Dairy Lifestyle Improves (ContlnuMl from Pag* B 2) consume those minerals needed in their systems. “Cows are a lot smarter than we think,” Marks said. “People say cows can’t decide what.they need; but as they move along the diffe rent paddocks, they go fa* diffe rent minerals.” He credits the cows’ apparent ability to balance their intake and needs with the lessened reproduc tive and dietary-related problems of the herd. While rotational grazing offers many pluses, Marks pinpoints one minus in a heavy grass diet— bloat. Bloat has not generally been a problem, although the Markses did lose a few animals to it last summer. A grazing consultant who works with their herd prog ram reported bloat problems fairly widespread last year, projecting a combination of particular weather and growing conditions as the probable reason. “When free-choice minerals are fed, you usually have no bloat problems, especially if sodium bentonite, which buffers bloating, is always available,” said Maries. Dry cows and heifers follow the milking herd through the pad docks, cleaning up remaining grass and uneaten hay. Even young heifers are being graze-fed. “It’s working well and really cuts down on the hay and grain consumption.” Marks said. Last season, the couple raised 14 young heifers for six months on a timothy/clover paddock, sec tioned down to small grazing areas. While hay and grain were available, the young stock seemed to prefer grass. ‘They are some of the nicest heifers we’ve ever raised,” said the dairyman, figuring an added bonus of considerable savings on heifer feed purchases. Based on the efficiencies and Si* / CLOSED SUNDAYS, NEW YEAR, EASTER MONDAY, ASCENSION DAY, WHIT MONDAY, OCT. 11. THANKSGIVING, mawntl! Christmas & December zsth FISHER’S FURNITURE, INC. NEW AND USED FURNITURE USED COAL & WOOD HEATERS COUNTRY FURNITURE & ANTIQUES BUS. HRS. BOX 57 MON.-THURS. 8-5 1129 GEORGETOWN RD. FRI, 8-8, SAT. 8-12 BART, PA 17503 GOOD FOOD OUTLET STORES See Our Original Line Of Golden Barrel Products Plus All Kinds Of Beans, Candies, Dried Fruit, Snack Mixes, Etc. At Reduced Prices * BAKING MOLASSES * MAPLE SYRUP „ * BARBADOS MOLASSES * PANCAKE St WAFFLE * BLACKSTRAP SYRUPS MOLASSES * SORGHUM SYRUP * * CORN SYRUPS ★ LIQUID St DRY SUGAR , * HIGH FRUCTOSE * PANCAKE St WAFFLE SYRUPS SYRUPS JIV _ * CANOLA OIL #? / I * COCONUT OIL \] I A CORN OIL /J? * COTTONSEED OIL * OLIVE OIL ★ PEANUT OIL * VEGETABLE OIL ★ SHOO-FLY FIE MIX Processors Of Syrups, Molasses, Cooking Oils. Funnel Cake Mix. Pancake ft Waffle Mix ft Bhoofly Pie Mix GOOD FOOD OUTLET Located At Good Food, Inc. W. Main St., Box 160, Honey Brook, PA .19344 610-273-3776 1-800-327-4406 Located At L & S Sweeteners 368 E. Main St, Leola, PA 17540 717-686-3436 1-800-633-2676 - WE UPS DAILY - _>VMC herd health with intensive spring grazing use, the Markses are working their herd into seasonal production. This spring was their first attempt at seasonal milking, while cows and heifers were held for breeding last June. After drop ping to a low of about 15 head in late winder, Marks began calving spring fresheners about mid- March. A few of those March freshen ers are already being bred back, a little early, toward spring of 1996. Marks also finds that having his cows on grass tends to bring them back into reproductive cycling more quickly and regularly. “We don’t ever expect to have the whole herd dry at any point, though we did sell quite a few that freshened last fall,” he said. By mid-May, 39 of the herd’s 45 head of cows were in the milking string, about two dozen of them spring fresheners. Marks’ goal is to milk 70 to 80 spring fresheners over summers, then cut back to about 30 during winter months. With a 40-stall barn, paring herd numbers elimi nates switching cows for milking during wintry weather. Along with spring freshening, the Markses hope to adapt a New Zealand-style calf-raising pro gram which gets baby calves out on grass. Milk is fed to about two months via a barrel-type feeder with self-feed, nursing nipples. “But we need at least 8 or 10 baby calves to make that efficient So far this year we’ve had only three heifers from all our calv ings,” said Marks, frustrated over this season’s low heifer-to-bull calf ratio. Marks is also considering a return to 3x milking as extra, but only if extra, part-time labor is available to handle the third daily milking. During their first year of rotational grazing, the Markses If your local store docs not have it, SEND FOR FREE BROCHURE GOLDEN BARREL PANCAKE ft WAFFLE SYRUP 1 Gallon - Regularly $4.29 wow $3.69 GOLDEN BARREL PANCAKE ft WAFFLE BOX 8 Lba. - Regularly $2.89 wow $2.29 GOLDEN BARREL CANOLA OIL 1/2 Gallon - Regularly $2.69 wow $2.19 ran a 3x schedule, tallying a herd average of over 21,000 pounds of milk. But herd average became less important to them than time efficiencies and cost savings. Now the herd average tops 17,000 pounds, but costs have been cut way back. “You can make a high herd average on grazing, but it entails more time, more field harvesting, mote feed mixing, more inputs. If you can cut your inputs in half, and only