DAVE SLUSSER General Manager STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) It has been an honor to serve you as your general man ager for the last five years. This report will include what we have accomplished these last five years, our plans for 1999, and projections into the Twenty first Century PA DHIA has completed the third straight year of profit and introduced a 1999 budget that required no feed adjustment. We are very proud of this record, however five years ago it was a different story. In 1994, PA DHIA had a major operating loss, and along with National DHIA, N.E. DHIA, Vermont DHIA, and Ohio DHIA, was involved in a major lawsuit. For the next 3 1/2 years, the association paid out over $1,500,000.00 in debt reduction and legal fees, however during that same period of time new services and accomplishments occurred. Our innocence was vindicat ed, however not before accumu lating large legal bills. Since this time, PA DHIA has moved forward with new ser vices and accomplishments They are as follows: 1) developed a Strategic Long Range Pan. 2) improved accuracy of usable records from 76% to 83% (highest in the Nation) 3) introduced MUN testing, having tested to date 1.5 million cows 4) supported MUN with edu cational meetings 5) became first DHIA to transfer data to farmers and con sultants through the Internet. 6) introduced Performance Economics to DHIA. 7) became the national leader in innovative test plans. This past year was no excep tion to our forward progress. A hew cost reduced owner-sampler program, which recorded a 45 percent growth during the year was introduced. Other accomplishments were; 1) a statewide membership marketing program with David Bigelow. 2) PA DHIA farm consulting service with George Cudoc. 3) partnering our truck routes with milk cooperatives, partnering in field service with AI Cooperatives. Lancaster Farming PA DHIA Annual Member Management Report 4) a new nitrogen manage ment report 5) new laser printers for farm management reports. 6) developed Heifer 98, the first Windows 95, 98, NT farm management software 7) worked hard to get unifor mity in MUN testing throughout the US DHIA system. 8) worked to restore unity in National DHIA 9) provided a field certifica tion survey for California DHIA 10) began development of other outside sources of income. None of these accomplish ments could have been accom plished without the hard work and loyalty of our members and employees. This spirit will be the driving force that propels us into the next century. PA DHIA is not a cost to dairymen but an investment. If you are not getting a 200- percent return on your invest ment, please give us a call. We can and will improve your prof its. George Cudoc can be a valu able help in the utilization of your PA DHIA records. I have gotten nothing but positive com ments from our members who have used his service. If you have three consecutive MUN tests with PA DHIA, you are entitled to a free farm visit from George upon your request. Our service will improve farm profitability through improved milk quality and production effi ciency. No other DHIA supports it membership with such service or accuracy of information. Plans for 1999 are more excit ing. Just released is our Windows 95, 98, NT lab Analyst program. This program, designed for users of lab test analysis, SAP herds, and consultants, is powerful. Costing only $3O, the pro gram is an awesome product, the MUN report, somatic cell report, and many other reports are just as they appear on hard copy in your reports. Our herd management pro gram, Bam Owl 2000 (now in test herds) will include Heifer 98 and the labAnaylst program. These powerful programs are developed by our farmer-owned and controlled PA DHIA. Most of our accomplishments could not have been possible without having our own Data Processing Center and program mers. A NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS & CUSTOMERS Scott Williams, Training Coordinator Call 1-800-DHI-Test, Fax 814-865-3294 Web site: http://www.dhia.psu.edu Pennsylvania Dairy Herd Improvement Association DHIA Service Center Orchard Road, University Park, PA 16802 Pages D 2 to D 4 June 5,1999 Issue Vol. 14 No.l Other activities being planned for 1999 are: 1) converting entirely to PC processing 2) research possibilities of connecting Bam Owl 2000 to a financial package 3) performing our own meter repair and certification of meters 4) performing new lab ser vices 5) seeking further partnering including breed associations 6) continuing our attempt to bring National DHIA together. The next century will bring new excitement and challenges to Pennsylvania and PA DHIA. GEORGE CUDOC Consulting Dairyman STATE COLLEGE (Centre Co.) - In the past, butterfat and protein component tests were used mostly to identify superior cows. Breeding superior cows would increase a dairy farm’s milk payment - which is based heavily on protein and butterfat content. Component tests were sel dom used to sharpen manage ment skills. But today’s dairy man can work with on-farm pro fessionals to look at component testing in a much broader scope. DHIA fat and protein infor mation tells a lot about the nutritional status of dairy cows. Individual data that can be sort ed into groups helps pinpoint specific places to start your quest to improve nutritional management. This is so much more useful than bulk tank information which suggests problems exist, but gives no information as to where you begin to solve them. Butterfat is the oldest compo nent test and still the most important in that it reflects a cow’s rumen health. We know that cows typically produce milk in the early weeks of lactation with a butterfat test above normal. As lactation pro ceeds, fat levels go down while milk production peaks, then gradually go back up. Early-lactation butterfat tests which are below normal (3.8 percent in Holsteins) may not seem significant at the time, but will rumen acidosis cause Farm management information technology will be the future with large and small herds alike. Data entry services and sam ple collection will be important roles for our field service. The most powerful computer pro grams in the world are worth less without high quality data entry. PA DHIA will project more information into the future, giving projected calving intervals, days open and cash flow. Closer relationships will evolve between our cooperative and other DHIAs. Your PA DHIA will be provid- Component Tests Tell You More Than What’s In The Milk laminitis later in the lactation? What about high fat tests? Can we learn something from this, or does it just indicate higher prices for our milk? A very high test in early lac tation might mean your cows are burning fat reserves at an accelerated rate. You may want a vet to check them for ketosis, The goal is using butterfat as a measure of rumen health is to ward off problems that may erode profits later. Poor perfor mance and sick cow treatment costs are huge profit robbers. Milk protein has overtaken butterfat as the largest basis of payment to farms, except in rare situations. This is reason enough to use the component test in managing nutrition. Low protein doesn’t just reduce the value of milk. Low protein, along with high butter fat, usually indicates low dry matter intake, which is often associated with metabolic disor ders such as ketosis. Drops in protein alone indi cate a shortfall in energy con sumed by your cows. This may be due to either reduced dry matter intake or a lack of fer mentable carbohydrates in the diet. Identifying the cause of low protein will put you on track to preventing a repetition. Look at factors relating to cow comfort when dry matter intakes is the problem. Poor ration formula tion or delivery can cause low protein tests even when a cow’s environment is all that it should be. ing American farm management technology, information technol ogy, and processing throughout the world via the Internet. With this information highway we will increase the opportunity for members to market genetics. PA DHIA has challenged the status quo in American DHIAs and now we are challenging it throughout the world. Dairy farmers can govern and control their own cooperative and their own destiny. Farmer to farmer we can improve the world one cow at a time. MUN (milk urea nitrogen) testing is another component test now becoming available, and it can have significant impact on bottom-line perfor mance. Testing individual cows for MUN, like butterfat and protein, can help evaluate nutrition per formance and give insight to problems associated with the nutritional needs of your cows. In general, high MUN values indicate protein utilization is not what it should be. Overfeeding protein, of course, may be responsible, but more often than not the problem is a combination of less-than-desir able carbohydrate levels and too much, or the wrong kind, of pro tein. The use of MUN, along with protein tests, can point the way to better cow nutrition. Low MUN, along with low protein in lactation, tells you that rumen-degradable protein and carbohydrates are both low. Low MUN, along with high protein, shows low degradable protein with excess degradable carbohydrates. / These are just some examples of MUN uses in the field.
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