# DHIR Question Texas



## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Does anyone in Houston or Texas do DHIR? I am thinking about getting started in it, but I was wondering which way would be best? I'm interested in starting a group if anyone is interested. I am wondering how much it typically costs to get started and to do it. Mailing costs, equipment and fees. PM me if you don't want to answer here. =)


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Great Topic Jamie!! 

I don't do it, but am seriously thinking about it for next year...I just need to learn a bit more about it. Please share what you learn! Hey were not that far apart, maybe we can test for each other! 

Lynn


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

If you are serious about it, I already have another person near us that is interested as well. I know I want to do it, as long as it isn't too expensive. My husband's head might explode if I try to buy too much more equipment :biggrin

I know you have to have three herds and it is a round robin type of deal.


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Pming


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

There are a lot of different DHI plans and it's pretty easy to find one that suits you. You can use Langston as your DRPC (Dairy Records Processing Center). Last year we were on the Standard DHIR 20 plan which requires a certified tester to weigh and sample the milk twice on test day, 12 hours apart, and send the samples to the DRPC. If you have goats that you believe are heavy enough milkers to make the Top 10 list (they'll need to consistently milk well over a gallon a day to do this) the DHIR 20 testing plan is the only one whose milk records are accepted for Top 10.

This year we've chosen the Owner/Sampler program. This allows the owner do the monthly milk test so long as they are a licensed tester (which I am) and the herd will need to have one verification test, done by another licensed tester during this lactation.

It is easy to become a licensed tester through Langston. You can contact Eva Vasquez at [email protected] and she will email you the information you need. You will also need a scale that preferably weighs in 1/10 ounce increments. I purchased mine from Hamby Dairy Supply (http://hambydairysupply.com/xcart/product.php?productid=1386&cat=316&page=1). It's a Pelouze 7800. Once you receive your scale, it will need to be calibrated (I send mine to Eva each year). Langston has DHI tester training videos available online through You Tube. Part 1 can be found here - 



 with links to the others next to it. Let me know if y'all have any questions or need help filling out the forms. There's also information on DHI at the ADGA website, click on the Performance Programs tab. Caroline


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Awesome! Thanks! So the main point in doing this is trying to be in the top ten milkers?


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

JamieH said:


> Awesome! Thanks! So the main point in doing this is trying to be in the top ten milkers?


Not just that but having documentation of what your animals are producing.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

They can also earn their milking stars, which goes on their records and can go on each generations' records as they earn their stars as well. For the milking star, there are certain quantities they need to make based on age. Check the ADGA website to see what the requirements are. Some other information you get to learn is pounds of milk produced (which you can obviously do yourself if you wish), butterfat and protein content of the milk throughout lactation, and somatic cell count for each, which is an indicator of mastitis. Top ten milkers can be for pounds of milk, highest butterfat, highest protein. Yours probably will not make top 10 at their ff, but maybe in subsequent freshenings, you never know, wouldn't that be fun.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

I'm super competitive about showing. I want to win win win, but being a top ten never crossed my mind. How funny!


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Jamie - DHI stands for Dairy Herd Improvement and that's exactly what it is. It's a way to measure the milk/butterfat/protein performance of your goats and the numbers become part of the animal's permanent record. This allows people who might be interested in adding milk, butterfat or protein production genetics to their herd to compare and contrast the performance of different goats and/or bloodlines. It's not a competition, or at least it shouldn't be.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Thanks for all of that information. I was a milk tester many years ago and I tested other herds and had another club member test mine. I would love to go the owner/sampler route. I have no worries about having a top 10 doe. But would like to get back to having star milkers.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

I think I'm going to do it.


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## chigarden (Mar 28, 2009)

I'm very interested as well ! Unfortunately I've been told I live in a "dead zone" :/ for testing. We live in Winnie which is between Houston and Beaumont. I would love to get my girls on test to get their stars


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Margaret - there's no such thing as a "dead zone" when it comes to milk testing. You can do the owner/sampler program where you are the tester (get licensed through Langston DHI in Oklahoma) and all you'll need to complete the program is one verification test during the lactation - an verification test can be done by someone not related to you, it doesn't even have to be a goat person, just a friend who can take the licensing test (videos teaching you how to do the test are on YouTube) which is free. If you want to learn more about the specifics, feel free to call or email me.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

You can also still go on standard test if you can find someone to test for you. The tester doesn't have to have goats...can be anybody, as long as they are not related and don't have trade interest in your herd.


