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Show Help for Dairymen Under the most modern computer record system available today, Utah dairymen dairy-men now have access to a system that accurately estimates esti-mates each cow's genetic ability to transmit production produc-tion powers to her daughters. Dr. Wallace R. Taylor, Extension Dairyman, Utah State University, explained that Utah dairymen in the Dairy Herd Improvemenl Association (DHIA) now are receiving such information on their cows that are properly prop-erly identified. For all of those cows each month the dairyman now finds current cow indexes and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sire Predicted Differences (USDA Sire PD's) listed on the individual cow page of his DHIA records. Both the cow index that ranks all cows genetically and the sire's PD are genetic gene-tic estimates of genetic ability to transmit production produc-tion to the offspring. Taylor said the differences between cow Indexes estimate the cause of milk and fat superiority super-iority or inferiority and the change in percent milk fat that cows will transmit to their average daughters. He explained that twice each year USDA computes the USDA Sire Summaries. As a by-product any cow that has participated in the proff of a bull receives a cow index. USDA send these on magnetic tape to the DHI Computing Service in Provo to be distributed to the dairymen dairy-men they serve. Taylor said the USDA uses four major sources of information infor-mation to determine the cow index for a cow; herself, her sire, her dam and her maternal mater-nal grandsire (Dam's sire). The new cow Index is a more accurate system of ranking cows genetically than the old system of simply comparing a cow's record to the herd average. Bull studs are using the cow index as a guideline for finding the potential "Bull mothers" of the future. Dairymen can use the information infor-mation to good advantage In their herd breeding and management ' programs, Taylor indicated. Over 24 hundred cows in 16 herds In Beaver County are on the DHIA testing program pro-gram according to Grant Esplln. Beaver County Agent. These herdsowners are doing a good job of increasing in-creasing production and making dairying profitable. Douglas and Horace Hall of Cedar City are the DHI Supervisors. Any herds not now testing who would like to take advantage of this program pro-gram should contact either Doug or Horace, or Grant Esplln or Jim Brown, Pres -ident of the Beaver County DHI Association. |