Records Accurate records are key to the success of any enterprise, and dairy farming is no exception. Over the years, the DHI program has grown from strictly a production-testing program into a complete dairy herd management system. By keeping and using DHI records, participating producers are in the best position to cull the least profitable cows, feed for the most efficient production, breed genetically superior cows, increase milk production per cow, lower costs of production and ultimately increase net profits. Also, adoption of the latest computer technology has made the service of DHIA fast and efficient. All data is transmitted via computer and phone modem from the lab, making total turn around time from test day to data processing an average of 3.5 days.
Most local supervisors have portable computers so some management data can be provided on test day.
Additionally, many producers have on-farm computers making DHIA data available for daily use and updates. Table 1 lists the test plans selected by Oklahoma producers with production data for those herds. Over 90 percent of producers use AP plans to take advantage of the convenience and the 25 to 30 percent reduction in cost. Table 2 indicates the trends that have been occurring in dairy herds on DHI and is reflective of the changes occurring in the dairy industry as a whole. In the period from 1985 to 1995, herd size, milk per cow, and income over feed cost increased by 20 percent.