A34-lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 25, 2003
(Continued from Page A 10)
Invasive Plants Workshop and
Tour for Woodland Owners,
Franklin County extension of
fice, Chambersburg, 8:30 a.m.-
noon, (717) 263-9226.
Maryland Shorthorn Associa
tion’s Dynamic Duo Spotlight
Sale, Frederick Fairgrounds, 6
p.m., (301) 898-5152.
Sunday, October 26
Daylight Saving Time ends; East
ern Standard Time begins.
New York Compost Advanced
Short Course, Holiday Inn,
Ithaca, N.Y., thru Oct. 29,
(607) 255-1187.
The Weekend Gardener: Propo
gating Conifers and Ever
greens, Tyler Arboretum,
Media, 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m., (610)
566-9134.
Monday. October 27
First Annual Glynwood Harvest
Awards, Earth Pledge Car
riage House, New York City,
(609) 397-6200.
Pa. Recycling Professional Certi
fication Program, county ex
tension office, Franklin, Ve
nango counties.
Pa. Project Grass Conference and
Grazing Farm Field, Days
Inn, State College, thru Oct.
28, (814) 445-8979, ext. 101.
Tuesday, October 28
Northeast Professional Dairy
Heifer Growers, Batavia, N.Y.,
thru Oct. 29, (717) 361-9620.
Pa. Recycling Professional Certi
fication Program, Richland
High School, Gibsonia.
Solanco Young Farmers Meeting,
Solanco High School, Quarry
ville, 7:30 p.m.
Southeast Regional Christmas
Tree Growers’ Meeting, Berks
County Ag Center, Leesport, 7
p.m., (570) 622-4225.
Sullivan County Conservation,
Forest Ecology and Silvicul
ture, 8 a.m.
Wednesday, October 29
Safe Food Handling Cooking for
Crowds, Bucks County Exten
sion, Neshaminy Center, Doy
lestown, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
ADADC District Meeting, Ox
ford Methodist Church, Ox
ford, N.Y., (607) 895-6641.
Certified Crop Adviser Fall
Seminar, Grantville Holiday
Inn, thru Oct. 30, (717)
840-7408.
Pa. Recycling Professional Pro
gram, Dallastown Area High
School, Dallastown.
Beef Producers’ meeting, York
County 4-H Center, 7:30 p.m.,
(717) 246-2329.
New Holland Sales Stables An
nual Dairy Show and Sale
Judging, Sales Stables, New
Holland, judging 9 a.m., sale
11 a.m., show winners noon,
fj£s Attention 609 /%s
w Tobacco Growers w
If you have 609 tobacco to sell, and want a
contract, for more information please call
Eugene Martin
(717)354-8263 or (717)371-6979
OR
Clark Stauffer
(717) 733-8921 or (717) 575-0622
ALSOHELPWANTEpTOWORK AT :
Dcr'eiUfu/i uia isbuai icb
* ItCUCXViriVi ,
PLEASE CONTACT ABOVE WUMOgRS ■
(717) 354-4341
Thursday, October 30
Ibberson Forestry Forum, Uni
versity Park, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.,
(814) 865-7554.
Wayne County Program on
Local Government, Wayne
County Visitors’ Center, Com
munity Room, Honesdale, 7
p.m., (570) 253-5970, ext. 239.
Pa. Recycling Professional Certi
fication Program, Marywood
University, Scranton.
Franklin County Master Garden
ers Program, Trees and
Shrubs, Franklin Human
Services Building, Chambers
burg, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., (717)
263-9226.
Chester County Annual Holstein
meeting, West Fallowfield
Christian School, Atglen, 6:45
p.m.
Friday, October 31
Pa. Graded Feeder Cattle Sale,
Middleburg Livestock Auc
tion, Middleburg, 7 p.m., (717)
837-2222.
Pa. Recycling Professional Certi
fication ft-ogram, West Go
shen Twp. Building, West
Chester.
Saturday, November 1
ADADC District Meeting, Cath
erine Methodist Church, Odes
sa, N.Y.
Franklin County Master Garden
ers Garden Visit, (717)
243-9226.
N.J. Draft Horse and Mule Asso
ciation’s Field Days, 11 a.m.-4
p.m. each day, thru Nov. 2,
(908) 879-7189.
“Enhancing the Watershed For
est” Conference, Treadway
Inn and Conference Center,
Bradford County Extension,
Owego, N.Y., 9 a.m.-l p.m.
