THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT
1985

LAWRENCE, C.M. AND F.D. MURRILL

The National Cooperative Dairy Herd Improvement Program (NCDHIP),
conducted at the state and local level by the Dalry Herd
Improvement Association (DHLA), is a production testing and
information gathering system that provides important information
for management, feeding, breeding, genetic evaluations, education
and research. The program was developed primarily for dairy cattle,
but dairy goats are now part of the program. The number of dairy
goat herds in the United States has increased greatly in recent
years; however, the number of herds on test has been limited
because of the following circumstances.

Cost. Dairy goat herds tend to be small; therefore, the cost of
DHLA testing per goat is high when compared to the herd's earning
capability.

Location. Dairy goat owners may be located in areas not served by
a local DHLA, or the local DHIA may have bylaws restricting the
testing of goats.

Rules. Participating dairy goat owners abide by the national
Official Dairy Herd Improvement Rules as issued for dairy cows.
These rules are supplemented by rules of the dairy goat breed
registry organizations --American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) and
American Goat Society (AGS).

Obligation. Dairy goats usually are seasonal breeders, so there may
be a period during the winter season when all does are dry at the
same time. However, the herd has an obligation to stay on test
throughout the year.

Official Production Testing program

There are several ways to obtain official production testing
information that are acceptable to the dairy goat breed registry
organizations.

One-Day Test

The 1-day test is a program of the dairy goat breed registry
organizations, and it has its own rules and procedures. These tests
usually are held during local, state or national fairs, or special
dairy goat shows, and provide the opportunity for does to earn Star
recognition for their pedigrees. Arrangements must be made in
advance with the dairy goat breed registry organizations and the
local DHLA. The 1-day test, including the obligatory preliminary
milkout, is conducted by a DHLA supervisor (tester), for a special
charge. More specific information and rules concerning the 1-day
test can be obtained from the dairy goat breed registry
organizations, since this is not a program of the NCDHIP.

NCDHIP Program

A dairy goat owner must be a member of a local or state DHIA
organization to participate in the NCDHIP program. Some local
DHIA's do not accept dairy goat owners for membership because of
present limitations in their bylaws. Some DHLA's agree, however, to
prowide official testing service to dairy goat owners on a contract
basis. When membership is approved, the local DHIA will send a
tester monthly, to weigh and sample each doe's milk for yield, and
to test for fat, protein, solids-not-fat (SNF), and/or somatic
cells. The tester also obtains management information from the herd
owner to be fllled out on the barnsheets. The barnsheets and
samples are then forwarded to a laboratory for testing milk
components. From the laboratory, the completed barnsheets are
mailed or electronically transmitted to the dairy record processing
center (DRPC) for processing and are returned to the herd owner.

Service to Membership. As a member of a local or state DHLA, one
has the privileges and responsibilities of membership as specified
in the organization's articles of incorporation, bylaws and
membership agreement. The DHIA has an obligation to provide
official tests and quality programs in accordance with the rules,
policies and standards established by the NCDHIP Policy Board.

Service by Contract. Official tests and other program services may
be provided to non-DHIA members by contract. These tests and
program services must be under the direct supervision and
jurisdiction of a local DHLA and be approved by the state DHLA to
assure compliance with the rules, policies and standards of NCDHIP.
Such a contract must be specific in outlining items such as rules
and responsibilities, operating procedures, rates and schedules to
assure uniformity, accuracy and integrity of the obtained data.

Starting a DHIA

If a dairy goat herd is in an area without the services of a local
DHIA, or if the local DHIA is unable to provide testing services to
dairy goat owners, it is possible to form a dairy goat DHLA
organization separate from the dairy cow DHLA. This requires a
sufficient number of interested dairy goat owners.

The structure of a new DHIA organization must conform to state laws
and state DHIA requirements. In most states, a local group would be
required to form a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization (corporation,
cooperative or association), with its own articles, bylaws,
membership agreement and board of directors, and it would affiliate
itself with the state DHLA. The new DHLA's board of directors would
then be responsible for the operation of the testing program,
including hiring testing personnel, setting fees and providing
testing services to its members.

The new dairy goat DHIA would be required to operate under the
rules and policies of the NCDHIP, the dairy goat breed registry
organizations and the state DHIA. For assistance in forming a
separate dairy goat DHIA, one should contact the local dairy
Extension agent, state Extension dairy specialist or state DHIA.

