The Rural Voice, 2001-09, Page 59Advice
BIO announces new
bull and heifer
evaluation programs
Beef Improvement Ontario (BIO)
has announced new bull and heifer
evaluation opportunities for this fall.
In addition to BIO's established
evaluation centres across the
province, BIO has added several new
centres and locations including The
Pick of the Crop (BEC) Bull
Evaluation Centre being offered at
David Carson Farms & Auction
Services in Listowel, Lambton
County BEC in Wyoming, Crystal
Brook Farms BEC in Cargill, South-
West Grey Heifer Development
Centre (HDC) in Mildmay, Purple
Hill Farms BEC/HDC in Thorndale,
Sunny Meadows BEC in Fenelon
Falls and Barry Robbins' HDC in
Brigden. The majority of these new
centres are open to all beef producers
whose animals meet the centres'
entry requirements.
In addition to consignment
centres, producers with 14 or more
bulls who are interested in getting
information on their animals (genetic
evaluations, ultrasound information,
etc.) are eligible to run a Private
Evaluation Group. The information
provided on evaluated animals not
only improves decision-making
capabilities for clients but also
enhances their marketing
opportunities. RIO offers evaluation
services for up to 2,100 bulls and
heifers in over 30 Private and
Consignment Bull Evaluation
Centres and eight Heifer
Development Centres across the
province — from Rainy River in the
north to Wyoming in the southwest
and Douglas in the east.
This will be the first year that BIO
will not offer a centre at the Arkell
Evaluation Centre in Guelph.
To reserve space, producers are
encouraged to contact the Centre
Manager at each location. A number
of centres will have waiting lists.
For more information and to
receive a copy of BIO's 2001/2002
Delivery Schedule, please call the
BIO office at 1-800-373-2253 or visit
BIO's website at www.biobeef.com.0
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People and Products
WHAT'S NEW
Promat Ltd.. an innovative
company based in Seaforth.
Ontario is well-known in the dairy
industry for Pasture Mat —
developed in 1992 to provide
comfortable indoor flooring for
cows. The tremendous success of
the product. a multi -celled
mattress filled with recycled
rubber tire crumb, prompted the
company to begin development of
a similar product for horses.
"It's a well-known fact that
outdoor pasture is the best
flooring for the comfort and
overall well-being of the norse."
says Nancy Hines of Promat. "Our
objective was to develop a stall
flooring with the same feel and
hopefully we would achieve the
same benefits."
The Paddock Mat system is
placed over the existing stall base.
The mattresses are then covered
with an impermeable top fabric
and fastened to the sides of the
stall walls, creating a "wall-to-
wall carpet" environment.
The most obvious benefit is the
reduction of bedding material.
"You no longer need bedding
materials for comfort." says
Hines. "Use just enough to absorb
moisture — our customers are
saving up to 75% on materials and
countless hours of cleanout time."
Testing of Paddock Mat has been
extensive throughout the industry.
Stalls at the Equine Research
Centre in Guelph, Ontario were
outfitted with Paddock Mat for an
air quality study. Their result'
found significant reductions in
dust levels in the stable.
Other findings indicate less leg
fatigue, reduced tissue fluid
accumulation and faster recovery
time for injured horses stabled on
Paddock Mat. As well. horses are
unable to get at the stall base to
dig, thereby reducing
maintenance, according to the
manufacturer.
"The product•is proving to be al!
we hoped for and more," says
Hines. "The longer it's been in
use, the more benefits we're
seeing! We decided to really do
our homework before we
marketed Paddock Mat. and we're
very glad we did."0
SEPTEMBER 2001 55