Forestry Stewardship, Frederick
Community College, Freder
ick, Md., 9 a.m.-4 p.m., (301)
631-3576.
Sunday, November 2
Standardbred Horse Sale, thru
Nov. 8, (717) 637-8931.
Monday, November 3
Beef Quality Assurance Program,
Clarion, Butler, Venango, and
Armstrong counties, Clarion
County Extension office, Ship
penville, 6:30 p.m., (717)
939-7000.
Tuesday, November 4
Berks County extension holiday
programs, Leesport, 9 a.m.-
2:30 p.m. Also Nov. 5.
Accounting Methods for Progres
sive Dairies, Penn State,
Harrisburg Campus, thru
Nov. 5, (888) 373-7232.
Pa. Beef Quality Assurance Pro
gram, Crawford, Erie, Ve
nango counties, Days Inn
Hotel, Meadville, 6:30 p.m.,
(717) 939-7000.
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Capitol Region Dairy Team
MAKING USE OF
LOW-QUALITY FORAGE
Philip E. Wagner
Extension Agent Dairy
Franklin County
One of the prime concerns for
dairy producers is forage quality
and quantity.
High-quality forage is an im
portant factor in obtaining effi
cient milk production, normal
milk composition and quality,
and good health and reproduc
tion. Whenever possible, the for
age ration should contain a min
imum of 60 percent TDN on a
dry-matter basis. In addition, it
should be relatively low in toxic
factors such as nitrates and
molds and be reasonably palata
ble.
Wet conditions during growth
and harvest often lower nutrient
content and palatability. This has
especially been the case this year
for a lot of small grain silage, hay
crop silage, and dry hay. I have
listed some feed management
points to keep in mind when in
corporating low quality forages
into the ration following an ad
verse weather year like we have
just gone through in Pennsylva
nia.
• Limit intakes of high fiber,
low energy forage with less than
55 percent TDN to 1.4 to 1.8
pounds of dry matter per CWT
of body weight daily in order to
avoid depressions in total dry
matter intake and milk produc
tion. Fill in the ration with better
forages. While intake should be
limited, low-quality forage may
have to be fed heavier than usual
to attain even limited intakes.
This enables animals to choose
the better portions. Sprinkling
with a mixture of molasses and
water sometimes will help attain
minimum intake.
• Adjust amounts and kinds
of forage fed to provide at least
58-60 percent TDN in the forage
dry matter fed to milking ani
mals. Use of com silage and fall
cuttings of hay crop can help at
tain this goal.
• Lower-quality forage may be
used relatively heavier for young
stock at more than 10-12 months
old and dry cows, if the ration is
properly balanced.
• Avoid feeding spoiled or pu
trefied forage, especially to cows
close to freshening or in early lac
tation. Such feed may adversely
affect intakes, production and
health, including a greater risk of
a displaced abomasum.
• Feed forages containing a lot
of mold or mustiness in reduced
amounts when possible. Higher
intakes of such forage may re
duce total dry matter intake and
performance as well as reduce re
sistance to disease. Keep air con
tamination with mold at a min
imum to prevent fungal
infections in the lung or repro
ductive tract.
• Watch for signs of mycotox
in problems such as an unex
plained reduction of total dry
matter intake, reduced produc
tion, and a black or blood-tinged
diarrhea. Test suspected feeds in
cluding small grains, high mois
ture com, and dry shelled com
this year for mycotoxins. Ex
tremely moldy feed may have less
mycotoxin present than material
with few signs of mold present.
Separately test material further
removed from the very moldy
spots, as well as the badly molded
feed.
• Consider purchase of better
forage when necessary to main
tain adequate performance.
When no high quality alfalfa hay
or haylage is available on the
farm, consider purchasing
enough good alfalfa to feed 2-3
pounds of dry matter per head
daily. Feeding even these limited
amounts of alfalfa may help im
prove feed utilization and per
formance. Alfalfa should contain
at least 19-20 percent crude pro
tein on a DM basis to be consid
ered for this use.
• Test all forages and grains at
least several times throughout the
year and properly balance ra
tions.
• Try certain feeds or addi
tives to enhance performance on
low-quality forages. This would
include such items as alfalfa pel
lets, sodium bicarbonate, and live
cell yeast culture.
• Heavier concentrate feeding
may be needed on some farms
with lower quality forage.
The current and upcoming
feeding season will present a
challenge on many dairy farms.
Dairy producers will need to
work closely with their dairy nu
trition consultant to strike a bal
ance between production per
formance, cow health, and
economical rations.