DHI is the acronym for Dairy Herd Improvement. This refers to the basic testing service Eastern Wisconsin DHIC provides. DHI testing allows maximum flexibility in setting up a sampling schedule. Although monthly testing is most accurate, you have the option of testing however often you want during the year. You also can test whenever you want. For example, you can set-up a schedule with your Field Technician to test the third Tuesday of every month.

DHIR is an acronym for Dairy Herd Improvement Registry. This option is available to ensure breed associations receive completed 305 and 365-day records. A dairy must test at least ten times annually to maintain DHIR eligibility.

An Eastern Wisconsin DHIC member using DHI or DHIR testing may be eligible for Young Sire Credits. Depending on the A.I. organization, these credits may either be cash payments or discounts on future semen purchases based on providing USDA-ARS-AIPL early production data on young sires. Payments and credits increase for herds testing more frequently during the year.

ProfiTest is a lower-cost testing option available to Eastern Wisconsin DHIC members. The member has the option of receiving a printout or an electronic download of daily milk weights and raw component data. ProfiTest is available with the option of being supervised or unsupervised. If A/P testing is used, daily milk weights are calculated using the same adjustment factors as regular DHI testing. Component values are not adjusted. No lactation projections or totals are provided. ProfiTest records are not reported to USDA-ARS-AIPL and are not eligible for Young Sire Credits.

A member can choose either Supervised or Unsupervised (Owner Sampler) testing. Features of each include:

Supervised testing: A certified Field Technician comes to your dairy, records milk weights and takes a milk sample from each cow for component analysis. The Field Technician also records all change in status information (fresh, aborted, dried-off, died or sold) and reproductive information for each cow. If you use a computerized herd management program, like AgSourceDM.com or DairyComp 305, this information can be electronically transferred to the Field Technician's computer. Before transmitting to Eastern Wisconsin DHIC for processing, the data is checked for accuracy.

Unsupervised testing: A certified Field Technician will deliver needed testing equipment to your dairy. With this lower cost program, the member takes all their own samples and records the data themselves. The Field Technician will pick-up the samples and herd information and route this to the laboratory for analysis and processing.

Also called A/P testing, this service allows a member to test their herd only one milking a month. Using A/P conversion factors, milk weights and components are adjusted and provide comparable accuracy to measuring all milkings in a 24 hour period. Some producers using A/P testing may attain a higher level of accuracy by alternating the milking they test from month-to-month. Members also have the option of testing all milkings in a 24 hour period.

Eastern Wisconsin DHIC DHI and DHIR members can sign up for the 365 Day Option. This option provides them with production totals for every cow that reaches or exceeds a 365-day lactation. The record is generated on the bottom of the Production Report, appears on the Individual Cow Report and is sent to the appropriate breed association for DHIR herds.