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Bob Eberhard
Curvecrest Farm
Glencoe, Minn.
McLeod County
Number of cows: 120

What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? Our current herd average is 34,667 pounds with 1,322 pounds of butterfat and 1,073 pounds of protein.

How many times a day do you milk? We have been milking three times a day for the past two years.

Do you use BST? If so, what is your protocol? We use BST on cows after 60 days.

Do you contract your milk? No. We have tried 100 percent over the years. It hasn't been successful for us.

Describe your housing and milking facility. We have a 110-stall, freestall barn with part of it sectioned off for dry cows. We milk in a double-12 parabone parlor.

What is the composition of your ration? Our ration includes corn silage, haylage, dry hay and we purchase a protein mineral mix.

Through the years you've been farming what change has created the biggest jump in your herd average? Changing to a TMR has brought the biggest increase in our herd average.

What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Our dry cow ration consists of straw, grass hay, corn silage and a purchased protein mix.

What role does genetics play in your production level and what is your breeding program? Our heifer grower, Neryl Becker, has mated the heifers for type and production. They have become our best producing cows. Our cows are bred to young sires.

What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd average? There are several things that contribute to our herd average including adding the TMR and milking three times a day. We also added some feed bunk space outside in our scrape alley. There was never enough room for the cows to eat in our three-row barn.[[In-content Ad]]

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