Kinds of Testing Programs

NCDHIP provides official and nonofficial testing plans.

Official Testing Plans

Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI). DHI test plans are conducted in
compliance with official DHI policies, rules, and standards for
uniformity, accuracy and reliability.

Dairy Herd Improvement Registry (DHIR). DHIR test plans are
conducted under the Combined Rules for Official DHIR. To test DHIR,
a dairy goat owner must file an application with the dairy goat
breed registry organization (ADGA or AGS) for a permit to test
DHIR. Official records are accepted throughout the dairy industry
and are used for sales, management, education, research, genetic
evaluation and pedigree data. DHIR herds agree to be subject to
verification tests.

Nonofficial Testing Plans

Several other production testing programs may be provided by the
local DHLA to meet individual management needs. These nonofficial
testing programs do not have the stringent rules of the official
testing plans. These programs are not certified as official and are
not used by the breed registry organizations, nor are they used for
research or genetic evaluation programs. It should be recognized
that these nonofficial testing plans prowide valuable data for use
in herd management. However, because the conditions under which the
records are made cannot be verified, nonofficial testing plans are
not accepted by the industry or breed registry organizations.

Group Test Program

The Group Test (GT) program has been approved for official DHI and
DHIR testing programs by the NCDHIP Policy Board and the National
Subgroup for Dairy Goats. It is operational in most states and
local DHIA's. GT is not a kind of testing program, but a procedure
for conducting official testing programs. GT enables DHIA member
dairy goat owners to participate in the official DHI and DHIR
programs by allowing each group member to test herds of other group
members.

Requirements for GT

In addition to fulfilling the requirements for official DHI and
DHIR tests, GT members also must abide by special GT rules approved
by the NCDHIP Policy Board.

Training for GT

Each member of the test group is trained to perform supervisory
responsibilities when weighing and sampling milk in the herds of
other GT members. The milk samples and barnsheets are taken to the
official DHLA supervisor or lab for milk component testing. After
completing the milk component testing, the barnsheets are forwarded
to DRPC. Lastly, the barnsheets are returned to the herd owner.

Enrolling in Official Test

To participate in the GT program, you must be enrolled in an
official test program with the local or state DHIA. All official
group testing is conducted under the jurisdiction and supervision
of local and state DHIA's and the Extension dairy specialists.

GT Reduces Costs

Dairy goat owners of small herds prefer GT. Trained group members
substitute their time and travel expenses when testing each other's
herds instead of paying DHIA testers the minimum herd fees based on
dairy cow herd sizes. The following sequence of events would be
helpful when trying to start a GT program affiliated with the local
DHIA.

Starting a GT Program Plan

Timing is important.  If dairy goats. begin freshening after the
first of January, program planning and training should take place
in October, November and early December. This allows time to form
the GT unit and to begin operations as soon as the goats start
kidding.

Approval

The local DHIA board of directors must approve the local GT
program. The local dairy Extension agent should explain the basic
concepts to the GT group. The DHIA board should set rates for the
testing service.

Study

After DHIA board approval, a meeting is needed to discuss and study
the GT program and all the policies and rules. Production
information and benefits to be received from a strong GT program,
as well as financial responsibilities, should also be well
understood. Individual members must realize the amount of their
free time which must be given to the GT program.

Commitment

At least 2 weeks should elapse before a second meeting is held for
those dairy goat owners who are seriously interested in a GT
program. Indiuals who rush into the program tend to lose interest
and drop out. This period should give everyone an opportunity to
study the program and its procedures. At the second meeting, those
who want to set up a GT unit should commit themselves and select a
leader for the group. Success depends on how much time the leader
is willing to invest in the program.

Group Size

Potential members should apply to their dairy goat breed registry
organizations for a permit to test DHIR. While the rules call for
a minimum of four herds for a GT unit, a group should not be formed
unless there are at least five herds. If the unit starts with only
four, and one drops out, the unit can continue only under
exceptional circumstances. If other dairy goat owners wish to join
the GT unit after it begins, they must contact the DHLA and group
leader and work into the testing schedule.

Group Leader Training

The group leader must attend scheduled DHI supervisor training
sessions, help train new group members to test, and arrange to get
samples to the central laboratory for component testing. Where
required, group leaders are trained as DHI supervisors and are
licensed, and they may conduct tests on DHIA member herds outside
the group.

