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Vol. 39 No. 35
The contrast in methods of harvesting wheat can be seen in these two
scenic photographs of neighboring Lancaster County farms Wednesday
afternoon.
The shocks of wheat tell a story of peace and tranquility to those who are
uninitiated in the old way of doing things. But you can be sure that a lot of -
sweat, toil, scratched amis, and prickly skin went into the making of this
BVD Creates Confusion For Producers, Uncertainty For Shows
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) There are many dairy
cattle and beef cattle breeders,
adults and youth, who are uncer
tain as to whether they will show
animals this year, in light of the
recent announcements of a new
type of bovine virus diahrrea
(BVD) and widespread calls for
increased biosecurity around all
cattle operations.
Recommendations to the
Modem Dairy Housing One Aspect Of Tour At Expo
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
NORTH CORNWALL (Leba
non Co.) Visitors to this year’s
Animal Housing Expo, scheduled
July 12-13 at the Lebanon Fair
grounds, can take a tour of an
extensively renovated and moder
nized dairy farm in Lancaster
County,
The tour, which leaves the fair
grounds at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday,
July 12, will include a look at an
38-foot by 100-foot, 150-capacity
freestall bam built by Craft-Bilt
Construction, Inc., Manheim, in
December 1992 for Hershey
Brothers Farm in Penryn, Lancas
ter County.
To maximize efficiency, dairy
man Steve Hershey can milk cows
at his extensively modernized
016192 1299
ffRIODICALS DIVISION
STATE UNIVERSITY
f£9LE ATTEE library
UNIVERSITY PARK PA 16802-1602
60* Per Copy
Harvest Handiwork Honors Historical Husbandry But ...
numerous county fair boards from
the state are for requiring owners
of cattle to have their animals vac
cinated according to label direc
tions (including giving a booster
shot within the specified time)
against BVD prior to taking ani
mals to any fairgrounds this year.
Also they should turn away any
animal appearing to display sypm
toms of the disease.
Prior to that, a judging school
for youth was cancelled in the
western part of the state because of
facility and, at the same time, con
duct business using a cordless
phone.
Some might say the mere phone
pales in scope to the modernized
dairy facilities. The bam has an
alley scraper, manure pit, two pre
cast double-wide bunker silos, and
a double-eight milking parlor.
One of the five maternity pens
within the Hershey brothers farm
includes a sawdust-bedded pack
stall area. Plastic curtains on the
open walls of the 150 freestall
building roll to the middle from the
top half and from the bottom up.
This allows better control of venti
lation to the cow while she is lying
on her bed.
All facilities ensure maximum
cow comfort, which translates into
better milk production.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday. July 9, 1994
reports of herds suffering signific
ant losses caused by the new form
of BVD.
In the meantime, some addition
al geographical locations of inci
dents of the disease have been
reported by the state, but apparent
ly not all from several unsubstan
tiated rumors about several addi
tional cases being discovered in
additional areas of the state this
past week.
The state is not actively collect
ing data on the spread of the dis
“We’ve gotten the herd size up
to where it belongs,’* said Steve
Hershey. who farms in partnership
with brothers Dale and Clair. Offi
cial herd size is 185, according to
Steve, with a milking size of 170.
Replacement size is about 120.
June DHIA averages are 21,146
pounds with 753 pounds of fat and
662 pounds of protein.
The brothers keep careful track
of breed and production records
using a recently purchased
computer.
“The tour will include every
thing —the feed storage and milk
ing facility and cow housing facili
ties,” said Hershey.
In the future, according to Steve,
the business would like to renovate
an older bam to make room for
(Turn to Pag* A 24)
pretty picture. And a lot more labor will go into getting the sheaves through
the threshing rig and the storing of the grain in the granary and the straw in
the mow. The Aaron S. Fisher Amish farm, located at the corner of Stras
burg Pike (Route 896) and Paradise Lane, provides the setting for this
■■ photo.
(Turn to Pago A 33)
ease, but rather relying on reports
from veterinarian.
This week a number of people in
the local dairy community have
said they don’t understand the
situation:
• On one hand, reports are that
the disease BVD 2 is a new, very
virulant form which can kill an ani
mal within 48 hours, and has been
responsible for abortions,' calf
death and significant herd losses of
2-year-olds, and other inadequate
ly vaccinated animals.
The threat of a new strain of bovine virus diarrhea has been a cause
of concern for many wishing to know more about the disease and what
precautions may be necessary to protect beef and dairy cattle herds.
In light of that, as of Wednesday, some changes were made to the
Animal Housing Expo, set to be held July 12 and 13 at the Lebanon
Area Fairgrounds, according to Lebanon County Extension Agent
Kenneth Winebark.
Winebark said that a late addition to the two-day program is to have
a lunchtime speaker discuss the disease.
According to Winebark, during lunch, Dr. Lynn Sammons, a veter
inarian with Willow Creek Animal Hospital, in Reading, who works
with a number of dairy and cattle producers in the area, is to discuss
the disease both days.
Sammons is to share Information on the status of BVD and what can
be done to control its spread and minimize the risk of getting it on the
farm or Its effect
Details of the expo appear In this Issue and include program sche
dules, messages from exhibitors, and demonstration topics.
Four Sections
ANIMAL HOUSING EXPO
$21.00 Per Year
• On the other hand, there are no
official quarantine measures being
placed on farms with diseased
herds, the state isn’t closing down
any cattle shows or restricting
trade or travel, and no herds are
being condemned, such as was the
case with bovine tuberculosis.
Reports and cautionary warn
ings about BVO 2 were published
within the past two weeks and
news releases were made by the
state Department of Agriculture
(Turn to Page A3O)