A22-Unc«Bty Firming, Saturday, March 9, 1996
Remain
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
CARLISLE (Cumberland Co.)
In April 1992, David Forgey,
columnist for Hoard’s Dairyman
and grass-based seasonal dairy
man, began grazing his (now ISO
cow) milking herd.
Since then, he’s sold his TMR
mixer and all the regular equip
ment used in conventional dairy
ing and totally converted his farm
to grazing.
Since then, he’s not looked
back. Instead, Forgey has con
verted ‘lost time in hoof trimming,
mastitis and calf scour treatment,
trying to grow com on muck land,
and many other headaches to
steady and sometimes substantial
increases in profits.
How does he do it? He’s spent
about $7,000 to fence about 300
acres of his River-View Farm in
Logansport. Ind., using rotational
grazing to provide the feed and
care his herd needs. All this
amounts to more net profit, in the
end, compared to conventional
dairying.
Forgey spoke to about 200 dairy
farmers (many of whom are
already graziers) and agri-industry
related representatives on Wed
nesday at the annual Pennsylvania
Grazing Conference at The
Embers in Carlisle.
Forgey spoke the first day of a
two-day seminar at The Embers
about how to begin a grazing prog
ram and make it work on a variety
of farm enteiprises.
The Cass County,
Indiana dairyman is the
third generation to man
age a dairy on the farm.
His farm sign reads,
“All We Have We Owe
To Udders.” Along
with his wife and one
herdsman, Forgey
maintains a herd of ISO
head of Holstein cows
and a DHIA rolling herd
average between
18,000-20,000 pounds.
Forgey began using
TMR in the early 1970 s
and has used a private
nutritional consultant
since 1980. The farm
maintains not only herd
production records but a
complete laboratory
analysis of both soils
and forages.
In 1991, under his old
dairy confinement sys
tem, net income per cow
was only $152. In 1995,
with 142 cows in the
milking herd, Forgey
posted a net profit per
cow of $220. He indi
cated that net profits
have increased to more
than 20 percent of gross
sales
One of the reasons
Forgey realized
improved profits was
that equipment repair
was down. He also sold
a lot of farm equipment
he didn’t need anymore.
In 1995, with 142 cows,
on the herd average he
obtained 17,682 pounds
of milk.
Flexible And Realize Profits With
arijfflsssss
October of that year. They began To make P"*”* w " k ’
to purchase a grain mix in one-inch flexible ache
pcneT form Sntaining about 18 dulc : * ey V° ** J*
percent crude protein (as a binding grazing early and avoid the stres
agent). The next year, they con- MS lhe .... a . ,„ _
tined grazing, making additional The cowsare milked at . .
feed adjustments, but using pas- f 1 P- 111, midan B lB
tures with alfalfa/orchardgrass we can start grazing at suimse,
mixtures, and others with brome- d F ?**® y ' e S razm S >s fin
grass, reeds canary grass, fescue, ** y A a ‘T‘v e
cows arc brought hack in from the
midday summer sun. The impor
tant thing is to "get the stress of
them and graze them before dark,”
said Forgey.
This provides a "more consis
tent milk flow.” he said. “Time is
critical in this to make the system
work.”
Because of the drought of 1988,
coupled with devalued farm land
in the 1980 s, Forgey realized his
operation was in trouble. He set
out in 1991 to rotationally graze
the heifers. After the terrible
drought and the subsequent com
crops loss of 1991, Forgey began
realizing how grazing could allow
him to survive the summer without
supplemental feed.
Forgey began grazing the milk-
Tom Calvert, left, sheep producer from Somerset County,
was honored for his work with extension and SCS with the
1995 Pasture Management Specialist of the Year Honor. The
award was formerly announced at the national meeting of
the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), for
merly SCS, in Wichita, Kan. At the grazing conference,
Duane Pysher, grassland management specialist with
NRCS, presented the award.
MODEL PISOT WATER SUPER DELUXE
WHEEL PLANTER FLATBED MULCH LAYER
FRUIT & VEGETABLE j \
PACKING MACHINERY
• MODEL 2500 RAISED BED !■■■■
MULCH LAYER
•CHALLENGER MODEL 1800 ALUMINUM
MULCH LIFTER CONVEYORS
Specializing in vegetable Growing Supplies & Equipment.
NOLT’S PRODUCE SUPPLIES
152 N. Hershey Ave., Leola PA 17540
(717) 656-9764
, WHITEWASHING with
ADVANTAGE FARM WHITE
• DRIES WHITE •NO WET FLOORS
• IS COMPATIBLE WITH DISINFECTANT AND FLY SPRAYS
• DOES NOT RUB OFF EASILY
• WASHES OFF WINDOWS & PIPELINES EASILY
* &
BARN CLEANING SERVICE AVAILABLE
WITH COMPRESSED AIR
To have your bam cleaned with air it will clean off dust, cob webs
& lots of old lime. This will keep your bam looking cleaner
& whiter longer.
CALL US ABOUT ON THE FARM FLY CONTROL
Serving Southeastern Pa. And More
BBITZBL’S SPRAYING
Witmer, PA 17585 717-392-7227 or
Toll Free 1-800-727-7228 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL APPLICATORS
LICENSED 32 Years Experience INSURED
5 Trucks For Air Cleaning And Whitewashing
Bam Spraying It Our Business, not a sideline.
.Spraying Since 1961
Grazing
Forgey explained the layout of
his farm, which uses a system of
paddocks with water lines buried
underneath. Each paddock mea
sures about Y* acre and is enclosed
with single-strand high-tensile
wire. Wiring is underground.
Forgey uses a “leader
follower'’ system. Starting from 8-
to 10-inch plant size, the milking
herd is allowed to graze the top 3-
to 4-inches and then moved to
another paddock. This is usually
done in a 12-hour period so the
cows go to a new paddock after
each milking. The bred heifers are
then-allowed to graze for the next
12 hours and harvest the lesser
quality forage, which is very
adequate for heifer growth and
(Turn to Pag* A 23)
DISR