A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 27, 2003'
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Capitol Region Dairy Team
NET MERIT
INDEX CHANGES
Philip E. Wagner
Extension Agent Dairy
Franklin County
Net Merit indexes for AI bulls
in the August 2003 sire summary
include three new traits and are
based on different weights than
the previous version of Net Merit.
The three new traits are daughter
pregnancy rate (DPR), service
sire calving ease (SCE), and
daughter calving ease (DCE).
DPR receives a relative weight
of 7 percent in Net Merit, and
SCE and DCE each receive
minus 2 percent of total em
phasis. This emphasis has to
come from other traits already in
the index, meaning that some
thing else loses ground. The traits
with less emphasis were produc
tion traits and productive life
(PL), where total weight for milk,
fat, and protein declined from 62
percent to 55 percent impact on
Net Merit. Yield will still im
prove, but a little less rapidly
than with the old index.
The decline in emphasis for PL
was from 14 to 11 percent, but
genetic progress in PL should ac
tually increase because selection
for more fertile daughters (from
positive weight on DPR) and for
less calving difficulty (from nega
tive weight on SCE and DCE)
will increase longevity.
Over a 10-year period, selec
tion on Net Merit would decrease
SCS by -.44, changing the breed
average SCS for Holsteins from
3.10 to 2.66. That’s an impressive
change, but it would be gradual
enough that many dairy produc
ers might notice fewer cases of
mastitis and less culling or death
loss from severe mastitis. Ten
year’s selection for better fertility
through Net Merit would im-
Shultz Brothers Holstein
‘Celebration Sale’ Oct. 3
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
JERSEYTOWN (Columbia
Co.) To dairy fanners looking
for registered Holsteins in Penn
sylvania since the late 19605, the
name Shultz probably rings a
bell.
In the past 35 years, the part
nership of brothers Leo, Clark,
and Paul Shultz had sold 693
head of Holsteins for dairy pur
poses, offering the animals at
various consignment auctions
and selling them directly off the
farm.
The Shultz partnership dates
to 1953, when they began dairy
ing together on the home farm.
In 1962, they built a 60-stall
All-American Class
Results Next Issue
Complete class results foi 411-American Dairv
Show are scheduled foi next week * edition of Lan-
aster Farming.
Philip E. Wagner
prove DPR by about 1 percent
(from about 20 percent pregnan
cy rate to 21 percent for an aver
age Holstein cow).
DPR will change more slowly
than some other traits because of
low heritability, but perhaps
more importantly because of a
genetic antagonism with milk
production. Genes for higher
milk tend to be associated with
genes for lower fertility. How
ever, fertility will improve over
time with the new index, whereas
selection on any of those indexes
that emphasize production and
ignore fertility can’t make that
claim. The changes in Net Merit
make it even more clearly the
“index of choice’’ for commercial
milk producers in the U.S.
Editor’s note: This article was
written by Dr. Bennet Cassell,
extension dairy scientist, genetics
and management, Virginia Tech.
It appeared in the August issue
of “Dairy Pipeline. ”
dairy bam with the goal of keep
the herd size within its limits.
“We figured if couldn’t make
it with 60 (cows), we’d try some
thing else,” said Paul Shultz.
That commitment to keeping the
herd size down has allowed the
brothers to sell a lot of animal
over the years.
At 76, Paul is the youngest of
the three brothers. Clark is 79.
Leo Shultz passed away two
years ago.
The Shultzes have always paid
attention to good genetics and
herd health. They used AI from
the start, have maintained a
closed herd since 1962, and are
certified Johnes-free, according
to Paul.
Patrick Family Shows Ayrshire Champion,
Honored For 40 Years In The Ring
The David Patrick Family of Maple Dell Farm, Woodbine, Md., is honored for exhibi
ting Ayrshires at the All-American for all 40 years of the show’s existence. Shown here,
from left, are Pennsylvania Ayrshire Princess Amanda Brant; Michael Pechart, executive
assistant to the Pennsylvania secretary of agriculture; Pam Werley, Pennsylvania alter
nate dairy princess; Charlie Itle, All-American Dairy Show manager; the Patrick family;
Carla Martin, Pennsylvania dairy princess; and Obie Snider, All-American board of direc
tors president.
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) Tuesday was a big day for
the David Patrick family of
Maple Dell Farms.
The Ayrshire breeders from
Woodbine, Md., not only won the
grand champion banner in the
Mid-Atlantic National Ayrshire
Show, the family-also received a
milk can handpainted with a
scene from their farm.
The gift, presented by the All-
American Dairy Show commit
tee, was in honor of the Patricks
exhibiting Ayrshires at the All-
American ever since the show
began 40 years ago.
Maple Dell Trident Song, a
4-year-old cow exhibited by the
Patricks, was named grand
champion of the show.
The Shank and Creek families
On Friday, Oct. 3, the entire
herd of 140-150 registered Hol
steins, including young stock, will
be put on auction at the Shultz
farm near Jerseytown. The sale
will be conducted jointly by
Stonehurst Farms, Strasburg,
and the Cattle Exchange of
Delhi, N.Y.
Don Welk of Stonehurst
Farms said he visited the
Shultzes earlier this summer to
look at several heifers the
Shultzes were looking to sell.
While he was there, Welk sug
gested the possibility of dispers
ing the whole herd and making it
a “celebration sale.”
The Shultzes have made a tre
mendous contribution to the
dairy industry, said Welk, noting
the nearly 700 head of registered
Holsteins they have sold over the
years.
T he Shultz tarm is located alng
Rt 254, about one and a half
miles west of Jerseytown. The
auction begins at 11 a.m. on Fri
day, Oct. 3.
Potential hovers and other in
terested people are also invited to
an open house a' the Shultz tarm
of Palmyra Farm Ayrshires, Hag
erstown, Md., also received a
painted milk can for their long
time devotion to the All-Ameri
can. According to Ralph Shank
Jr., the 40-year family tradition
of showing Ayrshires here began
with his father Ralph W. Shank,
and continues with Ralph Jr., his
wife Mary Shank Creek, ahd
other members of the Creek fam
ily.
The Shank and Creek families of Palmyra Farm Ayr
shires, Hagerstown, Md., receive a painted milk can for
their dedication to the All-American for 40 years. Pictured
here, from left, are Amanda Brant, Pennsylvania Guernsey
Princess; Michael Pechart, executive assistant to the
Pennsylvania ag secretary; Charlie Itle, All-American
Dairy Show manager; Pam Werley, Pennsylvania alternate
dairy princess; the Shank and Creek families; Carla Mar
tin, Pennsylvania dairy princess; and Obie Snider, All-
American board of directors president.
Joining the Ayrshire grand champion lineup, from left,
are Amanda Brant, Pennsylvania Guernsey princess; Tim
Horn and Everett Hopper of Pennfield, champion sponsor;
Curtis Day, judge; Derek and David Patrick with the grand
champion; Doug Evans, reserve; and Pennsylvania dairy
princesses ’.
Doug Evans of Sunny Acres
Farm, Georgetown, N.Y., showed
the reserve grand champion.
Junior champion was an inter
mediate calf owned by Jamie
Place of Lincolnshire Farms, On
tario, Canada.
Craig and Bonnie Hawksley of
West Kingston, R.I. had the re
serve* junior chahtpion, a senior
yearling heifer.
Curtis Day judged the show.