# DHIR question



## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

I'm looking into getting into the dhir program next year and doing the owner sampler but I'm curious since I believe they need to be in milk 240 days or 305 days. Does this mean I have to pull kids and bottle feed them? Also I keep seeing DCR what does this mean?


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Are you going for milk star or AR? For AR they have to have 8 tests, which is basically a minimum of 240 days when you test monthly. You only have to weigh and sample milk monthly-I know a couple breeders that dam raise and just separate moms and kids on test day. One of the breeders offered bottles to the kids during those monthly tests, but I think most of the kids refused the bottle anyway. 
DCR is Data Collection Record or something like that. It is determined by the type of test plan you do, and the amount of tests you’ve done. It goes up with each test, and the VT is worth a certain amount of points towards it, too.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

There is no set amount of days you have to keep them in milk, it’s just what you hope to get from testing. You’ll have to keep them in milk long enough to get the production they need for stars, etc.


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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

I'm really just looking to get their milk stars. Do you still have to be part of DHI to do a one day test for a milk star?


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

I can't help with the one-day test. I'm on OS 40 and qualified for ST last year and am trying for AR this year. If all you want is the stars, then the ST plan is good enough. For the ST testing, there is no set number of days you have to milk, but your DCR must be 75 or greater. DCR stands for Data Correction Rating and is basically the accuracy/trustworthiness of your data. It goes up each time you test, and the verification test will bump it up even more. ADGA had a little leeway in working with the DCR- my does earned their stars last year with only 6 tests, but that's about the minimum you can get away with. (I wasn't able to start testing until they were over 100 days in milk, which messed up a lot of things.) 

You do not need to pull kids and bottle feed but you will need to pull them on test day, which is usually once a month.


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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

Thank for the help I guess I was thinking you have to milk everyday after freshening and write it all down on a barn sheet but makes since if you only have to test once a month you just need to pull the kids that day. So much to learn about all of this. One thing I don't under understand is how the know the pounds of milk, butterfat, ect. Do they just use the test and assume this is how much milk they make a day say 3 pounds so 3 pounds a day 200 days in milk would be 600lbs.


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

They extrapolate. They use the data provided for the tests and use it to fill in the blanks. It's not as simple as saying "Doe A milked 2.5 lbs at day 100 and 2.3 lbs on day 130 so from day 100-130 we'll assume she milked 2.5 lbs each day." I don't know what kind of formula they use but it's a much more complex process than that. But as the herd owner, all you need to worry about is the weights and samples on each test day, and the DRPC (data records processing center) will figure out the rest. The more tests you do, the more data there will be and the more accurate the estimations will be (hence why your DCR will increase) but you can't do tests more than every 16 days.


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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

All good info I typical dam raise 8 to 12 weeks and then milk after that. Ill look into it some more I wish I could find someone local to help me with a first time.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

I am on OS40 and have been for a few years. I always aim for 240 on ours (actually aim for 305 but minimum 240) but I like the long-term data. 

I personally weigh my milk daily but we milk twice a day regardless (we use all the milk) but it's not needed at all. I do dam raise some kids. When I do, I plan mom's test for at least 4 weeks fresh. I will offer a bottle but if they don't take it, they have hay and grain or alfalfa pellets available. They were fine for 24 hours. Super hungry but good. After that, the next test is usually 8 weeks so no big deal holding for 24 hours. I've only found the first test of the season to be the most issue concerning dam-raised kids. But they're usually eating solids by then so if they don't take the milk, they're ok.


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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

Just looking into things more it looks like I would need to do owner sampler ar becuase I want the stars to be shown on the pedigrees. Same with the one day milking competition the earn a star award but won't go on the pedigrees.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Locklyn said:


> Just looking into things more it looks like I would need to do owner sampler ar becuase I want the stars to be shown on the pedigrees. Same with the one day milking competition the earn a star award but won't go on the pedigrees.