reduce your production by a quarter, you’re still ahead on the bottom line,” said Marks. A lower herd average from grass-dairying has also been a positive tradeoff for a better qual ity of life, say Mel and Barb Marks. Their three daughters, Erin, 11, Nicole, 9, and Trisha, 7, love to help move the cows through the paddocks and still thrill to the birth of a baby calf out in the pastures. All three girls are in 4-H, Trisha in her first. Clover bud season. Family walks together, getting to know the cows and heifers as they move the cows, and more time to participate in the girls soft ball activities are just some of the “quality time” benefits the Mark ses cite as bonuses from their shift from traditional stored feeding to grazing. There’s also more time for lead ership activities in school and community. Marks serves on the Red Lion Area School Board and Barb has been president of the Clearview Elementary Parent- Teacher Organization. Both take a vital interest in their daughters’ school activities. They also serve as leaders for the Milk and Money 4-H Dairy Club of southern York County and enjoy showing their cattle. Their farming innovations tow ard greater profitability and com munity leadership were part of the consideration given when the Markses were selected Young ★ FUNNEL CAKE MIX * PANCAKE A WAFFLE MIX * ASSORTMENT OF CANDIES * DRIED FRUIT A SNACK MIXES A BEANS A HONEY A PEANUT BUTfER A BAUMAN APPLE BUTTERS * KAUFFMAN PRESERVES * SPRING GLEN RELISHES SPECIALS FOR JUNE Cooperators for the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Coopera tive. Inc., Reston, Va. Barb and Mel have been involved with the Young Cooper ator activities for the past few years. As a young cooperator cou ple, they will represent the dairy In a study by Barbara Ains worth and associates in 1993, exertion values were assigned to garden activities of all kinds. These values from 1 to 7 were bas ed on the ratio of the associated metabolic rate for the specific ac tivity divided by the resting meta bolic rate. The study shows that an individual expends just as much energy performing some garden ing taskes as they would partici pating in recommended exercise routines. Watering your lawn or garden, standing or walking in the garden provides only slightly more physi cal activity as lying quietly, reclin ing and sleeping. Applying ferti lizer, seeding a lawn or mowing your lawn with a riding mower has a value of 2.5. This would be equi valent to sitting, knitting or sew ing. Trimming shrubs or trees with power tools has a value of 3.5 which is equivalent to the exercise gained by walking at a 3.0 mile per hour level at a moderate pace on a firm surface. Using a walk-behind mower, weeding, cultivating, planting trees or trimming trees manually exerts 4.5 times as much as rest ing. These activities exert as much energy as bicycling at 10 mph, water aerobics, fishing, cleaning or golf. The most strenuous gardening activities rated at 5 to 6 include chopping wood, mowing lawns with a reel-type mower, rototilling a garden, light shoveling, hauling Cowiown Rodeo “Cow Cai Located on U.S. Route 40, eight miles east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge in Salem County MAY 27TH THRU SEPT. 30TH Every Saturday Night ★ if 7:30 Rain or Shine Admission $lO Adults ★ ★ $5 Children 12 and under Free Parking ★ ★ ★ Refreshment Stands Group Rates Available: Call 609-769-3200 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 3,1M5-B5 coop’s .young members during board meetings, participate in var ious local cooperative activities, and represent Maryland and Virgi nia Milk Producers at upcoming National Institute of Cooperative Education and National Milk Pro ducers Federation events. branches or laying sod. These acti vities are equivalent to swimming, general aerobics, jogging or bask etball. Human-powered, push-reel mowers are making a remarkable comeback (over 200,000 units sold last year) with health reasons accounting for over 22% of the purchases. Dr. Bob Goldman, pre sident for the National Academy of Sports Medicine in 1993 sug gested that reel-type mowers pro vide a great cardiovascular work out They’re particularly good at strengthening the upper body. Stu dies have shown that pushing a reel mower bums up to 480 calor ies an hour-the equivalent of ten nis, downhill skiing and low-im pact aerobics. Gardening activities not only help physically, but also provide therapeutic benefits to aU ages. Start your gardening exercises like children would by digging and pushing sand or soil with hand tools. Individuals with alzheim er’s disease, or those expericienc ing memory loss should choose a simple, repetitive task. Outdoors, this would include watering with a watering can, removing withered blooms, harvesting vegetables or putting mulch around the base of plants. In summary, gardening even the easiest of activities can be twice as hard in mid-summer. Please consult with your physician if you find any activities cause you pain or discomfort. Cowtown, N.J. tital of the First Frontier”
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