Work

Duties of the group leader usually are not burdensome; however, to
see that the testing program is conducted as planned and complies
with all rules and policies, the leader must work closely with the
DHIA supervisor and dairy Extension agent.

Problems

Problems within the group should first go to the group leader for
solution. If the group leader cannot resolve the problems, the
group leader should then take them to any or all of the following
people: DHIA supervisor, DHIA board of directors, dairy Extension
agent and state Extension dairy specialist. The group leader acts
as a liaison among these people.

Member Training

A special training program for all members of the test group must
be held before herd testing begins. Training should be conducted by
any or all of the following people: DHIA supervisor, dairy
Extension agent, state Extension dairy specialist or a state DHLA
representative.

Items to Consider

-  Official rules and policies

-  Animal identification

-  Procedures for weighing and sampling milk

-  Handling samples

-  Enrollment

-  Correcting errors

-  DRPC procedures

-  Tester responsibilities

-  Herd owner responsibilities

-  Herd information required

-  Services available for goat herds

-  What to do when all animals are not lactating

-  Recording management information

-  Computer programs

-  Using production testing information

-  Delivering samples for butterfat, protein and somatic cell
testing

-  Equipment and maintenance

-  Cost assessment of testing and bill collection

-  Roles, responsibilities and relationships of group members

-  Testing schedules

-  Ethics

Additional Rules

The group may want to impose additional rules or guidelines on its
members. The adoption of such rules should be by a majority vote of
GT members. These rules must not confiict with the official rules
of NCDHIP, the breed registry organizations or state DHIA.

Success

The group members should understand fully that the success of the
program is up to the individual members. There can be no shortcuts
in the operation of the program. Records must be kept in good order
so they can be veri fied. Failure to abide by the rules will
jeopardize the GT program and the production records of its
members.

National DHI Rules for Group Test

All GT herds must follow the national DHI and DHIR rules for
official testing. A copy of these rules is available from the local
DHLA or the dairy Extension agent. The following additional rules
for GT are required.

-  Any single test group must have a minimum of four herds.

-  Only those dairy goat owners attending a special training
program supervised by the state Extension dairy specialist or state
DHLA representative are permitted to participate in GT.

-  Scales used in the weighing of milk must conform to the
standards set by the National Bureau of Standards.

-  All other equipment, such as dippers an tles, must be approved
by the state Extension dairy specialist or state DHIA.

-  Every DHIR herd is subject to a verification test of three
milkings to be called by the state Extension dairy specialist or
state DHIA, and conducted by a DHIA supervisor or a trained member
of a different group. The herd is subject to a verification test
when a herd or individual doe meets certain minimum production
level requirements.

-  All milkings must be witnessed and weighed, and samples must be
taken by a trained member of the group who is not the owner of the
dairy goat being tested.

-  All component tests must be made by a laboratory approved by the
state Extension dairy specialist or state DHIA.

-  Testing a particular herd by another individual of the group
will be determined randomly.

-  GT must comply with all other rules and conditions of the
testing programs as outlined by the official DHI and DHIR rules and
the dairy goat breed registry organizations.

Value of Production Testing

Information from NCDHIP, including GT or similar programs, has
important direct benefits for management of individual herds and
long-range national genetic benefits for buck summaries and elite
doe listings. Testing information is used for breed improvement,
culling, selective mating, nutritional guidelines, raising and
selecting replacements, advertisement and sales.  Participating
herd owners receive monthly computer printed reports for each doe
and the total herd, including production records in progress. When
a lactation is completed, the information is retained for lifetime
records. Lists are prepared for breeding, turning dry, freshening,
within herd buck compari sons, kidding intervals and many other
valuable herd management guidelines. National breed registry
organizations and the USDA receive completed doe records directly
from DRPC's for breed recognition and genetic research. The genetic
improvement of dairy goats in the United States is based on dairy
goat production testing.




תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתThe National Dairy Database (1992)תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת
תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת\NDB\DAIRY\TEXT\DP107900.TXTתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת


%f TITLE;THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
%f COLLECTION;DAIRY HERD IMPROVEMENT
%f ORIGIN;Oregon
%f DATE_INCLUDED;June 1992