Family farm nabs top honors for reproduction track record
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
A nationally-recognized breeding program and a steady rate of increase in the milking herd is all part of the family business at Machia & Sons Dairy of Sheldon, in northern Vermont.
Founded in 1928, the farm is currently owned and managed by husband and wife Ron and Sherry Machia, with their sons, Dustin and Chad, who are the fourth- and fifth-generation operators, respectively.
“I married into the farm,” Sherry laughed. “The kids, since they were little, always wanted to be on the farm. They love it.”
She mused that her 1 and 3-year-old grandchildren may one day operate the farm.
Machia & Sons Dairy has worked with Cargill for 18 years.
In 2009, the farm’s reproduction rates placed fourth in the nation with the Dairy Herd Reproductive Council. At the time, the farm had a 27 percent pregnancy rate and a 47 percent conception rate.
“We do our own breeding on the farm,” said Sherry, who manages the herd with help from her sister Florence “she is a big part of our reproduction management”. Son Dustin also helps manage the heard as well as being the hoof trimmer. The farm is milking 880 cows. Ron and Chad handle crops and mechanics. The farm works 1800 owned and operated acres.
Sherry attributed the farm’s reproduction rates to comfortable cows and an attentive staff.
“We let the cows relax and we keep a good eye on them – we watch the herd,” she said.
The Machias are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve farm operations. Having Dustin trim the herd’s hooves has been a cost-saver.
Several years ago, the farm was seeing e coli in calves. The Machias worked with Cargill to implement a change in the cleaning protocol on the bedded pack that has cleared up outbreaks. Now, Sherry said, the calves are weaned at four weeks, which has equaled significant savings in milk replacer.
The farm family has its sights set on continued herd expansion and would like to get the milking herd up to 1,000 cows, as well as concentrate all animal barns at the home farm.
“Increasing the herd is a soon-as-we-can plan. Right now, we are milking out of two facilities,” Sherry said.
###
