Dairy Farmers
GEORGE F.W. HAENLEIN
Extension Dairy Specialist
University of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. The debate
raging in this region and in neigh
boring states about the so-called
Dairy Compact brings home the
realization that dairy burners real
ly have only two ways to improve
the income from their milk produc
tion.
One way is political and
dependent on another organization
or agency to set the price you will
get for your milk.
They base their calculation on
prevailing market forces, includ
ing lobbying, export, health regu
lations, labor rules and keeping
certain factories steaming at full
capacity regardless of the low
price to the farmer. And whether
you like it or not, this price is what
you will receive.
The other way is “going your
own way.”
It used to be this was a risky
course. In fact, that is why, at the
turn of this century, the formation
of producer and marketing co
operatives was viewed as a safer
route for the future of family
farms.
This plan worked well here and
in other countries. But times move
on, conditions change. Even farm
er cooperatives now find them
selves dwarfed by powerful indus
try conglomerates.
Can individual dairiy farmers
still go their own way? Is this how
the family hum survives?
Entrepreneurs will make it and
do well, but the less aggressive
dairy farmers will do better under
the umbrella of an organization,
conformiong to the incentives that
should make them the most milk
money.
Does this mean that a Dairy
Compact is comparable to efforts
of unionization and demanding
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minimum prices for milk?
Maybe.
Perhaps that is why food store
chains are lobbying so strongly
against it
Is this a wake-up call to farm
ers?
Maybe now they will see who
their enemies are the people
preventing them from making a
decent milk income.
Who wins?
The squeaky wheel, of course.
But are dairy farmers squeaking
loudly enough? , v
If you opt for the umbrella
group approach, find out what
their incentives are for buying your
milk, assuming that an incentive
encourages you to do something
favorable for the organization and
for you, too, in the long run.
Milk buying organizations use.
among others, two incentives in
calculating the juice they will pay
you for your milk butterfat
juice per pound, and nonfat milk
solids juice per pound.
Some dairy farmers are taking
these incentives under considera
tion and others aren’t. What’s the
difference to your pockctbook?
Last month, the University of
Delaware herd tested 3.78 percent
bulterfat (F) and 8.79 percent non
fat milk solids (NFMS).
Another herd (let’s call it B),
with the same number of 150 cows
and same milk yield, tested 4.1
percent F and 8.9 percent NFMS.
At current prices of
F and $1.02/pound
NFMS. herd B had an income ad
vantage of $1,497 jter month.
Not far from here, another herd
(C), with the same number of cows
and same milk yield, tested 3.3
percent F and B.S percent NFMS.
At current juices, that herd made
$2,644 less than the University’s
herd per month, and $4,142 less
than herd B.
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This kind of income difference
for your milk is not magic.
Herd B’s genetic selection for
higher buttcrfat contents in the
milk and higher nonfat milk solids
is working to the farmer’s financial
advantage.
The progress by genetic selec
tion for milk contents can be
achieved even easier than for milk
yield, because heritability of milk
contents is double that of milk
yield.
Progress for more milk yield
has, for the most part, been well
managed in recent years.
Progress for milk contents
should be equally well managed,
even while recognizing that milk
yield tends to drop if you are not
selecting for both.
In addition to genetic selection,
you can influence (mostly in a ne
gative way) fat and nonfat milk
solids contents through variations
in management of feeding, room
temperature, labor’s milking man
agement, and subclinical mastitis.
There have been many studies
on how to improve nonfat milk sol
ids contents, because it is of eco
nomic importance to cheese-mak
ing and to the taste of skim milk.
The consensus is that milk con
tents are more easily decreased
than increased by most efforts
other than genetics.
The best advice is to increase the
energy content of the dairy feed ra
tion. especially the concentrate,
without changing its fat content
Often, this will increase the milk
protein and, thereby, the nonfat
milk solids contents.
In addition, the feed supply of
two often-limiting amino acids
lysine and methionine—also must
be optimal.
How do you do this? It takes a
computer program and a nutrition
consultant to calculate this, while
genetic selection is as easy as read-
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However, what can you do
when your genetics, feeding, en
vironmental temperatures and sub
clinical mastitis are under good
control?
Use your monthly fat tests on
each cow, when you participate in
a DHIA program, so you can select
which cow to keep.
But you do not have monthly
nonfat milk solids tests on each of
your cows in this region; this fig
ure is only on your milk tank when
you sell your milk, which is a real
handicap because you do not know
which cow to keep for NFMS and
which one to cull because of low
tests!
For the last three to five years in
this region, dairy fanners have
been paid a NFMS incentive, yet
National Dairy Shrine
Preserves History
COLUMBUS, Ohio Any in
dustry as dynamic as dairying in
the United States needs its history
recorded and its future celebrated.
The National Dairy Shrine, an
organization made up of produc
ers. business people, retirees and
students, has been committed to
that end for almost SO years.
The National Dairy Shrine an
nually gives mote than $20,000 in
scholarships to students in dairy
related fields, it also recognizes
the lifelong achievements of in
dustry leaders, educators, breeders
and show people.
Fpr a hands-on historical per
spective on dairying in the United
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these same farmers are not pro
vided a program by which they can
select for beteter cow NFMS gene
tics to improve their milk and milk
income.
These farmers are handicapped
by uncertainty about their cows’
NFMS and the information they
need, to achieve better milk in
come.
Of course, none of this inter
feres with the policies or philoso
phies of the food store chains.
Whether you decide to join a
Dairy Compact or not and without
affecting store milk prices, your
farm already can make $4,142
more than another farm with the
same number of cows and pounds
of milk per month.
Just pay attention to the incen
tives paid for milk contents listed
on your monthly milk check.
States, the National Dairy Shrine
maintains its popular Visitors’
Center next to the Hoard’s Mu
seum in Fort Atkinson, Wiscon
sin.
Along with support of these
causes, members enjoy receptions
at dairy events across the country,
a national newsletter and an in
ternship directory for post-secon
dary students.
For more information on join
ing the National Dairy Shrine at a
one-time fee of $3O, please write
Maurice Core at National Dairy
Shrine, 1224 Alton-Darby Creek
Road, Columbus, OH 43228-9792
or call (614) 878-5333.
Rt. 272 North through Ephrata
Turn left on Schoeneck Road.
Go to the second stop sign.
Park at church,