ST will show up on pedigrees. The only difference is it will show AR and the year they made AR underneath their name. Here are two pedigrees I have. One doe I had her dam on AR and ahe earned her star....this is how it shows up. I searched another of my pedigrees and found one that was just ST. 








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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

Awe I see well honestly seems like with both you are going to be in milk at least 240 days and seems better for herd improvement to do the OS AR.


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

You can always sign up for AR and then if you have to quit before 240 days but your does still qualify, you'll still be eligible for the ST star. Like Jubilee said, the star will show up on the pedigree no matter which plan you're on.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Yep, all star requires is meeting the minimum production amounts. 

I always plan to milk until 305. However, we do tend to fall short on some does. Just depends on breedings and timing and life. I try at minimum to do 240 just because it gives me a clear view of their curve, but even then, I think I'll have one dry this year that won't even meet that. But I still got good data!


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## TripleShareNubians (Nov 5, 2021)

Locklyn said:


> I'm really just looking to get their milk stars. Do you still have to be part of DHI to do a one day test for a milk star?


No. All you had to do is apply for a one-day milk test and have a tester. Or you can do a one-day at a show or something where they're doing one. I just apply and do one on the day I do my verification test. That way I can at least get a star for some of them from a one day if I'm going to be selling them. Of course right now you can't get your results on anything


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## TripleShareNubians (Nov 5, 2021)

Jubillee said:


> ST will show up on pedigrees. The only difference is it will show AR and the year they made AR underneath their name. Here are two pedigrees I have. One doe I had her dam on AR and ahe earned her star....this is how it shows up. I searched another of my pedigrees and found one that was just ST.
> 
> View attachment 212674
> l
> ...


Wow 16 star!
That is fantastic. I have a doe and her daughter that are getting their milk Stars it should in theory be 12 and 13, nobody did the Miley's mom so technically they'll be one and two even though grandma was a ten.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

I forget how but I thought there was a way to fix the broken line. Like if it was one generation, uugghhh I can't remember but the dam could earn through her progeny I thought. Crud, let me see if I can find it.


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## Calistar (Jan 16, 2017)

I think a dam needs 3 daughters with milk stars to earn it through her offspring.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Calistar said:


> I think a dam needs 3 daughters with milk stars to earn it through her offspring.


That may have been it...


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## TripleShareNubians (Nov 5, 2021)

Jubillee said:


> I forget how but I thought there was a way to fix the broken line. Like if it was one generation, uugghhh I can't remember but the dam could earn through her progeny I thought. Crud, let me see if I can find it.


Yeah she can earn it if three of her daughters do. Unfortunately the lady who bought Miley's mom from the breeder didn't register kids or do anything. I actually had to work with her and go back and deal with her buvk that she didn't transfer in order to register Miley. I definitely wanted her though because she's entirely Copper Hill. So Miley's her only registered daughter so I don't think there's any way to fix it.


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## TripleShareNubians (Nov 5, 2021)

It's kind of a bummer when there's that many generations in somebody doesn't do it. Oh well at least I can talk about it and show it even if they won't officially have the number and have to start over.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

It is. I have a doe kid (well not so much a kid anymore) from the 16*M doe and she's going to a friend's farm nearby. They aren't milk testing this year so I plan to do her test so she can have that 17* and keep it going. I feel like I will waste that line if I don't do it. LOL.


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## TripleShareNubians (Nov 5, 2021)

Jubillee said:


> It is. I have a doe kid (well not so much a kid anymore) from the 16*M doe and she's going to a friend's farm nearby. They aren't milk testing this year so I plan to do her test so she can have that 17* and keep it going. I feel like I will waste that line if I don't do it. LOL.


It's well worth the $25 for a one-day milk test. Well plus the other cost of the DHR and shipping and the tester but if you're doing others. It would be a shame to waste it.


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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

Does a doe only have to meet 1 of the 3 categories to earn her milk star? Looks like that's what it says in the guidebook.


