A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 27, 2002
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Capitol Region Dairy Team
PARASITE CONTROL
IN HEIFERS
Dr. Arlen Mills
Extension Veterinarian
Capitol Region
Research has shown that Hol
stein heifers should calve between
22.5-23.5 months of age to maxi
mize lifetime performance. But it
has also been shown that weight
at calving has a greater impact
on first lactation performance
than did calving age.
This suggests that heifers be
bred by weight and not just by
age. This dictates that Holstein
heifers weigh 750 to 850 pounds
when bred to produce a fresh
heifer that weighs in at 1,250
pounds.
One hindrance to raising heif
ers that meet these standards can
be intestinal and stomach worms.
We occasionally see the heifer
that has been devastated by para
sites, but much more common is
the chronic parasitism that re
sults in reduced growth.
Roundworms are the most
devastating internal parasite of
cattle. These include the brown
stomach worm, Ostertagia. All of
these worms share a common life
cycle. In an infected animal,
adult worms produce eggs that
are expelled from the host in the
feces, contaminating the pasture.
A pasture can remain contami
nated for up to a year.
Once the eggs are passed unto
the pasture, they hatch and be
come immature worms called lar
vae. Infection of a new host oc
curs when these larvae are
consumed with blades of grass.
These swallowed larvae mature
in the new host, starting the life
cycle all over again.
The level of parasite infesta
tion in livestock and pastures va
ries with season and manage
ment practices. Parasite activity
peaks in the spring, varies during
the summer depending on condi
tions, and declines during a nor
mal winter. Therefore, steps to
control worm problems should
focus on the times of higher
worm activity.
Age of livestock should also in
fluence decisions concerning par
asites. Younger cattle are more
susceptible to worm infections. A
mature cow under a good nutri
tion program will develop some
acquired immunity to parasites,
so is less bothered by their pres
ence than young cattle. Thus par
asite control should focus on the
young livestock.
Therefore, focus parasite con
trol on young stock during the
time of high worm activity and
combine management with prop
er use of deworming medications.
Deworming medications
should be used in a timely man
ner so as to reduce infection be
fore symptoms of disease occur.
Treatment should be aimed at in
terrupting the life cycle of the
parasite in an effort to minimize
pasture contamination.
Dr. Aden Mills
There are a number of de
wormers on the market. Most of
these products are either
avermectins/milbemycins (iver
mectin, doramectin, eprinomec
tin, and moxidectin) or benzimi
dazoles (oxfendazole,
albendazole, and fendbendazole).
Avermectins/milbemycins have
the advantages of providing con
trol of some external parasites
and persistent protection for days
to weeks after treatment.
Putting this all together, we
need to concentrate our efforts on
controlling parasites in the
young, growing stock by timely
use of dewormers to limit con
tamination of pastures or lots.
This will limit parasite burdens
in the most susceptible stock. To
do this, all young stock should be
treated with an appropriate de
wormer prior to being tuned out
onto a lot or pasture. This should
be done each spring in March or
April to counter the spring rise in
worm activity. If possible, place
less susceptible, mature cattle on
contaminated pastures and at
tempt to prevent overgrazing.
Animals on overgrazed pastures
graze closer to the ground and
pick up more worm larvae.
Animals on pasture may need
to be dewormed again in mid
summer as worm egg counts tend
to rise in lots or pastures where
livestock are maintained. A final
treatment needs to be done in the
fall to remove any remaining
worms. At this time, be sure to
use a product that removes exter
nal parasites as well before ani
mals are grouped for winter
housing.
Having your veterinarian do
fecal egg counts can monitor lev
els of parasite infection and treat
ment success. Realistically, a
herd should be sampled on multi
ple occasions to determine worm
prevalence.
Most losses because of worm
infestations go unnoticed because
of the chronic nature of the prob
lem. But this does not diminish
the magnitude of the end result.
Parasite control in young stock
will provide a significant return
on your investment.
