New Dairy Thrives
(Continued from Page 22)
manage the hog operation and also help with milking.
The Hornings erected a 40X80-feet 80-cow tiestall
tunnel-ventilated barn. They moved their original
herd of 45 cows and purchased an addition 32 cows
placed on a three-times-a-day milking schedule.
According to Beth Trachte, who takes care of the
veterinarian work for the Hornings, the family at
tained a proven track record while renting their
former farm, and have experienced remarkable suc
cess within a short period of time at their new place.
The 32 cows that they had purchased locally had only
been averaging 74 pounds, but increased to 96-pound
average within 60 days.
In fact, the rolling herd average is 31,076 pounds
and climbing.
“They are self-started people, highly motivated, and
pay attention to detail and consistency, and still
manage to keep things simple,” Trachte said of the
Hornings.
Nevin said that adapting to a new setup took some
time, changes are still being made, and obstacles are
being worked out.
One of the problems they faced at the new facility
was that it was more difficult to detect heat because
the herd has been kept in the barn. But recently a
Destinee Horning would rather be in the
barn than any other place.
dry lot was completed, and Nevin expects it to be
much easier to detect cows in heat. The calving inter-
(Turn to Page 24)