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

Locklyn said:


> Does a doe only have to meet 1 of the 3 categories to earn her milk star? Looks like that's what it says in the guidebook.


Yes


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Locklyn said:


> Does a doe only have to meet 1 of the 3 categories to earn her milk star? Looks like that's what it says in the guidebook.


Yes, but bucklings of the doe cannot earn their star unless all 3 are met.


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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

In the 2019 handbook it says just milk and butterfat for star volume but all 3 for AR star.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

AR means they went a minimum of 240 days. I have a doe that got AR and only made BF and PR, she went 305 days. This was her FF. Her star did not pass to bucklings until the following year where she made all 3. She was also AR that year as well as she did 305 days again. 

I also have another FF last year who received a star for BF and PR and AR for going 305 days. She will get all 3 this year most likely and probably AR again as we tend to always gi the minimum of 240 days.


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## Locklyn (Jan 14, 2021)

I was just looking at Star volume not AR. It looks like for a buck to get the *B the dam and the sires dam only need to meet the milk and butterfat requirements for it to pass or his dam has both and his sire is a star buck. I am doing the OS this year but probably won't make it AR but still hoping to get my girls the star. Hopefully next year I will have more time to do AR. One thing I don't understand is do we only need to send in the VT test form on the day another person comes out to do the VT test or is it every time we test once a month?
Thank you


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## TripleShareNubians (Nov 5, 2021)

I generally don't end up milking that long it's probably not a good thing for numbers. Anyway, I've just started incorporating one day milk test along with my verification test since essentially it's the same thing you just do the paperwork for both. Then you can get your stars even if you don't make as many days if they can make it. It won't get me advanced registry but honestly I'm not going to milk most of my herd that long it's too much work. If I only had a couple or didn't work close to 60 hours a week maybe.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

VT test is a one time test done by a different tester. So if you are doing OS, you need a tester to come out one month when the majority of the girls are between 60-150 days fresh. Send the paper ij on that test and Thats it. Then continue on with your normal testings after that.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

TripleShareNubians said:


> I generally don't end up milking that long it's probably not a good thing for numbers. Anyway, I've just started incorporating one day milk test along with my verification test since essentially it's the same thing you just do the paperwork for both. Then you can get your stars even if you don't make as many days if they can make it. It won't get me advanced registry but honestly I'm not going to milk most of my herd that long it's too much work. If I only had a couple or didn't work close to 60 hours a week maybe.


I intend to do a one day as my VT this year on FF too. So they get their star in case anything happens happens. I thoight the same thing, it's just an extra sheet of paper to do. I only have 3 I'm testing this year that dont have a star, all the rest do so I'll just do regular VTs on those.


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## TripleShareNubians (Nov 5, 2021)

Jubillee said:


> I intend to do a one day as my VT this year on FF too. So they get their star in case anything happens happens. I thoight the same thing, it's just an extra sheet of paper to do. I only have 3 I'm testing this year that dont have a star, all the rest do so I'll just do regular VTs on those.


Sounds good. Just remember with the American Dairy good association you want to apply for the one day test more than 30 days in advance so you pay $25 and not 50. And of course you have to have a tester other than your normal tester. Like you I just figured the $25 was well spent to do one more sheet of paper and get stars on some of them that either I'm selling or I'm not going to keep in milk that long cuz I just can't keep them all in milk. Of course hopefully some decade now they will actually fix the system since I did a one-day email test with my verification test along with all the dhir stuff this last year but I haven't heard anything yet they still don't have it fixed in the system so therefore they won't even tell you if the dough got a star even if it's not official till I can go in the system. What a pain it's also a disappointment and it cost me because I can't advertise that my does have stars for their kids even if I know they qualified or at least think they did.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Oh yes. I sold a buckling and he should have had a star...but nope...they hadnt recorded the dams star so he had no star. Very frustrating. And still no star recorded in my other doe.


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