«• 16802 _
0 3601'4 10319 V H| L ■■ ~ "V- 11 ,
rCRIODU.AI DIVISION 048 -W | I 1 ~i ~ i ~ I/' i n .
PFNN SIATL UNIVERSITY II fL‘ IIL'Y
W3OV P«H( LIBRARY /
■■ pari '
Vol. 45 No. 1
Conference Points Out Various Avenues To Heifer Health
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Fanning Staff
GRANTVILLE (Dauphin Co.)
For heifer growers to realize
profit, they have to look closely at
how the houses are designed, find
ways to shorten calf-raising time,
and concentrate on all aspects of
herd comfort from feeding to
ventilation.
About 180 heifer growers from
the region attended the two-day
1999 Professional Dairy Heifer
Growers Northeast Regional Con
ference Tuesday and Wednesday
at the Grantvilie Holiday Inn.
“Raising calves is like raising
kids," said Curt Gooch, agricultur
al engineering specialist, Pro-
Dairy Program in the Department
Lancaster 4-H Livestock Judging Team practices Monday at
the Farm and Home Center. They’ll be competing nationally at
the North American International Livestock Expo in Louisville,
Ky. From left, Jessica Schmidt, John Hess, and Geoff Rohrer.
At far right is Chet Hughes, Lancaster livestock agent. See
story page A 23. Photo by Andy Androws
'pennState
College of Agricultural Sciences
From the Department of Dairy and Animal Science
This regular column from Penn State’s Department of Dairy and
Animal Science features the research findings, student opportunities, and
resports on other important topics generated in the Department. The
back issues of the column are archived on Lancaster Farming’s
Internet www.lancasterfarming.com home page. Look for them.
Recycling Food Industry Wastes
As Livestock Feed
Harold Harpster
Department of Dairy and
Animal Science
Feed costs typically represent
over 60% of the total expenses
incurred in the production of meat
and milk at the farm level.
Four Sections
of Agricultural and Biological
Engineering at Cornell. “They are
babies and have a lot of needs.”
Several producers from New
York and Pennsylvania spoke
about their experiences with
designing facilities and programs
to maximize young herd health.
Steve Bechard, B&R Dairy in
Chazy, N.Y., pointed to the design
of his heifer “complex” that close
ly borders Lake Champlain, about
20 miles from the Canadian bor
der. There, three large group com
plexes, totaling about 81,000
square feet, house 1,200 heifers,
two months to springers, just three
miles west of Vermont and 50
miles south of Montreal.
In the summertime, said
Historically, corn and soybeans
have been the standard energy
and protein feedstuff fed to farm
livestock. Regionally, the price of
these feedstuffs is higher in the
Northeast placing Pennsylvania
(Turn to Pag* A 34)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Novembers, 1999
Bechard, about a quarter mile
away on each side of the farm are
500 boats from two different mari
nas. A large bunker area sits only
about 100 feet away from the lake.
Whether Dana Groff, Lancaster County Poultry Ambassador, is in the poultry house
or in the classroom, she is a competent representative for the poultry industry. Here
she packs eggs with her dad, Chuck, and brother Matt on the family’s Quarryville farm.
Turn to page B 6 to read more about the Groff family. Photo by Lou Ann Good.
Dairylea Cooperative Honors
Progressive Dairy Farms
SYRACUSE. N.Y. Four
Dairylea Cooperative Inc. farms
were recognized for good man
agement, quality production, and a
positive approach to dairy farm
ing, at the Dairylea Annual Meet
ing Family Banquet held October
12 in Liverpool, N.Y.
Martin Branigan of Richfield
Springs, N.Y., Herrington Farms
of Troy, N.Y., John Feusner of
Troy, Pa. and Oakwood Dairy of
Auburn, N.Y., received the Pride
of Dairylea Award for their pro
gressive operations.
Third generation dairyman
Martin Branigan and his wife
Glenice, have owned and operated
Branigan Farm since they pur
chased the farm from Martin’s fa
ther, Joseph V. Branigan, in 1968.
Today, the farm encompasses 520
acres, growing 220 acres of hay
and 95 acres of com. The farm is
home to a 62-head Holstein herd
and 45 head of youngstock. Mar
tin raises all his own replace
ments, all of which are AI bred,
and uses Dairy Ope testing for
milk weights and forage analysis.
Martin has been very involved in
soil conservation efforts to ensure
the viability of his land. In a pro
active effort to keep erosion and
nutrient loss at a minimum, he has
successfully utilized strip crop
ping, extensive clay tiling, and di
Environmental issues remain the
farm’s number one concern, stated
Bechard.
“The issue of containing (any)
leachate (from the bunkers) is
version ditch techniques for many
years.
Herrington Farms, located in
Today Barbara Nissley becomes president of the Lancas
ter County Society of Farm Women, which Is made up of 25
societies with 587 members. Her installation will take place
at the Society’s annual convention. Turn to page B 2 to read
more about Barbara, a woman who headed a tractor imple
ment company after she was widowed with young children.
Photo by Leu Ann Good.
$31.00 Per Year
number one on our list,” Bechard
said. New York state residents, he
noted, “do not want these bunks
here.” Though the farm has come
(Turn to Page A 24)
Troy, N. Y., is owned and operated
by brothers Ken and Phil Herring
(Turn to Paga A3l)
600 Per Copy