100 Inducted Into 4-H Hall Of Fame
MILLIE BUNTING
Market Staff
CHEVY CHASE, Md. One
hundred people who have made a
significant impact on 4-H at the
local, state, or national level were
inducted into the National 4-H
Hall of Fame on April 11 during
the National 4-H Conference.
Existing exclusively in cyber
space, the National 4-H Hall of
Fame is unique with the honorees
featured on their own Webpages
which can be accessed at
www.nae4ha.org/hof.
The National Association of
Extension 4-H Agents
(NAE4-HA) created the National
4-H Hall of Fame as part of the
4-H Centennial celebration. Each
person’s Webpage features his or
her photograph, a brief biogra
phy, and a quote. Some also have
pictures of 4-H’ers and activities
that go back to the early 20th
century.
Many of those being honored
in cyberspace died years ago, but
they have not been forgotten for
their service and contributions to
4-H.
This first class of 100 repre
sents hundreds of thousands of
dedicated volunteers and county,
state, and national professional
staff who have helped millions of
young people learn valuable life
skills through 4-H during the last
100 years.
The Centennial Class of 2002
includes 13 4-H pioneers, 29 state
extension directors, state pro
gram leaders or state staff, six
major donors, nine county 4-H
agents, 10 of the founders of
NAE4-HA, 11 long-term volun
teers (many with 50 or more
years of service), three state or
national government officials, six
national program leaders, a song
writer, an astronaut, and several
very successful business persons.
Every state and Washington,
D.C. had at least ope nominee in
ducted, as well as individuals
from the National 4-H Council,
4-H/USDA, and the National As
sociation of Extension 4-H
Agents.
From the Northeast/
Mid-Atlantic states, the 4-H Hall
of Fame includes Connecticut:
Bernie Assard; Delaware; Sam
Gwinn; Massachusetts: Sonny Al
meida; Maine: Gladys Concant,
Fred Hutchinson; Maryland:
Phyllis Cox, Norman Lawton;
New Hampshire: Ruth Kimball;
New Jersey: Ted Blum, Cather
ine Rupner; New York: Albert
Hoefer, Don Stiles, and Harold
Wilman; North Carolina: Leary
Dairy Stakeholders Seek Pacesetter Nominations
MIDDLETOWN (Dauphin
Co.) Do you know a producer
in the Pennsylvania dairy indus
try who is successful at adopting
new, more efficient ways of pro
ducing milk? Are you a member
of an organization that has devel
oped a unique program beneficial
to the industry? Is there a compa
ny that you feel provides the vi
sionary and innovative products
or services that are essential to
the survival of the Pennsylvania
dairy industry? Any or all of the
above would be good nominees
for the 2002 Pacesetter Award,
sponsored by the Pennsylvania
Dairy Stakeholders.
The Pacesetter Award recog
nizes those in the Pennsylvania
dairy industry who bring positive
recognition or advancement to
the industry, create positive atti
tudes about the industry among
producers and their families, or
create a growing recognition by
consumers, that a. healthy .grow-.
R. Hamil; Pennsylvania: Ursula
Bell Linn, Charles Mcßride;
Rhode Island: J. Whitney Ban
croft; Vermont: Mary Cadson;
Virginia; William Skelton; Wash
ington, D.C.: Ann Harding; and
West Virginia: William Ken
drick, Mildred Fizer.
Honored for their work on be
half of the National 4-H Council
were the late Norman C. Mind
rum, Minnesota, a co-creator of
the Council, who retired in 1982
as CEO; Grant A. Shrum, a
major player in the creation of
the council, who retired as presi
dent and CEO in 1986; Richard.
J. “Dick” Sauer, who was presi
dent and CEO from 1989 to 2000;
and Kathleen Flom, Rockville,
Md., 4-H member in Minnesota.
Flom was the 1933 Minnesota
State Leadership winner, and
subsequently active as a 4-H
youth development educator both
in Minnesota and at the national
level. That involvement included
20 years in administrative posi
tions at National 4-H Center,
USDA, and the Government of
Uganda until retirement in 1979.
