the calves’ diets with Aureo S-700 crumbles after weaning. “This helps aid in the stress of weaning and group hous ing,” said Moyer. Once the calves move into groups of 14 and reached three months old, they are moved to a neighboring farm. Shortly before they leave the neighboring farm to return to the owner, Moyer vaccinates the calves with a nine-way vac cine. Higher Levels Of Protein Improve Performance Shortly after the calves arrive at Moyer’s farm, he starts them on a 20 percent protein calf starter. When they reach three months old, the calves are fed a 18 percent protein calf grower and alfalfa hay that tests between 20 and 24 percent protein. According to Moyer, feeding the calves more protein helps them perform better. Since Moyer is paid on a per pound basis, higher performance levels benefit both the farmer who owns the calves and Moyer. Clean And Dry Environment Essential To Health Moyer’s three favorite health products are fresh air, fresh water, and fresh straw. “A lot of farmers raising calves and heifers rely on antibiotics and ignore the best three health products available.” Moyer cleans the hutches and pens out daily and always uses fresh, dry straw. He discourages visitors for biosecurity reasons and to keep foreign diseases away from the calves. “I have a responsibility to my clients for the welfare of their animals,” said Moyer. “My operation has the benefits of a closed herd because I don’t allow strangers to come onto the farm.” CHR^HANSEN The world's microbial experts 9015 W Maple St, Milwaukee, Wl 53214 Toll free (888) 828-6600 Fax (414) 607-5701 www chbiosystems com ▼ BioSystems Quality Heifer Care Delivers High Producers Tim Saber is a farmer in Chambersburg who raises 300 to 400 heifers a year and then leases them out to dairy farmers located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York. He started raising heifers five years after his family stopped milking cows on their 400-acre farm in 1989. Once he tried raising beef animals for five years, Saber found that raising dairy heifers was more profitable. Saber is in part nership with his two uncles. Currently Saber has 600 dairy cows leased out to area farmers. The animals are leased on a three-year agreement. The farmer is required to put a deposit down on the ani mals, then pay Saber a monthly fee based on the current milk prices. The farmer then pays a small buyout at the end of the three years. “I didn’t have the money or the labor to put into starting a new dairy operation, and we had the facilities to make money at something without putting up a pile of money,” said Saber. “It’s better for the dairy producer to lease the animals because the price they would pay to buy one cow would cover the deposit to lease six animals from me.” Saber purchases his calves at the Greencastle Livestock or from neighboring dairy farmers. He also contract raises heifers and dry cows for an area farmer. He follows Penn field’s heifer feeding plan for the calves and introduces forages into the ration after they are properly started. Like Moyer, Saber’s mortality rate averages around one percent. Since Moyer gave advice on raising calves until five months old, Saber’s advice will focus on heifers six months and older ▼ Biomax® silage moculants ▼ Probios® animal health products TBiomate® direct-fed microbials (DFMs) TBiomate® Yeast Plus® Our quality standards are the industry's toughest, and our products contain a guaranteed level of live, effective organisms. The result: more dollars on your bottom line. (Turn to Pago 66) t billions vard your ttom line that is lansen BioSystems
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers