DHI Rules and Procedures

DHIR is production testing through the National Dairy Herd Improvement Association (NDHIA) and the animal registry. It is the responsibility of all AGS members on DHI/DHIR test to know and abide by AGS DHIR Rules and Procedures, their state or association rules, the NDHIA Uniform Operating Procedures,UOP, (except as noted by AGS) and the NDHIA Code of Ethics. AGS is not bound by ADGA rules or the rules of any other registry.

1. Herd owners will make their own arrangements to enter the DHIR testing program through the AGS office, their state or chosen DHI Assoc. and laboratory they will use.

2. Upon receipt by the AGS DHI coordinator (Gail Putcher) of an application to test, doe list and payment of the required fees, a herd will receive permission to test and be enrolled in the AGS DHIR program. Herds may begin testing any month of the year as soon as fees are paid and permission to test is received. Renewal fees are due Jan. 1 regardless of the month testing began the prior year.

3. All does of a breed that are regular members of the herd that have ever freshened or will freshen during the year must be enrolled. AGS DHIR members may use NDHIA dairy herd definitions A, B, C, D or E.

4. AGS recognizes a number of test Recording Programs:

A. Standard or DHI-Conventional - DHI technician weighs and samples the milk from 2 consecutive

milkings. Code 20.

B. AM/PM Component Sampling (APCS)- DHI technician weighs and samples one milking alternating AM and PM each test. Owner weighs and records prior milking. 1st test: AM - owner weighs and records (no samples); PM - technician weighs, records and samples. 2nd test: PM - owner weighs and records; AM - technician weighs, records and samples. Repeat 1st and 2nd test procedures throughout lactation. Code 02.

C. AM-PM without time monitor-(AP) Technician weighs and samples AM or PM, alternating each test period. Code 31

D. AM/PM Component sampling with timer - (APT) This test is the same as AP except a time monitor is required. Code 01.

E. Every-other-month (EOM) - DHI technician weighs, records and samples 2 consecutive milkings every other month. Owner weighs and records for the intervening months and sends barn sheets to their lab. Code 00.

6. Group - three or more owners testing each other’s herd. Any of the above recording programs may be used. All members must use the same program and be trained as a DHI technician.
7. 1 Day test - Doe/does participate in an official 1-day AGS DHIR test at a show or on the farm.

H. In addition, AGS will recognize as official, any test or test program the member’s DHI Assoc. accepts as official. This includes one day tests.

5. Refers to procedure 10, NDHIA UOP. AGS endorses the NDHIA Procedures that apply to dairy goats only. This pertains to handling records of does aborting or kidding early.

6. Testing Interval -- Days between tests. The suggested number of days between tests is 30. Check your DHI Assoc. limits. Herd owners should be sure their testing intervals will fit into the definition of a DHIR year. The test year is 10 or more consecutive tests in a 12-month period. USDA negatively weights records of does that go over 75 days after freshening.

7. All persons recording test day data must be certified official DHI technicians yearly by an NDHIA Assoc. or affiliate. This includes group members and herd owners of APCS, APT, AP and EOM testing programs.

In addition, DHI technicians will not test any herd/animal of an immediate relative, employer, employee or one the technician has any pecuniary interest in.

8. Equipment - scales and or timers must be DHI certified annually when used by owners to collect official data.

9. Verification tests:

A. are required for all herds (around mid DHI year) on APCS, EOM, AP and APT test plans.

B. are required for standard size breeds when a doe in milk at least 90 days has an actual basis of 3000 lbs. of milk and 105 lbs. of butterfat or a mature equivalent of 3500 lbs. of milk and 125 lbs. of butterfat; and when on a 180 day basis the mature equivalent is 4000 lbs. of milk and 140 lbs. of butterfat.

C. are required for the miniature breeds when a doe in milk at least 90 days has an actual basis of 1000 lbs. of milk and 50 lbs. of butterfat or a mature equivalent of 1167 lbs. of milk and 58 lbs. of butterfat; and when on a 180 day basis has a mature equivalent of 1333 lbs. of milk and 67 lbs. of butterfat.

D. will follow NDHIA UOP.

E. are required for Lincoln Awards. (1999).

1. AGS does not require whole herd verification tests except as noted in 9A (above)

1. Herd owners enrolled in the AGS DHIR program grant permission to AGS the right to publish records of animals that receive AGS Awards, i.e. *, AR, Lincoln, Top Ten and +’s on bucks. All doe sheets (cow pages) with sire and dam names and registration numbers (recorded by the owner if not printed on the sheet) will be sent to the AGS office. This will enable AGS to set up performance reports and establish a DHI database.

All doe sheets (individual cow pages) must be sent to the AGS office upon completion of the lactation. Records of 305 days OR MORE, not yet completed by December 31, may be sent in to be eligible for that years' Top Ten and other awards. When the lactation IS completed, the doe sheet, listing the completed record MUST be sent to the AGS office. (Mini breeds must also submit height measurement form as well)

Doe sheets (cow pages), for lactation completed by Dec. 31, received after April will not be eligible for top 10 or Lincoln Awards but will receive * or AR awards if earned. Mini breeds that are measured "over height" during any lactation will not be eligible for Top Ten or Lincoln awards, but will receive * or AR's if earned. There will be an (OH) designation following the * or AR in these cases.

11. AGS will accept as official the DHIR records from other goat registries that have DHIR program standards equal to or exceeding those of AGS. Does pages and a copy of the DHI rules should be submitted with the request for recognition of milk records.

AGS reserves the right to accept or reject these records as official for the AGS DHIR program.

12. AGS will provide DHI associations, NDHIA and members enrolled in the AGS DHIR with the AGS DHIR Rules and Procedures.

13. The DHI Affiliate or local association for NDHIA will supervise all records in accordance with NDHIA and AGS rules and procedures and notify AGS of failure to comply with rules/procedures of the official testing program. The DHI affiliate or local association will notify owners when a verification test is needed as well.

14. Should the DHI affiliate or local association for NDHIA, notify AGS of a discrepancy in records or violation of rules/procedures, the matter will be referred to the AGS Board of Directors and DHI Committee for consideration and decision as to possible action.

1. AGS reserves the right to rule on any other matters related to the AGS DHIR testing program not covered in these rules.
2. All mini breeds must be measured during each lactation and their height recorded on the appropriate forms (this includes those on one day test). They must be measured at the highest point of the withers, in 'show stance', with head up and all four legs squarely beneath them, using the official AGS measuring device. All mini breeds who qualify for stars or AR's and measure over-height for the breed standard will receive a star or AR with an (OH) designation following such.

Measuring must be done by a DHI technician, vet, county extention agent or an AGS judge with no financial interest in the animal.