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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarming '89, 1989-03-22, Page 37B14. FARMING ‘89, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1989. Use weaning records at calving time BY TOM HAMILTON BEEF CATTLE SPECIALIST OMAF, PERTH Spring is upon us, and with it comes calving time - the start of the production cycle for beef cow herds. Through the late nights and early mornings of getting the herd safely calved out, it is easy to forget about the production records you have kept on your herd. You may well ask - cow records at calving time? Why should I worry about weaning indexes now? Most herd managers use their weaning records in the fall, to assist in cow culling and heifer selection. These records are very useful in identifying the cows which have consistently produced good calves, and in pointing out those cows that have been habitual losers. The weaning information is very valuable for evaluating the genetic ability of cows to raise a calf under your management system. How­ ever, to fully utilize the potential of your records you must look beyond indexes and adjusted weaning weights. Remember, adjusted weaning weights are based on the growth of calves adjusted to 200 days of age. But you sell actual weaning weights. Actual weaning weights are higly influenced by the age of the calf. This is a reflection of a cow’s first calving date and her subsequent calving intervals (number of days from one birth to the next). Some quick arithmetic will show the importance of calf age. If the average growth of calves is 2.5 lbs./day - one month is equal to 75 lbs. of gain, two months is equal to 150 lbs. So you can see that the average age of the calves has a major impact on weaning (selling) weight. This year, pay close attention to the calving dates of your cows. How close together are they? Having calves grouped together provides you with uniform calves that are easier to manage and sell as a package. Once you have determined an optimum calving date for your system, you should try to get all cows calving as close to this date as possible. A calving season of greater than 90 days is an indication of a herd fertility problem or large variations > in first calving dates. A spread of 70-90 days is common. Aim for a 65-day calving season to maximize your calf sale weight. This is equal to three 21-day heat cycles at breeding time. It is not easy to achieve, but it is possible with a top notch program to maximize herd fertility. Looking at the calving dates of each cow over her lifetime. Cows that are progressively later each year are on their way out of a productive herd. Look for reasons for long calving intervals which you may be able to correct, such as thin body condition. Reducing a cow’s calving interval or “backing her up’’ requires extra attention to management and herd health. Some producers have been able to consistently back cows up by three weeks (one heat cycle) per year. If you have been on the Red Meat Plan, calving intervals have been calculated and listed on your record sheets - use them. Keeping track of calving dates is easy - the only resource you need is a Membership - the heart of Junior Farmers All over Ontario during the month of March, Junior Farmer communities are going to be the focus of attention. March is Junior Farmer Membership Month. Membership is the heart of all organizations. It is the members that give organizations their life and vitality. Since the Junior Farmer program is designed and its members, the personal develop­ ment, needs and wants of its members are forefront. The flexi­ bility and variety of the Junior Farmer program are unique, it puts the members before the organiza­ tion. The organization is there for the members. The Junior Farmer Mot­ to is ‘Self Help and Community Betterment’. Both aspects of the calendar. Calving dates provide you with the information necessary to monitor your herd’s reproductive performance and optimize average age at weaning. Remember - calf age counts! motto are reciprocal, personal development improves the com­ munity and community projects benefit the people as a whole and as individuals. The variety of programs offered by Junior Farm­ ers and projects performed by Junior Farmers ensure that its members can reach their full potential in an atmosphere of fun, co-operation and social responsi­ bility. If interested in joining Junior Farmers in Huron County contact the Clinton O.M.A.F. office at 482-3428 or 1-800-265-5170 or a local club president: Seaforth, Lynda Feagan 527-1209; South Huron, Al Renning 235-2386; Clin­ ton, Robert Hunking, 523-4316; and West Huron, Mike Scott, 524-9914. New program trains og. journalists For farmers who often worry that their story is not intelligently reported in the media, a select new group of journalists may be on the way with a solid agricultural back­ ground. A new program developed in co-operation between Loyalists Col­ lege of Applied Arts in Belleville and Kemptville College of Agricul­ tural Technology offers students a chance to become acquainted with both the worlds of journalism and the agriculture. The Loyalist Pioneer, the journ­ alism program’s newspaper at Loyalist College currently has six agricultural reporters on its staff along with the students in the regular journalism program at the school. Students in the two-year pro­ gram spend the first year at Kemptville where they take on a full slate of agricultural courses in addition to introductory courses in reporting, broadcasting and photo­ journalism. The following year they transfer to Loyalist where they join the second year journalism. The colleges decided to set up the program after a -survey of agricultural organizations showed a need for journalists with an under standing of agriculture. Responses from 53 agricultural organizations confirmed a total of 169 full-time journalism or public relations jobs in these organizations with an expectation of 10 people being needed this year and 75 more over the next 10 years. Agriculture Minister Jack Rid­ dell spoke to students from Kempt­ ville and Belleville last September about the decline in media cover­ age of agricultural issues, saying a high calibre program dedicated to training journalists interested in agriculture was long overdue. He noted that agriculture and food is a $15-billion-a-year industry in On­ tario is responsible for one out of every 10 jobs. “It plays a central role in the economic and social life of the province, but farmers only repre­ sent three per cent of the popula­ tion so it’s important to be con­ stantly talking to the other 97 per cent," Mr. Riddell said. DENNIS DEMERLINGDENNIS DEMERLING We Mean 1989 F-150 PICKUP TONY JOHNSTONE Business WHEN IT COMES TO SELLING TRUCKS! At Suncoast Ford we mean business when it comes to you, the customer! Our sales staff will go the distance to give you nothing but the best ser­ vice. 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