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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-08-30, Page 5The International Scene THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1989. PAGE 5. 7 contestants seek Queen of Fair title Animals have likes and dislikes BY RAYMOND CANON One of the nicest things about the business I am in is that you get to read reports on economic topics from all over the world. Included in these are numerous reports on the agricultural sector since this indus­ try, like many others, is going through rather rapid changes, all of which means that farmers cannot avoid the necessity of constant adjustment. Without a doubt one of the most fascinating studies to cross my desk in some time relates to an examination of what farm animals like and dislike. If you are going to raise large quantities of such animals, it pays to have a better insight into what makes them tick. This insight, needless to say, can translate itself into higher incomes for the farmers. The first bit of information I have out of research being done at the University of Illinois is on pigs. Contrary to popular belief, pigs are extremely clean animals; in addi­ tion it was discovered that they liked to play with toys which they liked to have suspended and out of the muck. Pigs which were allowed to play with some simple toys did not get fatter any faster but they were certainly easier to handle. One of the examples of this was a greater willingness to go through a narrow shute which can be useful Column Blue Jays get an unlikely fan BY BONNIE GROPP Stee-rike three. Batter’s out! I have never been a fan of baseball and I have considered myself rather fortunate in the fact that my husband isn’t one either. While he loves to play the game, he has always found it rather boring to watch. Fortunately this means I have never been one of those women forced to watch the televis­ ed games or attend them just to spend some time with their spouses during ball season. Therefore, no one was more surprised than my husband when I told his brother we’d love to go to last Wednes­ day’s Jays game with him and his wife. However, like a lot of people it was not the game I wanted to see, so much as it was where it was being played. Certainly, I wonder­ ed how fair it has been of me to judge baseball without seeing the pros, but primarily my curiousity, like so many others’ was piqued by the infamous Sky dome. And let me tell you my first impressions were not good. As we approached the stadium from the Gardiner Expressway I was struck with the impression that I was looking at a colossal cement snail. It is perhaps the ugliest structure dominating the core of downtown Toronto which consider­ ing some of the architecture there lately, is quite a pronouncement. In physical appearance Skydome is an atrocity. So is the price of parking. For a brief 10 minute walk - that’s if you hurry and can manage a walk of that distance - you can pay a flat rate of $10. We were lucky, however, and found a parking lot at a slaughterhouse. Pigs which panic can get bruised while stress affects the texture and appearance of the meat. Pigs also like to get visited. This, too, seems to calm them down somewhat. Even five minutes a week does the trick but it is not enough to just greet the pig from an aisle; you have to actually enter the pen. There is such a thing as overdoing these visits; one student spent so much time with her pigs that they refused to go through the shute to the slaughter. Another researcher at the Uni­ versity of Texas has also been studying pig toys. He discovered that pigs like to gnaw on a hanging chain; it, too, adds to the feeling of comfort. He also discovered that the animals like what is called a head-box. This is slightly bigger than a pig’s head and has a special purpose. When one pig attacks another, it usually goes for the head and ears. A submissive pig can avoid such an attrack by putting his head in the box. These boxes have been shown to reduce fighting significantly - and there­ fore wounds - among young pigs that have been put together for the first time. Current research is directed toward seeing what sort of play and toys will result in the pigs putting on more weight. The research which has been done shows that pigs are even more intelligent than suspected but even chickens can benefit from such activity. They also like music! I should point out that one of my chief claims to temporary fame was a letter I wrote to the Globe and Mail one year pointing out that chickens increas­ ed their egg production because that offered a discount rate of six dollars. When we entered the dome I was amazed at the amount of work that is still not completed. It was like walking into a construction zone jind I began to think I should have worn a hard hat. We had excellent seats for the game, overlooking right field, and my impressions began to change gradually as I looked around me. The stadium is immense and is really quite a spectacular sight. The evening was beautiful, so the dome was open, providing us with a canopy of blue sky and fluffy clouds. Also, though there was a record crowd that night of 49,233 people attending - and I tend to be a claustrophobic, there was a sense of openness and fresh air, a rarity Letter to the Editor Riddell says thanks THE EDITOR, I have been delighted by the many cards, letters, and telephone calls which I have received from friends and acquaintances from all walks of life following the recent changes in the Ontario Cabinet as announced by Premier David Peterson. In my capacity as a Cabinet Minister in the Peterson govern­ ment for the past four years, the contacts and experiences which I was afforded were of measurable benefit to me, from both a personal and a career point of view. As many of you will know, the privilege of being entrusted with the responsi­ they liked classical music, espe­ cially Mozart. If, therefore, you wanted to reduce the size of the flock, the cheapest way was to substitute hard rock music for the classical. To my surprise the Globe gave the letter a prominent position on the editorial page and entitled it “Rock Around the Coop.’’ It came, therefore, as no surprise to find that the researchers at Cornell University found that the chickens also like Vivaldi. (So do I). The music, together with some toys nearby, results in the chickens gaining about six per cent more weight for a given amount of feed. If all chicks were raised this way, it has been calculated that farmers would save about $60 million a year in feed costs. Chickens also like a kind word; the controlled group at Cornell that got such words were more resistant to a variety of infectious diseases; they were calmer and easier to handle and they gained 20 per cent more weight than the other chick­ ens for the same amount of feed. Vivaldi, toys and kind words seem to be an unbeatable combination. Perhaps we should start a “Be Kind to your Chicken Week.” Other research is being done on horses; one of the first things to come out of this is that they do not like the dark. They, too, aiso like having friends around. All this makes me amazed just how soci­ able animals are. The upshot of all this is that, if you can use psychology on people to get them to accomplish more, you can apparently do the same for animals. We may be surprised what the researchers find in the next decade. in Toronto. Suddenly about halfway through the game a strange thing occurred. I found myself cheering and shout­ ing right along with everyone else. I was thoroughly enjoying the game! Perhaps it was the fact that we had unknowingly of course, picked a winner - there was a total of four home runs by the Jays and they defeated Detroit 11 - 4 - but, I felt it was the spirit surrounding me. I found myself drawn into the audience and their excitement. The camaraderie and sense of good fun is contagious and hard to ignore. To my husband’s bemusement, I suggested returning sometime and bringing the children to a game. Don’t misunderstand! I don’t want a steady diet of it - I couldn’t afford it - but I did enjoy myself. Actually I had a ball. bility to represent all Ontario farmers at the provincial level had been a life-long ambition for me, and one which few people are able to attain. As most of you will also know, along with the privileges accorded a Cabinet Minister comes a lengthy list of what often seem like onerous responsibilities. The long hours of work, extensive miles of travel, and the difficult and often controversial decisions which had to be made were all part of the job. Many times, such responsibilities afford­ ed less time than one would like for Continued on page 19 Seven local young women will compete for the title of Queen of the Brussels Fall Fair this year. The seven allowed their names to stand for the competition as of the deadline last weekend. The judging for the event will be held at a dance September 9 at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. PAT COWMAN Pat Cowman, RR 2, Bluevale, is a Grade 12 student at F. E. Madill Secondary School, Wingham. She is the daughter of Gordon and Sharon Cowman and is sponsored by J.R.’s Texaco in Brussels. SANDRA MARKS Sandra Marks of RR 4, Brussels, is the daughter of Dave and Alice Marks. She is a Grade 13 student at F. E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham. She is sponsored by the Majestic Women’s Institute, Brus­ sels. HEATHER McGAVIN Heather is 17 years old and a Grade 13 student at Seaforth District High School. The daughter of Neil and Marie McGavin of Walton she is sponsored by the Walton Women’s Institute. TRACEY FISCHER Tracey is 17 years old and the daughter of Don Fischer of RR 3, Brussels. She is entering Grade 13 at Seaforth District High School. She is sponsored by the Brussels Livestock Inc. PATRICIA ALBERS Patricia Albers is the daughter of Pete and Lenie Albers, RR 2, Bluevale. She is a Grade 12 student at F. E. Madill Secondary School, Wingham. She is sponsored by Diesel Car Diner. LORI WILLIE Lori Willie is 17 years of age and entering Grade 12 at F. E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham. She is the daughter of Lome and Jane Draper of Brussels. She is sponsor­ ed by the Brussels, Morris and Grey Recreation Committee. MARGARET CRONYN Margaret is the daughter of John and Yvonne Cronyn, RR 2, Blyth. She is entering Grade 13 at Seaforth District High School and has an interest in 4H work, baseball and broomball. She is sponsored by The Citizen. OPP warn about misleading ads The Ontario Provincial Police is warning the public to beware of a misleading advertising circular that promises major prizes, but doesn’t deliver them. The circular, originating from a company in Vancouver, B.C., was sent to a number of local business­ es in the North Bay area, and indicates that the recipient is an automatic winner of a car, a trip or a cash reward. . The recipient is asked to call the company to confirm receipt of the certificate, and is then asked to send money to cover the cost of shipping. The “prize” is apparent­ ly never received.