Guide to the Washington State Dairy Herd Improvement Associations Annual Reports 1932-1996
Archives 260

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Title
Washington State Dairy Herd Improvement Associations Annual Reports
ID
Archives 260
Date [inclusive]
1932-1996
Extent
1.5 Linear feet of shelf space, 2 boxes
Language
Collection materials are in English.
Abstract
Diary Herd Improvement Associations, commonly called DHIAs, were first formed in the state of Washington in 1916, facilitated by the agricultural extension service. The idea of a DHIA is keeping records of concerning milk production of dairy cows, tracking individual animals. Reports of county DHIAs include various statistics that show diary production, including averages. The reports also note those animals and herds with the highest production.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description] Washington State Dairy Herd Improvement Associations Annual Reports, 1932-1996 (Archives 260)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

Diary Herd Improvement Associations, commonly called DHIAs, were first formed in the state of Washington in 1916, facilitated by the agricultural extension service.

The idea of a DHIA is keeping records of concerning milk production of dairy cows, tracking individual animals. A group of dairy farmers form an organization, subscribe to the service, employ a party called a tester, and support a small laboratory. Once or twice a month, the farmers weigh the milk produced by individual animals and collect small samples.. The tester conducts lab operations to determine the content of milk fat and other solids, and also assembles the numeric information and provides periodic reports. These "herd book" reports can be ordered so as to list the production of each animal, ranked from highest to lowest. This information guides the farm operator in the selection of which animals to cull and which to use as the parent stock. The process tends to select a high-producing strain. Over time the overall average production level should rise. Since 1916, production per cow has risen dramatically, five- or six-fold.

A DHIA report can also be used for other management purposes, of course.

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Scope and Content

Reports of county DHIAs include various statistics that show diary production, including averages. The reports also note those animals and herds with the highest production. Reports of the Goat Herd Improvement Association of Washington State are also included, along with two DHIA Herd Books which serve as samples of this type of document.

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Arrangement

The annual reports are arranged in alphabetical order by county. Reports that cover the entire state follow these.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2016

http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open and available for research use.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Acquisition Information

Annual Reports concerning the Washington State Dairy Herd Improvement Association were transferred to the Washington State University Libraries in Jan. 2004 from Extension Office of Yakima County.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Michael Evans in April 2004.

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Names and Subjects

Subject(s)

  • Dairy cattle -- Washington (State)
  • Dairy farming -- Washington (State)
  • Milk yield -- Washington (State)
  • Goats -- Washington (State)
  • Agriculture
  • Washington (State)

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Detailed Description of Collection

 

Dairy Herd Improvement Association-Annual Reports 

box folder

Grant County, 1979-1994 

1 1

Kittitas County, 1932, 1941-1952 

1 2

Kittitas County, 1960-1961, 1963-1965, 1967, 1969-1975 

1 3

Kittitas County, 1976-1985 

1 4

Kittitas County, 1986-1995 

1 5

Pierce County, 1961-1964, 1966-1973 

1 6

Walla Walla County, 1977-1990, 1992-1994 

1 7

Whatcom County, 1994-1996 

1 8

Yakima County, 1947, 1949-1952, 1954-1961 

1 9

Yakima County, 1962-1971 

1 10

Yakima County, 1972-1973, 1975-1984 

1 11

Yakima County, 1985-1995 

1 12

Washington State, 1946-1947, 1960, 1962-1974 

1 13

Washington State, 1975-1986 

1 14

Washington State, 1987-1994, 1996 

1 15

Washington State Goat Herd Improvement Association-Annual Reports 

box folder

1980-1981, 1985-1987, 1991-1992 

1 16

 

box folder

Washington DHIA Herd Book, 1973 

2 17

Washington DHIA Herd Book, 1978 

2 18

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