DHI Testing Supplies Have Arrived!

Our supplies to get started on DHI test came from Dairy One today!

The following pictures show what was included in our shipment.

The sample dipper, sample tubes, freezer packs and shipping container.

Dip Sampling must be done in a manner

that assures a representative sample from the

entire milk volume collected.

When milking twice a day you fill

half of the sample tube with the

first milking and the second half with the

second milking of the day.

If only milking once a day,

a full sample will be taken

from the single milking.

Be careful not to fill the sample tube to the very top.

There should be a little space (1/2 inch) from the top.

Samples should be kept at room temperature

and out of direct sunlight.

Samples should be shipped so that they arrive to the lab

no later than six (6) days after the test is performed.

The color of the sample tubes is random and in no way

does it matter which color tube you use.

When you ship your milk back

be sure to label the top of the sample tube

with the corresponding

sample # for that Doe.

You only send back sample tubes that contain milk,

keep your empty sample tubes for later use.

Dairy One Certification Exam

When we decide to go on milk test we had so many

questions, one of which was where do we send the milk?

Well you send the milk to an outside lab,

from recommendations from a few friends we decided to go

with Dairy One for our milk test lab.

So I got in touch with Dairy One,

they were very helpful and sent me the

Dairy Goat Technician Handbook

along with the Certification Exam and Instructions.

Let me just say that I feel like I am a

fairy intelligent person but

this test and handbook are so confusing.

I have reached out to others on milk test

and they have relayed to me that it's not

just me, its the handbook and the test.

Most people on milk test are milking cows

and so some of the information is geared more towards cows

so you have to get over that aspect of the test.

The other thing about the test that is frustrating is

that it seems the test was written by someone

that has been doing milk test for years so they

know the answers and the answers probably seem like common sense.

But if you  have never done milk test before, let alone seen how

things are done, the test and handbook can seem like

they are written in a completely

different language.

There are questions on the test that

the answers can not be found in the handbook.

My best advice is to reach out to someone that is on

milk test and have them help you if you find yourself

utterly confused.

The test consists of 17 questions,

mostly fill in the blank with a few true/false.

Then there is also a part where you

practice filling out the barn sheets and charts.

You are given a list of does and what is going on with

each doe and your supposed to chart each does milk weights

and any conditions affecting their record.

Another complaint I have about the test

is the size of the font on the charts.

It's really difficult to read the CARs and Status Codes

on the pages that were sent with the test.

When you send in your exam you have to send in payment

for the test which runs $20 if sent in prior to March 16th or

$25 if sent in after March 15th.

This is the prices and dates for 2016.

You have to re-test every year and

certifications expire in April each year

regardless of when you tested the year before.

For pricing with Dairy One look here. 

Or contact:

Kayla Turcsik: 1-800-344-2697 Ext: 2120

Email: kayla.turcsik@dairyone.com

Or

Kevin Henry: 1-800-344-2697 Ext: 2159

Email: kevin.henry@dairyone.com



Milk Test Scale & Certification

When you start on the milk test journey you will find

very soon that you must have a scale to weigh your milk on.

We made the mistake early on in thinking

that any ol' scale would do.

Unfortunately not.

The first scale we bought off of Amazon was a hanging scale

but when our scale certifier came out to certify the scale

for us he said he couldn't because it didn't meet NTEP requirements for certification.

So he pointed out several scales that would meet the requirements and we

finally settled on this scale by Torrey.

The most important thing to look for when

purchasing your scale is that it is a

Legal for Trade Scale.

TORREY LPC40L


Once you settle on the scale you want and get it in,
you need to have it certified.
If you are in Georgia you can reach out to the
Georgia Department of Agriculture


We originally spoke with
Jason Hitchcock Tele: 404-656-3605
Fax: 404-656-9648
Email: Jason.Hitchcock@agr.georgia.gov


He then put us in touch with
Mike Tanner
Michael.Tanner@agr.georgia.gov


You will need to have your scale certified annually.


You must also have your scale certified prior to sending in your
testing materials to start the milk testing process.
You will provide proof of certification with your test.

Our Milker has come, almost!

We ordered our milking system from Simple Pulse and part of our shipment came today!

We chose Simple Pulse for the price, the great reviews and the ease of use and cleaning.

You can find more information about Simple Pulse here.

We went with the system that would allow us to milk two goats at once

you can see the exact system we purchased here.

Only part of our complete milking system has come in so far,

it actually shipped to us directly from Amazon

so I suppose you could order all of the items on your

own and create your own custom milker.

We choose to order ours from Simple Pulse because

honestly we don't know what exactly we need

as we are just getting started with using a milk machine!

You can find the Vacuum Pump we got with our

Simple Pulse milker on Amazon here.

So here is what came in our shipment:

Front of the Box

Side of the Box

Close Up of the Specifications of the Pump

Pump, oil, power cord and instructions

Pump Oil