Russian Faces

Teaching ration formulation and developing feeding strategies with the chief zootechnicians is one of the main things that I do at the dairy farms.






This young zootechnician is shown feeding whole barley and oats to a young calf. Prior to my visit they would not feed any grains to calves until after they were weaned from milk and then it would be finely ground into flour. They thought that calves would not eat grains since they did not eat the flour and it took some convincing to get them to try feeding whole grains to the calves.







This chief veterinarian and I are making an electrolyte solution to administer to a calf with diarrhea.










Vladimir, a zootechnician, and I are shown here near the end of a week where we worked rations and evaluated forages. This dairy also fed out over 6000 dairy bulls each year in addition to milk production.





This is a field of spring oats and hairy vetch that will be used for green chop and silage. I am shown with the director and the zootechnician evaluating stage of maturity and readiness for harvest.









Alexi, chief veterinarian, and his staff were receptive to learning new skills and had many questions.





The management team, including the director, zootechnician, agronomist and the economist, at this farm is shown here upon completion of work after one week.



The executive director of Sparta Dairy Farm is shown here with Anna, my interpreter, in this outstanding field of oats. Each evening as were taken back to our hotel he would take us on a different road through the more than 13,000 acres of cereal crops, including rye, winter & spring wheat, winter & spring barley, as well as some corn for silage. The soils south of Moscow are highly fertile and productive.



This is the professional staff at a Druzba farm consisting of a mating specialist, chief veterinarian, zootechnician, inseminator, and calf raiser in front, while another calf raiser and I are in back.










The director and his chief zootechnician is shown here with me as I gave them gifts at the conclusion of my work. Gail made the wall hanging of Holsteins. Ivan, the zootechnician, is shown with a Nebraska Cornshusker tee shirt!





Galina and Anatoly, zootechnicians, are shown here outside the conference room at the dairy farm. On the wall many photographs and plaques are displayed showing awards presented to the farm when it was a collective farm.




Vladimir,zootechnician, and
Sergey, chief veterinarian, are shown here outside the building where I stayed on the farm.




Nikolai, director, and Ovatina, veterinarian, are shown here with gifts at the conclusion of my work with Rodina Farm.



Ivan, Chief zootechnician, is shown here at his desk. His sense of humor and desire to learn new things were refreshing and stimulating.



These photos represent just some of persons that I have worked with on dairy farms in Russia. Some are directors, others are staff members (veterinarians, zootechnicians or inseminators) who care for calves or cows. All have received me well and have expressed sincere appreciation for sharing information with them. They have been willing learners and have asked many questions, and have been gracious hosts. I return home more enriched than before I left. It is my hope that they have learned well and can make significant progress in their own efforts to become more successful.

In some photos staff are shown with gifts that I have presented to them. Many of these gifts were hand made and quilted by Gail. The brightly colored wall hangings of Holsteins have been great hits. Sometimes I have taken a few tee shirts with Nebraska on them and they have been popular as well. Gifts are presented at the last session on most farms.