Because of Rosemary’s new record, we have met many new friends this last year. We have been asked what is the most important key to a high milk producing doe. We feel a CAE free doe is essential to her milk production, her health and longevity, and her ability to have high quality kids. The rewards of a CAE prevention program are worth the hard work.

DHIR (Dairy Herd Improvement Records) can be studied to find high milk producing bloodlines. These milk records are available through ADGA’s extended pedigrees and breeder’s sales lists.

This is our fifth year on DHIR. We are on Standard Tests. A licensed DHI Supervisor comes to our farm for two consecutive milkings at 8 AM and 8 PM. Milk tests are no closer than 21 days and no further apart than 45 days. Each doe’s milk weight is recorded, and a sample of milk is collected for butterfat and protein analysis. Our milk is weighed in a stainless steel bucket by a calibrated, hanging scale. The time each test begins and ends is recorded. Record sheets with all milk weights and pertinent information are filled out by our Supervisor and mailed with the butterfat samples to Texas DHIR Lab at Texas A & M University for testing. This information is sent from the lab to Dairy Records Management Systems in North Carolina. They send us a monthly update on the accumulative milk, butterfat, and protein production of each doe. At the completion of each doe’s lactation her record is sent to ADGA.

Many have asked, why go to the expense of DHIR unless you think you have a Top Ten producer? We would recommend anyone who is serious about improving their milk herd, no matter how small or large, to go on DHIR. We have had several goals for our dairy herd one being to improve the butterfat percentage of our Toggenburgs. DHIR has helped us to identify sires that improve butterfat production. An alternative to monthly testing is a one day milk test. Your doe can receive her milk star, and you can learn a lot about your goat’s butterfat from a one day milk test. Through the encouragement of Jan Battle, a Texas certified milk tester for over six years, we realized that DHIR was easy and beneficial.

In 1997, Rosemary at the age of three years and one month produced in 365 days 9,010 pounds of milk, 366 pounds of butterfat (4.1% of butterfat), and 276 pounds of protein. Jan Battle scheduled tests as close together as possible, so we could have an accurate milk record. We were hoping for a Dam and Daughter in the Top Ten, but we soon realized that Spice and Rosemary were going to exceed our expectations.

We have had a Surprise Verification test every year, even though it is only required for the Top Ten awards. The Verification test requires a DHI certified technician different from your regular technician, three consecutive milkings, and milk samples from the second and third milkings. This test is used in place of a regular milk test and figured into the total lactation. On our Verification test, September 9, 1997, the first milking (a milk out) at 8 PM Rosemary produced 17.8 pounds of milk . The second milking at 8 AM, Rosemary produced 17.9 pounds. The third milking at 8 PM, Rosemary produced 20.5 pounds. Spice (Rosemary’s Dam) produced 13.1, 12.8, and 15.1 pounds The 24 hour total milk produced by Spice was 27.9 pounds. The 24 hour total milk produced by Rosemary for this test was 38.4 pounds, a new Guinness World Record for twenty-four hours of milk production . Rosemary went on to set seven USA and World records including: All-Time, All Breed Milk Production Record Holder; All-Time Toggenburg Milk Production Record Holder; All-Time Toggenburg Butterfat Production Record Holder; World Record for 365 days milk production; Guinness World Record for twenty-four hour milk production; 1998 ADGA National Show Highest Toggenburg Milk and Butterfat Production Awards.

Rosemary continued her high production into October, and leveled off at almost 29 pounds. Rosemary weighed 200 pounds at the begining of her lactation. By December, Rosemary had lost seventy-five pounds and weighed a mere 125 pounds, due to her heavy milk production. Throughout her lactation she was fed: 10 pounds of a 16% all grain dairy ration, Sudan grazing, free choice sudan hay, sunflower seeds, free choice baking soda, salt, goat minerals, powdered cane molasses, organic yeast with digestive bacteria supplement, and wheat germ oil.

A doe that produces over 5,000 pounds requires skillful management. The past three years, Spice has produced 4-01 (4 years & one month) 305 (days) 5,491 pounds of milk; 5-02 258 5,686; 6-00 259 5,257. Spice prepared us for Rosemary’s lactation, but still we walked a very fine line with her. Caring for Rosemary during her heavy production was a management nightmare. We hope, for her health sake, she will never again milk so aggressively. We feel that it was because of God’s intervention that Rosemary lived through the year. She never dried off and milked 14.4 pounds of milk just three weeks before giving birth to twins April 20, 1998. Thirteen days after kidding, Joe Kimmel, gave Rosemary a Linear Appraisal score of 92 (V,E,E,E), with an extremely snug and strong udder attachment. In the spring of 1998, Rosemary won two Best In Show Awards at ADGA sanctioned open shows. Rosemary’s 1998 doeling, Rennet, is All American Toggenburg. Rosemary’s sire, owned by Western-Acres, GCH +*B SUN-KISSED RAZZ’S REGAL ZEPHYR, was Premier Sire at the 1998 ADGA National Show. At the 1998 ADGA National Show, Rosemary was fourth place four year old and part of Spice’s first place Produce of Dam. Rosemary’s full sisters placed: 3rd place five year old, 6th place three year old, and 3rd place Intermidiate kid at the National Show.

Western-Acres had it’s best show year in twelve years in 1998. We went to 9 shows (21 rings) in Texas and the ADGA National Show. Twenty different does won these awards placing: 8 x BIS, 2 x BUIS, 6 x BUOB ( Best Udder only awarded in 6 rings), 12 x BOB, 16 x GCH, 15 x JrCH, 6 x RCH, 10 x JrRCH.