Filling out the forms for a VT can seem a little scary when it’s all new to you. Most newbies worry more about the actual process of doing the sampling and shipping of milk on test day, but that’s the easy part. I can’t count the hours i spent trying to figure out the paperwork, and to be honest, i still don’t know what a lot of the numbers mean. But what i DO know, i am happy to share and give a leg up to anyone who may be discouraged. I am going to focus on the VT form today. For other milk testing questions, you will find lots of helpful information on the ADGA site’s DHIR FAQ page. Here are blogs that explain more about milk testing too, i found them very helpful 305 day milk test, Interpreting Milk Test Data, DHI for Dummies.
In the photos below, I briefly color coded where to find and where to enter the info on the VT forms. NOTICE: i did not fill out the entire form, i am just giving a basic explanation of where to find the needed milk amounts and such. Please go over your VT form carefully and fill it all in as needed.
Obviously, a lot of the information would be gathered as you progressed through the milking and sampling for the VT during the 24 hours and the premilking before, but the hardest part that many struggle to figure out is WHERE TO FIND THE components and milk information from the previous test day.
For reference, i used one of my own doe pages and a blank ADGA VT form.
Hope this will help many of you! Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may still have. i know this isn’t a very thorough post, and more time and effort could have been put into it for best explanation, but I am not a full time blogger, i have a family and a life too, so if i don’t respond to your questions right away, forgive me but still do ask, i am always happy to help when i can.
I like to see new testers asking questions and learning, and it gives me great pleasure each time i am able to offer an answer that will help. I am still learning myself, this is my first year on milk test.
Happy Milk testing!
Aspen Leaf Dairy Goats 