A2O-Lincaster Farming, Saturday, November 5, 1994
The 1994 DHIA testing year
officially ended on September 30,
1994 and the annual banquet and
meeting is fast approaching. If you
are not presently in one of the
DHIA programs, you should give
serious thought to enrolling. At a
time when profits on dairy farms are
slim, fanners question spending
money on a milk testing program.
However, the fact is, during times
of financial pressure, DHIA can be
a valuable tool toward determining
which cows are making you money
and which ones should be culled.
Chester County DHIA Board
of Directors, after evaluating all
options available and with the
approval of the membership, condi
tionally merged with PA DHIA in
May. The main overriding factor for
this decision was to save Chester
County dairy farmers money while
continuing to provide quality ser
vice. The new rates, particularly for
owner/sampler herds, are consider
ably lower. Standard 2X DHIA rates
have stayed about the same, while
AM/PM herds have realized some
cost savings. Chester County has
always had a low participation rate in
the owner/sampler program because
the rates were too high—that is not
true today. Removing one or two of
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those big eat/no milk cows or a high
somatic count cow that is costing
you your quality bonus can pay for
the testing program. If one of these
complete testing programs fits your
operation, now is the time to sign up.
Contact one of the following
Chester County DHIA technicians:
Patty Becker 717-355-9262
Dean Cheeks 610-932-9180
Wendy Harris 717-442-9648
Gerald Miller 610-932-9047
Robert Poole 610-932-9047
Now that is not the end of the
options available from DHIA today.
PA DHIA recognizes that standard
programs are not needed by all
farmers. On-farm computers and
consulting services are supplying
milk weights, breeding records and
other information in the 19905.
Therefore, low cost testing pro
grams have been developed to sup
ply the “missing link” in other com
mercial management systems. Herd
managers can have samples tested
for either butterfat, protein or
somatic cell count; or for all three,
depending on current needs. This
data may be useful as an addition to
your current management system or
may be used infrequently to pin
point problem areas. Some potential
uses include...
• SCC testing may pinpoint
problem cows causing high bulk
tank counts or loss of quality bonus.
• Butterfat & protein testing may
determine which cows in your herd
are not producing to their ability.
• Periodic SCC testing may be
used to monitor the effectiveness of
mastitis and dry treatments.
Contractual arrangements for
testing as many samples as desired
must be made prior to the actual test
ing of samples. Contact the Division
of Field Services at I-800-DHI
TEST to make these arrangements.
Another excellent alternative PA
DHIA program is PRIME. It was
designed for producers who want
management records with a mini
mum of effort and cost and where
the full range services (DHI,
AM/PM & DHIR) are complicated
or expensive. Choices within the
PRIME program include...
• Weigh & sample each cow
each month, one milking or two.
• Just weigh milk with no sam
ples taken.
• Take samples every month,
every other month or even just four
times a year.
• Charges are on the animals on
the sheet the day of sampling.
• The report contains whatever
information you request —SCC,
reproductive, feeding recommenda
tions and/or herd average. If this
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type of DHIA program appeals to technicians listed above or dial
you, call one of the Chester County 1 -SOO-DHI-TEST.
Chester County DHlA—October 1994
Cows producing over 800 lbs. protein are:
Breed Age Milk Fat
Name
Joseph & Sandra Lusby
Minnie
Cinder
Patsy
Robert & Sharon Nolan
Megan
Swan Best Dairy
Rudy
E. Kent High, Jr.
105
Merle J. King
Ferry
Evie
Walmoorc, Inc. # 2
365
357
425
433
434
Dunwood Farm
Colleen
Cletis
Carmel
Chris & Ches Stoltzfus
Alice
Ridge Star Farm
121
147
Tim & Phyllis Barlow
Faith
Helena
Nell
Walmoore Inc. # 3
308
Richard Hoover
147
124
35391
26,760
24,878
4-11
4-
5-
27,356
5-02
8-05
27,152
28,610
3-07
29,629
29,319
6-06
4-02
4-07
4-02
3-02
3-01
3-00
26,539
25,958
25,907
25,361
26,110
30,098
26,782
25,386
10-01
5-05
5-10
3-05
24,055
4-01
3-00
27,722
24,624
3-11
3-02
3-00
26,350
31,091
27,625
24,237
3-11
3-01
25,300
24,230
to Pag* A2l)
1488
1055
1079
1058
825
875
839
837
1033
776
852
1079
1019
936
893
965
904
1036
768
844
860
836
825
801
817
912
1055
1142
849
889
819
926
808
797
797
837
864
967
1113
787
833
961
812
809
808
849
973
916