The Rural Voice, 1991-07, Page 38Feed Tanks
• 1 tonne to 20 tonne
(larger sizes built to order)
• 14 gauge metal
• teed factories
10 -Ton Tandem Axle Dump Trailer
7'3' x 12 x 3/16' deck size, double-acting hyd. cyl.
11L x 15.8 ply tires on 6 bolt hub.
Front & sides optional.
Livestock Trailers -
Tagalongs and 5th Wheels
Standard sizes or built to your specifications
Services
Sheet & Structural Steel
Bending — Rolling — Shearing — Welding
SMITH STEEL & FABRICATING INC.
Hwy. 23 North, Atwood, Ont. 519-356-2802 or 2824
"THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR STEEL"
WELLESLEY CATTLE CHUTE
Features:
• Heavy duty
construction
• 3 p.h. transport
(from both sides)
• exit both ways
• collapsible for
shipping
Ideal for vaccinating,
clipping and other
veterinary and
handling procedures.
Self Catching Cattle Chute
We also manufacture:
• Hay feeders • Farm gates • Sheep feeders
• Cattle and hog loading chutes
TILMAN SHERK
WELLESLEY ONT. 519-656-3338
34 THE RURAL VOICE
adjustments, and probe all purebred
and crossbred females and boars.
Feeder pig buyers call in on
Thursday and place their bids. Sandy
Lyle of R. R. 1 St. Thomas buys
feeders through the tele -auctioning
system from one particular herd and
picks up his own pigs, even though
Quality Swine will provide trucking
services.
"We might pay higher premium,"
Lyle says, "but the money is going
into health and upgrading smaller
producers. Without their research and
development work, we'd be way
behind in genetics."
"It's not cheap, with premiums and
commission charges, but it's worth it.
If you want good stock you have to
pay for it. Fly-by-night is not the
answer," says Lyle.
Quality Swine's follow up program
also consists of buying feeder pigs
from each producer every 12 to 16
months and raising them at barn at
their Shedden headquarters. Average
daily gain, feed conversions, and
backfat rating are monitored. Results
are given back to the producers so that
they are aware of the finishing perfor-
mance of their own stock.
This provides quality control for
the buyers, and is necessary "in order
for us to feel comfortable marketing
the product," says Doug Wheeler,
Quality Swine operations manager.
"We're a supporter of the family
farm," says Hunter. "We do for them
what they can't do for themselves."
"We're not here to serve rapid
expansion," he says, "but increased
productivity through a breeding pro-
gram, better knowledge, and better
management."
However, the family farm is
changing. "What we knew of as the
family farm ten years ago is not what
we know of as the family farm today,"
says Wheeler. "Ten years ago 50
sows was a family operation, today
it's 100, but it's still a family
operation."
Angus Campbell agrees that the
industry is changing. "More people
have farrow to finish operations." He
anticipates major changes in the
industry in the next five years, and so
Quality Swine's role may have to
change too, he says.0