Yup - it's that time again haha! ROUND TWO of milk testing...don't worry, I won't blog needlessly and aimlessly about every test date in detail...But, I had realized I hadn't really finalized everything with the last test.
There is my "fancy pants scale" with it's sticker on there to show it has been checked for calibration....
So, pretty basically, your get all your paper work together. This would be 2 VERY simple sheets, and 2 simple yet tedious sheets to fill out. One just states which does are coming into milk and which have been dried off. One is like your invoice - which you fill out since you know how many does and thus how many samples you are sending in. Don't forget your money order or check with it LOL.
The DMS213 or your "herd form" is one of the tedious ones - at least the first time ever, and then after that whenever you add does....it's where your address, times you milked, and your supervisors signature go AND any does you transfer in from other herds or just plain new does in milk from your own herd that have never been on test have to be entered in. THERE is the tedious bit - lots of little spaces to be filled in with numbers :P
After that you have your DMS201 or "supervisors barn sheet" - another form that CAN be a bit tedious. Once again, when adding does to the milking string, lots of little spaces wanting registration numbers and what not to be filled in :P BUT, once you are on a roll with the same does as last month, not bad. DO NOT forget to put the milk weights in! This is the one where your weights go - kinda crucial right? Also, any changes in reproductive type stuff - like if a doe is in heat, or if she has been bred, these things go on that form too!
Don't forget to make and save copies....you just never know when a box might get crushed and have milk spill all over stuff, or even lost in the mail. At least even if your samples are lost you will have you info on weights and what not saved so that part can count on your test day data!
After that you wait about 2 - 3 weeks and you will get an email back from Eva at Langston (if that is who you use) with all of this preprinted for next time and a receipt of sorts AND Your test results!!! That was a super cool day, and really nice to see how my does were doing in the butterfat and protein department too!
So, here we are at round two, time for another monthly test....Last night there was a milking and a weigh out....this morning there was a milking, weights taken AND samples! That's the other part - the MILK SAMPLES! VERY easy! Your supervisor just uses your little DHIA approved dipper to fill the vial about half full in the a.m. and again half full in the p.m. - per Eva at Langston you want half and half from each milking to fully and accurately represent what that doe is making in a 24 hour period right? Don't forget to label the vials with a BLACK permanent marker....and bring them in the house. They do NOT need to be refrigerated (that little tiny tablet preserves them just fine), but leaving them outside can be risky on several levels - if something gets into your vials and destroys your samples you don't want to start over :(
Here mine are waiting for the p.m. milking:
After the evening milking I will box this up with the $$$ (all of $10.46 - easily pulled out of the farm funds lol) and in the morning off it will go to Oklahoma and Langston University :) Next time we test it will be a "verification test" - no big deal but it will involve one more person.
Also...don't forget to send in your "Herd Code" to ADGA....Your herd code will come in that email with you first set of test results, pre printed on the form for next time and ADGA will need that to track your records to apply it to THEIR records LOL. You can mail back the little slip they send you OR you can even email it to them! SUPER easy to do! I emailed mine the second I got it from one place off to the next :)
So....big excitement and highlight of my day, milk test :) Who knew tests could be so exciting I said!
