Vermont DHIA

We have partnered with EarTagCentral to offer our members name brand animal ID tags.  You can find out more information by clicking on the "Tools" menu at the top of the page and selecting "Purchase ID Tags", or by clicking here.

There are numerous reasons why you may be missing results for individual samples (or multiple samples) after your herd is tested in our lab.  Contact our lab manager to determine the exact problem with your samples.

  Here are some common reasons:

• Samples were churned
• Samples had excessive debris
• Samples had insects in them
• Samples were sour
• Missing preservative
• Inadequate mixing of perservative
• Samples too long in transit, preservative no long effective
• Samples spilled in transit and/or cracked lids/vials
• Samples spilled in the lab
• Samples contain too little milk
• Samples frozen
• Instrument malfunction

To reduce the likelihood of missing sample results, please be sure that:

• All samples are kept free from excess debris or manure
• No samples don't contain insects
• All samples contain preservative pills and the pills are adequately dissolved
• All samples contain sufficient milk for testing (fill to the line)
• No sample vials or caps are cracked or damaged
  
• Samples do not freeze prior to shipping (or in transit where applicable)
• Correct mailing address to the Vermont DHIA lab

You (the producer) will need to contact our lab manager. We do not send out duplicate copies without direct permission from the producer.

Contact our lab manager, she can get you set up.

There are two possible solutions...

The simplest is to give us a call and we can start sending your hotsheet as an attached PDF file.  Most computers have a PDF viewer already installed, so you probalby won't have any additional software to set up and the hotsheet will lay-out correctly every time.

If you would rather continue receiving your hotsheets via plain-text e-mail, there are different ways to fix the problem (depending on your e-mail program).

• In Outlook Express: From the "Tools" menu, select "Options". Select "Read" and then "Fonts" and set the "Proportional Font" to "Courier New". Click OK.
• In Outlook: From the "Tools" menu, select "Options". Select "Mail Format" and then "Fonts" and set the "Proportional Font" to "Courier New". Check to "Set as Default" and click OK.
• In Thunderbird: From the "View" menu, select "Message Body As" and then click "Plain Text". You can change back to "Original HTML" after viewing the hotsheet.

Below are a list of common reasons why you may not have a herd average, why it may not be published in Country Folks, or why you may not be eligible for an award.

Not-Published or Not-Eligible for an Award

• Country Folks lists the top 40 herds in each county, ranked by protein pounds.  If your herd (based on pounds of protein produced) is not in the top 40 herds for the county, your herd average will not be printed.
• Only herds who have selected the "Published" option for their records will be published and eligible for awards.  Herds on the "Non-Published" option will not have their herd averages printed in Country Folks, made available at the Annual Regional Meetings, or be eligible for herd average awards.
• Herds that only weigh their milk (do not take samples) will not have their herd averages published and will not be eligible for awards based on components (pounds of butterfat and protein).
• Herds testing late in the month may not have their samples tested and their herd processed before the month-end and will be ineligiible to be published in Country Folks for that month.
• String averages will not be published unless the herd is enrolled on the "Official String Averages" option.  Unofficial strings are not published.  (Note:  It is not possible to mix and match official string averages.  Either all strings in a herd need to be official, or no strings can be official.)
• You do not yet have a herd average (see below).

No Herd Average

• Herd averages are not calculated until a herd has tested for at least 12 months.  (Herds transferring from another DHIA Affiliate will have their herd averages transferred).
• For herds divided by "Strings", no string averages will be calculated until the strings have been divided for at least 12 months.  If the herd already has an existing herd average, the herd average will continue to be calculated.

Talk to your DHIA technician on test-day.  Report Options can be found by clicking on the "TestDay" button in PCDART, selecting "Report Options" and clicking "Enter Report Options".  Please contact us to discuss these options before making any changes - some changes can have unintended consequences for your herd averages or records.  You can find a detailed list of report options on the DRMS website by clicking here.

Often you can find your RAC (remote access code) Number...

• Printed on your DHI-213 monthly report from DRMS
• In PCDART by clicking on the "File" menu, selecting "Program Setup" and clicking on the "User Identification" tab.  The number in the "Password" field is your RAC number.
• Or you can also contact us and we'll help you find it. 
  

Note:  We do NOT share RAC numbers with consultants without the producer's prior (direct) permission.

You will need to contact us and we can make sure it gets changed or you can contact DRMS directly at 1-919-661-3120.