Hobbies And Interests
Participants
Not all dairy farmers participate in the annual DHI report, but those that do help all dairy farmers. In 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's DHI Summary of Herd Averages, more than 20,000 American dairy herd farmers took part in the survey. This represented a cross-section of the cow population. Almost 600 herds had no more than 24, but only 70 herds had more than 4,000 members. Most of those surveyed fell somewhere in between those two extremes.
Basic Components
DHI reports deal with many of the issues pertinent to dairy farmers. It tells them the average breakdown of popular breeds, in a state-specific way, as well as the average size of the heifers. The report then breaks down the average milk production per herd, as a whole number and as a percentage of a given herd's total weight.
Other Tallies
The quality of the milk is another important figure tabulated by the annual DHI. This describes -- by breed as well as by state and herd size -- the average percentage of fat content and total pounds of protein your herd's milk should be aspiring to. It gives an average daily weight of milk for each herd size, too. The reports also delve into reproductive issues, such as the average birth weight for calves and the average number of new births per herd.
Specifics
Some herds are selected by the national DHI association for more stringent testing. These special surveys can help dairy farmers analyze their milk in an even more cautious way. Often with the help from agents of each state's agricultural extention, local DHI representatives will accumulate data on cell count, milk urea nitrogen and other important factors like disease and immune resistance to add important health-related aspects to the DHI report.