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The Rural Voice, 1982-02, Page 20Raising calves in hutches Dairy farmers sometimes have pro- blems keeping newborn calves healthy and alive. Many times the only means of breaking the disease cycle is to empty and completely sanitize the facility. This means moving existing stock to a new environment. "Outside pens, or calf hutches, may serve as an immediate, low cost alternative," says Dennis McKnight, Head of the Livestock Section at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology. "Hutch housing has been compared in trials at several universities," says Mr. McKnight. The University of Wisconsin reported. "The best calves to date are those raised outside in these hutches." Kemptville College of Agricultural Tech- nology reported, "Outdoor hutches are equal or superior to traditional methods of housing for calves regardless of season in Eastern Ontario. Hutch calves grew as well, consumed more starter and required less medical treatment than did calves housed indoors. Hutch calves required more labour time and feeding calves outdoors was less comfortable for opera- tors on stormy days." To be successful at raising calves in hutches, the system must be understood. There are some critical aspects to management of calves in hutches. Mr. McKnight feels the following proceedings are important if hutches are to be successful when used continuously. ADVICE ON FARMING Hutches should be located in a wind - protected area in well -drained soil. The open end should be facing south to prevent drafts and allow maximum sunlight to enter the hutch. Each calf should be started in a separate clean hutch. Disease causing organisms may build up in a hutch as with any enclosed building. Therefore, moving the hutch after each calf is important to the long term success. One bale of straw provides the best type of bedding for the calf. Calves should be placed in the hutches as soon as dried off after birth. Hopefully, this will be in the first 6 to 12 hours and they will have received colostrum. Sum- mer feeding will be similar to feeding in any other system. Offer a good palatable calf starter, starting one week after birth, and free choice fresh water. In winter, feed approximately 10% more milk to satisfy increased energy requirements and offer water once daily. Calves can be removed from the hutches after being weaned from liquid feed. It is preferable to move the calves into small groups of not more than 6 animals. Continued use of cold housing is recommended until immunity has devel- oped from exposure to other calves. In some cases calves may have to be clipped, before being placed back in warm housing, to prevent sweating. Mr. McKnight concludes that hutches are a low cost, minimal disease approach to raising calves. Although they may be used as the only baby calf facility, they are probably of most value to dairymen who This month's mailbox belongs to Kalmusky ft Drummond Perth County PG. 18 THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1982 are having severe disease problems in their present facilities and don't want to erect an expensive calf barn. Getting the most out of your tractor Operating a farm in Canada is costing more and more each year and one of the major contributors to this increase is the cost of energy. As a result, Canadian farmers are having to take a hard look at the energy efficiency of their operations. A recent study by the Federal Govern- ment pointed out that energy-related costs have now risen to 25 per cent of farm operating expenses. The bulk of these costs involve the operation of farm field machinery. It makes good sense then for a farmer to investigate the efficiency of his field machinery, specifically his tractor. It is estimated that about 95 per cent of all fuel supplied to farms for operating field machinery is consumed by tractors. Significant fuel savings can be made by ensuring that a tractor is given regular maintenance and is operated in the most fuel efficient manner. It is possible to improve tractor fuel efficiency by as much as 20 per cent through regular mainten- ance and by driving the tractor in the correct gear at the most efficient speed. Regular maintenance should include a watch for fuel leaks and ensuring that the engine's air filter and fuel injectors are checked frequently. Lubrication schedul- es should also be followed. Shell research in this area has found that by selecting the highest gear practical and therefore reducing engine speed, a farmer could save about 12 per cent on fuel consumption. For example, if a tractor operates for 500 hours annually in performing a certain task, the potential savings by driving the machine at the lowest engine speed possible would be the equivalent of about 250 litres of diesel fuel. It must be noted, however, that different tasks performed by a tractor alter the consumption rates. For example, ploughing and rotary cultivating consume much more fuel than fertilizer distribut- ion. Tractor manufacturers normally pro- vide literature on the fuel economy ratings of their engines. With this information, a farmer is then better equipped to make the right choice in buying the most fuel efficient tractor to get the job done.