Organic Standards Board
To Meet May 6-8 In Texas
WASHINGTON, D. C. The
USDA’s National Organic Stan
dards Board (NOSB) will meet
May 6-8 at the Clarion Inn and
Suites Conference Center, 2200
IH-35 South, Austin, Texas.
Meeting sessions will run from
8 a.m.-5 p.m. May 6, from 8 a.m.-
5 p.m. May 7, and from 8 a.m.-
11:30 a.m. May 8. All sessions are
open to the public.
At this meeting, the NOSB will
receive committee reports, an up
date from USDA’s National Or
ganic Program (NOP), and re
ports from the Board Policy Task
Force and Composting Task
Force. The NOSB will also re
view materials to determine if
they should be recommended for
inclusion on the National List of
Milk Premium Hearing Set
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board will conduct a
hearing May 1 for Milk Market
ing Areas 1,2,3,4,5, and 6.
The purpose of this hearing is
to receive testimony and exhibits
concerning whether an adjust
ment should be made to the cur
ing dairy industry is positive for
everyone who lives and works in
Pennsylvania. The award also
recognizes dairy food processing
and distribution businesses that
maintain and invest in a long
term commitment to the Pennsyl
vania dairy food industry
“We created the award to rec
ognize individuals or organiza
tions who have contributed sig
nificantly to a positive image for
Pennsylvania’s dairy industry,”
said Ralph Heffner, Pacesetter
committee chair.
Up to three recipients are pres
ented with the Pacesetter Award
Lancaster Farming
Check out our Website!
www.iancasterffarmina.com
Jim Davis, president of Paws,
Inc. and the creator of the Gar
field comic strip, was honored for
his support of 4-H. Garfield is the
4-H’s Centennial mascot, thanks
to Davis, who was a 4-H member
in Indiana.
Froitl the agribusiness commu
nity, those inducted into the Na
tional 4-H Hall of Fame were
Roger C. Beach, Houston, Texas,
vice president of Unocal Cor
poration; Robert B. Gill, Mount
Vernon, N.J., retired vice chair
man of the board of the J.C.
Penny Company, Inc.; Ralph W.
Ketner, Salisbury, N.C., co
founder and chairman emeritus
of the board of Food Lion, Inc.;
Lynn D.W. Luckow, president
and CEO of the Northern Cali
fornia Grantmakers; and Gene
Swackhamer, Ph.D., Sparks.
Md., employed in the agrifinance
field, a former 4-H’er and winner
of a college scholarship at the
National 4-H Congress and cre
ator the 4-H Council’s Salute to
Excellence volunteer recognition
program.
Allowed and Prohibited Sub
stances.
Time has been scheduled for
public comment on May 6, 8:45
a.m.-10:45 a.m., and May 8, 10
a.m.-ll a.m.
Those wishing to provide com
ments to the NOSB on any or
ganic issue should mail requests
to Katherine Benham, USDA
AMS-TMP-NOP, 1400 Indepen
dence Avenue, ' SW., Room
40Q8-S, AG Stop 0268, Washing
ton, DC 20250-0200 or send re
quests by fax to (202) 205-7808 or
by e-mail to katherine.benha
m@usda.gov.
For more information, call
(202) 205-7806 or visit the Na
tional Organic Program website
at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
rent state-mandated over-order
premiums of $1.65 per hundred
pounds of Class I milk due to ex
pire June 30.
The hearing will commerce at
9 a.m. in Room 202 of the Agri
culture Building, 2301 North
Cameron Street, Harrisburg.
each year. The Pacesetter Award
may be presented at any function
that provides winners with prop
er recognition. Past recipients in
clude Land O’Lakes, Inc., Car
lisle, Brubaker Farms, Mt. Joy,
Tom Craig of Murmac Farms,
Bellefonte, and John Hess of
Joßo Holsteins, Gettysburg.
Nominations and self-nomi
nations are accepted from any
one. Nominations should be sub
mitted to the Pennsylvania Dairy
Stakeholders Board of Directors.
For an application, contact N.
Alan Bair at (717) 948-6328 or
nab 4 @ psu.edu.