Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, December 23, 1995, Image 75

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    Herd And Cow Profiles
LARRY SPECHT
Professor of Dairy
Science, PSU
UNIVERSITY PARK—The
DHIA program will take a new
approach to the verification of
production data in 1996. The new
Herd and Cow Profile system
when put in place should help pro
tect individual DHIA affiliates
from costly lawsuits that arise
over disagreements between indi
vidual herd owners and their
DHIA service providers.
There will be no change in the
procedures for the proper collec
tion of production and identifica
tion information but rules that dic
tate a producers code of ethics will
be replaced by the Herd and Cow
Profiles. Central to the “profile”
concept is the idea of “open dis
closure.” This means that all
District
Meetings
PA DHIA diitrict meetingi will be held
Jan. 23, 1996 through Feb. S, 1996.
Date District
Feb. S 1 and 2
Location
Bonanza Rest.,
Franklin
Hoss's, Greensburg Jan. 31 3 and 6
Jan. 30 4
Ox Yoke Inn,
Galeton
Jan. 29 13. 14 & 16
Bonanza Rest.,
Wysox
Jan. 23
South Ridge,
State College
Crosskeys Rest., Feb. 1
Crosskeys
Family Restaurant, Jan. 24
Mifflintown
Happy Hollow Rest, Feb. 2
Saxton
Hoss's, Gxton Jan. 25
Blue Mm. Rest, Jan. 26
Shartlesville
DAVE SLUSSER
General Manager
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
County)—The PA DHIA Board
action over the last six months can
be categorized into four major
areas; Long Range Planning and
new services; Educational Pro
grams; Business Management;
and Membership.
Long Range Planning
and New Services
The board appointed a Long
Range Planning Committee to set
the course for PA DHIA into the
next century. The committee will
explore the cooperative’s struc
ture, the changing dairy industry,
the role to be played by PA DHIA,
the possibilities of corporations
with other farm cooperatives, and
the development of new services.
MUN (Milk Urea Nitrogen)
analysis was introduced to provide
a new nutrition management tool
for our members, and a MUN
Herd Summary Report was deve
loped by PA DRPC. A Perfor
mance Economics Program was
developed to be introduced to the
members so they can better evalu
ate their production cost for the
herd, groups within the herd, and
individual cows..
The board gave top priority to
the development of a PC based
data processing program. PA
DHIA does not plan to purchase a
new main frame computer, but
move to a PC based system which
is more economical to run.
potential users of a herds informa
tion will be able to access it.
Potential users are AI units inter
ested in buying or contracting for
young sires as well as breed asso
ciations or individuals who want
to check on the credentials of ani
mals that are to be sold at promo
tional sales or farm dispersals.
Other segments of the industry
responsible for documenting pro
duction increases and genetic gain
such as the USDA Animal
Improvement Program Lab
(AIPL) and Extension personnel
would also have access to such
information. Producers who
refuse to agree to open disclosure
of their herds information would
not gain the confidence of poten
tial buyers and could lose sales of
breeding stock.
Dr. Todd Meinert, research sci
entist with the National Dairy durrounded members of a Polish extension agent delegation to the United
Improvement Association says States, Pat Toretti, senior computer programmer for Pa.DHIA, sits at a computer and
that “Herd profiles will provide demonstrates the abilities of modem data processing equipment and technology to
information that allows all users serve dairy farmers. responsibilities and work flow of
of DHIA data to determine the „ i* i_ A A Pa-DHIA and the services it pro
quahty (accuracy) of the data pro- OpenS DOOFS TO Polish Ag AgCmS vides for its members.
duced by the herd, as well as-the *
characteristics of the herd.” If
users don’t feel that the data are
accurate, they can choose not to
do business with the herd.
What sort of information will
be available under “open disclo
sure?” Many items are recorded
such as the rolling herd average
for the past twelve months, the
number of cows on test and the
number of cows with identifica
tion changes in the last year, the
percentage of cows, sires and
dams with valid identification,
and the percentage of cows com
'pleting 305 day lactations in a
year. Lactation curves are plotted
for individual cows and for their
contemporaries. A comparison of
the test day mil’c weights versus
the bulk tank weights will be
shown. Bulk tank comparison pro
(Tum to Pago C 8)
9 and 10
11 and 12
7 and 8
17 and 15
Summary Of Board Action
As part of the marketing plan,
field technicians received training
in marketing, and an advertising
and promotion program was deve
loped. The Westfalia Dairy Plan
Program is being marketed by our
technicians and has been put on
the laptop computers to leave test
day reports to our members.
Educational Programs
and Seminars
Three technicians training
programs and local training ses
sions were conducted during the
year. Information was given on
the MUN program and its benefits
to our members, as well as other
technician responsibilities.