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

I spoke with Langston yesterday about owner sampler testing. I just watched the videos on you tube that Caroline mentioned in a previous post and am waiting for Eva at Langston to send me the test. Seems like pretty simple stuff. It is also going to be cheaper than I was expecting! I'm excited to get started!


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Way to go Kelsey! Your girls should be excellent milkers. If Tamryn gets her milking star, she'll be a 5*M because her dam, Tawanda earned her star this past year at the age of nine and she's a 4*M (Alamo's dam, Tune, is now a 5*M too, since she also earned her milking star this past year - making Alamo a *B buck)!


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

Caroline, I noticed a few weeks ago that Tune earned her star and have already updated our website about Alamo! I love goats!


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## pjt367 (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks so much for this information everyone. This has interested me but I have never taken the time to figure out how to get involved. Now you have made it simple. I am willing to become a tester and trade testing with those living within 2 hours of Austin if anyone is interested.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Can someone pm me the langston number?


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2012)

Its a wonderful tool to keep track of production in your herd.. Langston Phone # is 405-466-6207


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

> DHIR 20 testing plan is the only one whose milk records are accepted for Top 10.


DHIR 20 is not the only plan accepted for Top Ten. AM/PM (ITP-02) is fairly popular and is also accepted, as are the less common ITP-01, DHIR 21, 22, & 23. In fact, the only plans not accepted for Top Ten are the owner/sampler plans- which can still provide valuable genetic information for the owner and sire records. 02 can be nice because you only have to have a tester come out once a day instead of twice.

O/S plans are the cheapest to participate in- and yes, you could cheat (everyone seems to ask!), but cheating on any of the DHIR plans is shooting yourself in the foot.

Here is the ADGA page about testing plans: 
http://www.adga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=307:artmtypetest&catid=46roduction-testing&Itemid=200


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I am on test this year too for the very first time! I am going through langston. I've sent in all my paperwork to adga for both the dhir and the linear appraisals so I'm really excited! I've been wanting to do this for about 4 years now, just never could seem to get it all together. 

I decided to do owner/tester this year. I took the test and sent it in, just waiting on the result...luckily you can take it more than once. It's just 15 questions and three of them are duplicate questions!

I decided not to go the standard test for my first year because I still don't have a proper barn or milk room and didn't want people to have to traipse through mud and gunk when coming to test for me. Plus, although I do have big milkers, and top-ten awards would be great one day, this first year I really just want to get the hang of it, see what the girls are really doing, keep on a better milking schedule, have testing info available for prospective buyers of my kids, etc. 

When I go looking to buy kids I really do prefer to buy from a herd that tests, appraises, is on great prevention, CAE free etc. Why should I expect my serious buyers to accept any less?

Anyway, it looks like a lot of us will be on test for the first time this year. No wonder when I called ADGA to see if they had gotten my last-minute paperwork that they couldn't find it in the mountain of applications they had recieved! Luckily, although it took a week, they found it!


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## Aja-Sammati (Oct 26, 2007)

Congrats, Anita! Testing is so valuable


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

How much does it cost? what is the cheapest option?


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

Hey Jamie,

We are getting ready to do our second test with Langston in a few days. Here is what we pay: 
Service Affiliate Fee: $.08 per doe
Herd Processing Fee (1-20 does): $ 6.00
Milk Analysis Fee: $1.15 per sample (per doe)
Accounting Fee: $2.00

Add that up. You pay that plus your shipping every month. I think shipping for us was around $5.00.


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

I forgot to mention that ADGA has a yearly DHIR Fee. For the first year it is $50.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Yikes, maybe next year. When is it too late to sign up?


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## SecoCreek (Jan 27, 2010)

There is no deadline for first time participants.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Thank you for your help!


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

No deadline to sign up for DHIR but you need to start your does within certain period from freshening. You need to get your kit in and get your scale calibrated if you using a regular scale, etc. So allow enough time for that  

Also, two people cannot exchange testing, if A tests for B, B cannot test for A. But A can test for B, B can test for C and C can test for A. You will also need someone else who is not your regular tester for verification test for certain plans.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

You have 75 days from your doe's freshening date to test her for the first time, but she has to be fresh for longer than six days or her test won't be counted.

Owner sampler is the easiest method of testing as it only requires the owner to be a licensed tester, and then one verification test during the lactation performed by another licensed tester. The verification test can be done as part of an official one-day milk test (such as the Arkansas Goat Producer's Association holds during their show the first weekend in May), or at home.


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