The Rural Voice, 1983-06, Page 31each county and to be eligible for an
award. the farm inspection, bacteria
results, and somatic cell counts are
considered. Only those producers with
an outstanding quality record for the year
are eligible to receive an award. There are
two awards made available - a General
Award and a Gold Award. The Gold
Award requires a lower average bacteria
and somatic cell count. In order to
maintain the uniqueness of these
awards, the producers as a whole
decided the standards should be such
that only the top ten per cent quality for
General, and top two per cent for Gold.
The respective County Milk Commit-
tees, in our four county regions pre-
sented these awards at their annual
meetings this winter. Area producers
again showed their above average ability
as two hundred and ninety-nine qualified
to receive an award.
Have a well managed
heifer rearing program
by Dennis Martin, Asso. Ag. Rep.
A well managed heifer rearing program
will promote maximum growth and
hopefully result in heifers entering the
milking string by 26 months. Early
calvirg heifers can be more profitable, in
fact heifers not fresh by 26 months can
cost as much as $3.00/day until calving!
This accounts for the extra milk produced
in a lifetime, calves born and genetic
gain, along with lower inputs for labour,
feed, and fixed overhead. Perhaps the
real dollar advantage for early calving
heifers is the reduction of heifer numbers
on the farm, allowing more space/animal
which will hopefully result in improved
growth of all heifers.
Many dairy farmers have become more
aware of doing a better job with replace-
ment heifers and as a result, a special
heifer growth management project has
been offered to producers in Huron
County. To date, over 500 dairy heifers
have been measured for height and
weight to evaluate their growth progress.
In the past, many of us have evaluated
the growth of heifers by their weight at
certain ages. Of course, under the weight
system there have been heifers that
weighed the right amount for their age,
but were short, fat, round and basically
undesirable. Most heifers in the study
were able to meet the required weight
recommendation, however fell short for
desired height or stature. Such things as
proper nutrition, grouping heifers ac-
cording to size, adequate ventilation and
housing, and including heifers in a herd
health program were the major factors
influencing ideal growth patterns. One of
the most important areas of this project
was to find out at what age or stage of
development, heifers might be "standing
still" and not growing to their genetic
ability.
Listed below are some observations
taken from the Huron County study.
1) Heifers from 0 - 6 months managed
better than heifers from 6 - 24 months
(more individual care given to younger
heifers)
2) Heifers grouped according to age and
size performed better.
3) Most common situation - Heifers ideal
for weight. however lacking height or
stature for their age (heifers not tall
enough - due to genetic and/or
nutrition problems).
4) Dry, well -bedded heifers had more
size and weight for their age.
5) Most heifer rations didn't have ade-
quate levels of protein (protein direct-
ly related to stature or height).
6) Heifers treated for external and inter-
nal parasites appear much healthier
and performed better.
7) Some heifers over -conditioned (heif-
ers too fat for age - related to high
energy diets such as high moisture
corn, corn silage, etc.).
In general the lack of growth was
responsible for many heifers not being
bred before 20 months. Herd replace-
ments can sometimes be ignored be-
cause they are not contributing directly
to farm income. Charting heifer growth is
an excellent management tool in evaluat-
ing the performance of replacement
cattle. Three separate graphs have been
prepared - one for Holstein and Brown
Swiss, one for Ayrshire and Guernsey,
and the third is for Jerseys. If you are
interested in monitoring the performance
of your heifers, working copies of the
graphs are available from our O.M.A.F
office in Clinton.
Facts and Figures
to consider
by Orville Shewfelt, OMMB Fieldman
With excessive publicity about high
milk production, high quota prices and
high levy rates, we must recognize the
state of the economy. I feel producers
should be aware that results of escalat-
ing employment, low export market for
dairy cattle and a local market that is
almost nil, are only a few changes which
affect the market.
Let us look at what is happening in
Huron County as compared to other
counties. In the period January '82 to
January '83, Huron County, for some
unknown reason, is only showing an
increase of 0.6 per cent over quota. On
the other hand. Lambton County is
showing an increase of 3.0 per cent,
while Bruce County is showing an
increase of 4.6 per cent for the same
period
If we now compare this to the province,
looking at milk and cream shipments,
including within and over M.S.Q., we are
running 7.7 percent above 1982.
Look at what is happening in the fluid
market. Up until January '83, there was a
decline of 1.7 percent, but February
figures show we are very close to the
same consumption as February '82.
Similarily, the industrial milk sold to
processors this quota -year to -date is
showing an increase of 7.0 percent.
Again we see in February '83 that
consumption is becoming stronger and
more stable.
This leads me to a more local situation
and that is for producers to know and
understand their milk statement.
To begin, the only error in the
statement is the fact that it does not
show, month my month, the unused
THE RURAL VOICE, JUNE 1983 PG. 29
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