Lehigh County Dairy Club

The Gehringers herd consists of about a hundred total red and white Holsteins, black and white Holsteins, and Brown Swiss. While touring the farm, the club visited their swing milking parlor, where they can milk ten cows at a time. The parlor then brought them to their sick pens and calving pens. Further down the barn, the milking cows are housed in two groups. One group houses younger cows (fresh and three-year-old heifers) while the other group houses older cows. Their dry cows are kept at the end of the older cows, in a separate pen. Young calves are kept in single hutches until off milk and then moved into group pens until a few months old. Aside from heifers and cows, veal calves and dairy beef are also raised. Older heifers are raised across the street. The heifers are moved when a few months old and then bred. After the heifers are bred, they are placed in a pen with older heifers until one month prior to calving. A bull is also kept with the bred heifers if there is an "oopsie" with breeding.

Overall, the dairy club enjoyed the tour. Much has been added to our knowledge of the dairy industry, and the latest ideas on how to raise cattle. Thank you to the Gehringer's and Four Springs Farm, LLC for letting the Lehigh County 4-H Dairy Club take a tour!