October, 2003

Partnering For Better Nutrition

These dairy producers depend on nutritional counseling from Southern States.

When Denny Shafer has a problem regarding the nutritional needs of his 170-cow dairy, he calls Bill Weiler. “Thanks to Bill, I don’t worry about the details of my feeding program,” the Frederick, Md., dairyman says.

Denny Shafer (left) and his son, Brent, rely on Southern States experts for nutritional counseling.

Weiler, a Southern States dairy specialist serving Maryland and parts of Pennsylvania, works with dairies to create a ration that enhances the value of the available feedstuffs. “I provide nutritional counseling for customers,” he says. “Selling feed just complements what I do.

“I help producers stretch every possible cent from their feed dollar,” explains Weiler, who holds a dairy science degree from the University of Delaware and is a 27-year veteran with Southern States. “That’s more important today than ever with the trying financial times for dairies.”

Charles Brandenburg concurs. “It’s as tough as I can remember in my 50-plus years in the business. That makes Bill’s services even more important,” he says. Brandenburg milks 800 cows in partnership with his son, Dwight, near Jefferson, Md.

Like many Southern States field specialists, Weiler’s advice is based on a close working relationship with his customers. Through analysis of farm-raised forage, manure and herd-performance records, he fine-tunes a herd’s nutritional needs.

For Shafer, Weiler’s services translate into a 23,000-pound herd average with 3.8% butterfat. “It’s just my son and me with one other full-time employee running this dairy and 650 acres of forage and grain,” he says. “More inputs might yield a higher average, but we strive to hit a realistic average that works for us from an economic standpoint.”