ABSTRACT
Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) records are to the dairy herd manager as a road map is to a traveler. DHI records, through their various summaries, provide a complete production, reproduction, and genetic history of each cow, of selected groups of cows, and of the complete herd. All DHI record processing centers provide the basic information needed for analyzing herd situations and for setting management objectives. To determine the best approach to meeting these objectives, DHI records must be analyzed to determine the number of cows in various reproduction problem areas. Total milk yield for lactation is a combinatin of how high a cow peaks and how persistent she is throughout the lactation. Plans for dairy herd improvement are only as effective as the use made of them. DHI Records are intended for dairy herd improvement. There are as many different forage programs as there are areas of dairy concentration.