Seminars for veterinarians and
nutritionists were held throughout
Pennsylvania to seek advice and
suggestion on PA DHIA service.
Educational meetings were held
on the MUN program with the
help of Dr. Jim Ferguson and Dr.
Linda Baker from New Bolton
Center.
Plans are underway to hold edu
cational meetings throughout
Pennsylvania on the Performance
Economics Program that has been
developed.
Membership Action
The director districts were rear
ranged to-include new members in
New York, New Jersey and
Maryland.
The one day Annual Meeting
held last year was evaluated, and
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) Earlier this year a delega
tion of agriculture agents and
directors of extension services in
Poland toured the State College
area and included a visit and tour
of Pennsylvania Dairy Herd
Improvement Association in their
itinerary.
The Polish delegation was here
for two weeks as part of an ongo
ing extension-exchange program
which helps educate both sides
involved.
Pa.DHIA Manager Dave Sluss
er and his wife Kaye helped serve
as tour guides for the group, some
of whom they met previously and
developed working
relationships several years ago
the Slussers had been in Poland on
a project to help dairy farmers
the same format will be followed
at the February 16,1996 meeting.
A survey of the members attend
ing indicated an overwhelming
support to continue with a one day
meeting. The same roundtable dis
cussion format was approved for
the district meetings. Besides the
normal business conducted at the
district and annual meetings, Dr.
James Ferguson will make a pre
sentation on MUN, and Dave
Slusser will present the Perfor
mance Economic Program.
The structure of the Executive
Committee was changed to
include; President, Vice
president, Secretary, Treasurer
and Executive Committee Mem
ber at large, and the immediate
past President. The President can
only succeed himself 3 consecu
tive years then a new President is
elected. The immediate past Presi
dent is on the Executive Commit
tee one year after being President
without voting rights. He must be
off die executive, committee one
year before being eligible to be
elected back on the executive
committee. The executive com
mittee member at large has voting
rights but cannot be re-elected in
that position.
The planning committee
reviewed the entire recognition
program at the local and state level
and recommended a uniform
program pf recognition at each
county annual meeting. The board
approved the recommendation.
Business Action
The board reviewed the credit
La nontar taming, Saturday, Oacambar 23, 1906-C7
there boost milk production.
While in Poland, the Slussers
witnessed the establishment of
DHIA services there, and met with
several of the agents during that
time.
Now, those Polish agents got an
opportunity to see the moderniza
tion of Pa.DHIA services and how
milk samples are conducted and
reports created.
On several occasions, members
of the Polish delegation remarked
on the high production and super
iority of American dairy cattle.
They said they were amazed to see
the high records of American
cows.
The group toured the Pa.DHIA
laboratory and data processing
center, meeting with employees
while getting an explanation of the
policies of the co-op and made
changes. The basic policy is that
payment for service is due test
day. A uniform system was
approved for fees, pay, bonus and
benefits for all employees. The
board sets the policies and
approves the budget by which the
management runs the cooperative.
The board hires the General Man
ager who in turn hires other
PADHIA
EIGHTH ANNUAL
CORPORATE MEETING
AT THE
HOLIDAY INN
1450 SOUTH ATHERTON STREET
STATE COLLEGE, PA.
VOU ARE INVITED
BVTHE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE PA DHIA
TO ATTEND THE
EIGHTH ANNUAL CORPORATE MEETING
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16,1996.
FEATURE SPEAKER
JAMES FERGUSON, VMD
OF NEW.BOLTON CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
ON
MILK UREA NITROGEN
REGISTRATION WILL BE SENT TO YOU LATER. LOOK FOR IT WITH VOUR
MONTHLY REPORTS IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY
Performance
Economics
(Continued from Pago C 6)
cost per cow lactation total to date.
4) Net income per cow lactation
total to date and 5) after cow com
pleted lactation, net income for
each cow. On Individual Cow
Page: 1) Net income per lactation
including lifetime profit.
PA DHIA has requested time
on Dairy Day Programs to present
this program to you. We are also
requesting our county DHIA com
mittees to schedule county meet
ings on Performance Economics.
Dr. Steve Ford or Dave Slusser
will conduct these meetings. If
you cannot wait for a meeting,
contact Judy Walker at PA DHIA.
Our address is Orchard Road, Uni
versity Park, PA 16802, or call
1-800-DHI-TEST and Judy will
send the program out to PA DHIA
members free.
employees he needs in order to
provide the service to the mem
bers. The manager must follow the
policies set by the board, and he is
the only employee of the board.
The just completed fiscal year
included a good improvement in
the finances and new services to
members. It was a busy and pro
ductive year for the board.