Conference Points (Continued from Pago A 24) be yanked out, noted Bcchard. The sand will be replaced by sawdust. “The heifers absolutely hate them," he said. "They were raised on a sandy bed stall and moved in. We actually got heifers that refused to lie down for 3-4 days. Some had swollen feet" Proponents of sand point out how much more comfortable the sand is and controls disease patho gens much better. But sand/ manure management is another issue. Impact of Housing Style on Investment per Animal, Labor Costs, Labor Efficiency and Total Costs' Investment Per Labor Cost Labor Animal Per Animal Efficiency $ S Heifers/hour CALF FACILITIES* Exp J 28 Hutches Exp 2, Roof Over 20 Hutches Exp 3, 4 Row Calf Pens In Bam Exp 4, Totally Con Environment Exp 5, 2 Row Calf Pens LARGE HEIFER FACILITIES 5 Exp 6, Outside In Pasture Exp 7, 4 Row Frcestall, Outside Feeding, 140 Animals Exp 8,4 row Freestall. Outside Feeding. 303 animals ' Tout building costs tor Ibis project represent Ihe cosls associated wilh using a particular facility These cosls arc building overhead building operation labor, and bedding This table, prepared by Jason Karszea of Cornell, shows how total costs per animal decreases with expansion of facilities. erwtwFwrwt&wt&&nf ww ww *■RISSLER *s - MIXERS & FEEDERS ROUND BALE FEEDERS PRACTICAL IN DESIGN DEPENDABLE IN ACTIO I.H. RISSLER MFG. COMPANY wrßtW/WEt&Wtßtsr&Wtßr W&f For those who want to improve profitability, investing in a more efficient facility has a direct effect on improving labor costs, accord ing to Jason Karszes, farm man agement specialist with the Pro Dairy Program at Cornell. "When designing replacement facilities, design for labor efficien- cy," Karszes told those attending the conference. Don’t make the decision on the capitol investment cost only consider the long term, collective labor cost that could directly impact the bottom $285 71 $1 14 $BB2 5 $77 $7OO $55 $643 83 $44 $39 $353 $OB3 $376 4 $452 $O7l $3Bl $046 213 MIXING CARTS 448 Orchard Road Mohnton, PA 19540 Phone: 717-484-0551 Total Cost 1 $1 27 881 $1 17 $ 835 1831 22 5 $668 $552 25 87 $217 $231 $ 181 STANDARD ON ALL MIXERS * Poly-Clad Plywood Sides * Heavy-Duty Mixing Chain * Stainless Steel Floor & Trough STATIONARY M line. In some cases, the bigger the facility, “the generally cheaper it is per animal,” he said. The goal, he noted, was to pro duce the highest quality animal at the lowest cost. “Don’t sacrifice quality for lower cost," Karszcs said. When designing facilities, according to McFarland of Penn State, design those that can pro vide good care for animals but that also allow ease of management for the caretaker. And provide adequ ate spacing for the heifers. “The less space you give the ani mal, the dirtier that group is going to become,” McFarland said. It’s important to match the size of the stall to the animals using them. A drier, packed surface, is better for foot health. McFarland also said that keep ing SAW in mind short for “Shade, Air, and Water” can go a long way to reducing heat stress in summertime. Provide good feeding space for TMR (6 inches for calves 4-8 months old, 12 inches for 11.5-15.5 months, and 18.5 inches for calves 17-21 A question and answer panel featured, from left, Jason Karszes, Oan McFarland, and Curt Gooch. * Discharge Magnets * Beam Scales lIXE mouths old). Keep the feed area open, smooth, and free of debris. A stable walking surface, con crete with a texture (such as para llel groove or diamond shapes) can be critical. When determining what to charge for the calves raised, pro ducers should include the cost of education and training, according to Peter Tozcr, assistant professor of animal science, Penn State. Tozcr spoke about what it takes for producers to make a living. He noted that, when you purch ase a pickup truck, the cost of edu cating and training assembly line workers goes into the retail price of the truck. Why should it be any dif ferent for heifer growers? What it takes to make a living depends on the goals and resources of the producer. Producers must sit down and calculate an accurate cost of producing heifers. Producer Panel Sam Leadley, Noblehurst Farms and editor of Calving Ease, a newsletter for calf and heifer TS Regional Dealers ROMBERGER FARM SUPPLY KLINGERSTOWN, PA 570-648-2081 McNEAL FARM SERVICE TOWANDA, PA 570-364-5460 R.L BAUGHMAN & SONS BARN EQUIPMENT TOWNVILLE, PA 814-967-4115 CEDAR CREST EQUIPMENT LEBANON, PA 800-646-6601 ART DETWEILER DANBORO, PA 215-348-3117 FRANKLIN FARM SERVICE LACEYVILLE, PA 570-869-2407 HESS EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE MIFFLINBURG, PA 570-966-1998 LANCHESTER FARM SERVICE VIRGINIA HARVESTORE NARVON, PA TROY VA 610-273-9060 800-891-8786 JOE MARKOVITCH MONTROSE, PA 570-278-3637 CEDAR GROVE FARM STORE SHIPPENSBURG, PA 717-532-7288 Bb bbß'b ; bbbbbb Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 6, 1999-A25 growers in Pavilion, N. Y., was one of several producers on a panel on calf housing at the conference. Leadley uses tether hutches, a “very, veiy forgiving housing sys tem,'' he said, compared to fixed facilities. They are easier to keep clean and keep heifers healthy. For Jeannie Wormuth, Agway TSPF Heifer Farm in Elba, N.Y., the strong emphasis is on strict biosecurity. They keep everything clean and do not allow traffic flow, even with visitors, onto the farm. Wormuth said die Agway farm contracts with 23 dairies. The barns arc designed for heifer com fort “all the way through," she said, for each age group. They have about 1,500 heifers on site. Altai Waybright, Mason Dixon Farms, Gettysburg, helps manage a 2,300-cow dairy herd with 1,800 heifers. In 1998 they raised 1,060 heifer calves and 500 bull calves (which may go as feeder calves at two months of age). Mason-Dixon, said Waybright, McMILLEN BROS LOYSVILLE, PA 717-789-3961 DONALD NISSLEY WILLOW STREET, PA 717-786-7654 ED RISSLER MFG NEW ENTERPRISE, PA GLENN ZIMMERMAN KUTZTOWN, PA 610-682-2692 SOMERSET BARN EQUIPMENT SOMERSET, PA 814-445-5555 THOMAS L ZARTMAN EPHRATA, PA 717-733-1050 ROVENDALE AG & BARN EQUIP WATSONTOWN, PA 570-538-9564 STAR SILO MYERSTOWN, PA 1-800-431-7709 DAIRYMEN SPECIALTY CO HARRISONBURG, VA 540-433-9117 M & M BARN SALES HARRISON VALLEY, PA 814-334-545? (Turn to Pago A 26) 814-766-2246
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers