027 209)9 210)9 22971 09 It 2407 02 2)209 20029 19417 17)29 200 2 Cnt 209 NC Milk 209)9 2074) 219)9 22090 02 10 2204 42 2*027 21207 20019 17)01 200 2 Cm 209 ME Milk 19720 1907) 20027 j 2201) 02 12 2007 )9 22017 20021 1921) 140)a Saaalia Cnlla: i 200 1 g Caw* Law SCO (9*o) 79g 7ft oig ! 92| 00 OOg 01g OOg 775 | 20* 2 s Cwi Lltf SCI 14-01 7)g 72g 74g 9)g 01 79g 79X 701 70S j 20* Ig Cm Law SCS (0-0) 09X 99g 42g j OZg 92 44g 42g 41| 9*5 f 209 1 gCm Na« ICO (0-4) US US US! OS 20 US US US US 209 2 g Cm* Mad 2C4 (9-41 I 20g 20S US | 1 7g 20 US US US 209 ) g Caw* Na 4 SC) (9-41 20S 20S 29g J US D 3)S 29S 24S )0j Day* in~Milk: . 114 Day* in Milk 19* 194 190 209 7) 94 114 91 199 194 19* 20* 10) S o*y» in Nilk 00 4S 0* OS 09.9 S 40.9 X 90 44 OS 04 9S 49 22 40 4S Jsnj>rCiJ , BOWMAN'S Si iiv I & Patio inc 17th ANNIVERSARY SALE 10% Off all accessories IN STOCK JJ • Fireplace Tool Sets ‘*l • Fireplace Screens I Bf • Sold or Plated Brass i wßm • Trivits • Cast Iron Kettles ■ •Hearth Rugs M • And Much, Much, More 40% OFF ALL HALCYON* & UnpCHl 5 PIECE DNNG SET • 4 Sling Chairs • Glass Top Table • 6 Colors From Which To Choose Retail $941 *564 Ephrata* (717) 733-4973 1 Block East of Rt 222 1-800-642-0310 48th percentile. This would indi cate that there were S 2 percent of the Holstein herds in Maryland that have second lactation cows averaging more milk than 55.9 pounds. The first lactation group of cows are in the 85 percentile and the third lactation group is in the 93 percentile. There appears to be NOW thru JULY 2nd In Stock & Special Orders Umbrella Retail $270 Sale *162 Al Nam Subject To Prior Sale (Some Heme Mey Not Be Exactly A» Pictured) QROILILS ®M SAILS __ aTANK CC «GAS pr •ASSEMBLY ■■ • DELIVERY (■MnliMtas) ALE $351 Ratal $434 1202 (Rt 322) some problem that is preventing the second lactation cows from reaching higher production Icvesl. In evaluating the peak produc tion for each of the lactation groups, it appears that this level will have to be raised slightly for each group in order to reach the 22,000 pounds herd average goal. LESCOPE RATIO FURNITURE Vermont Castings Keeping warm never looked so good! Hatteras Hammocks (Turn to Pag* A 23) 10% OFF All* Vermont Castings Stoves InStock ‘lncludes wood, coal, gas & pellet Vermont Cast lings Stoves. Shop Early tor BmiSthelM no hhimcrv 90 No Layaways Hours: M-T-W 104; TH4104: SAT. 10-4 gj.