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Farming '91, 1991-03-20, Page 3FARMING ’91, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1991. A3. Farming ’91 Recycled newspapers solve problems on poultry farm John Dorsch, manager of the chicken barns of Bodmin Farms Ltd. puts paper into the straw chopper to shred it for bedding for the roaster chicks. Thirty to 40 knives chop the paper as the chute turns before expelling it out an opening at the bottom. Marie McIntosh, who cares for the roasters at Bodmin Farms Ltd. spreads a forkful of shredded paper down as bedding for the little chicks. The paper is usually mixed with straw and according to Mrs. McIntosh is an excellent bedding material Pick up a handful of soil. What do you see? Most folks would see... well, dirt. But a farmer sees much more. You know how complex that handful of soil is. Modern lubri­ cants are like that, too. One oil or grease or fluid looks pretty much like another. But Texaco's family of lubricants are among the most technically advanced on the market. Some are precise blends of additives and detergents. Others are sophisticated synthetics. Each is the end result of thousands of hours of research and testing. And each is guaranteed by Texaco to meet or exceed the demands of your farm machinery. QUALITY PRODUCTS TO PROTECT YOUR EQUIPMENT Full product line of Texaco lubricants available from Rowe Fuels Phone 1-800-265-5505 ♦X* TEXACO Quality Lubricants Ct? HEART AND ST ROKE FOUNDATION OF ONTARIO BY BONNIE GROPP With our growing concern over waste management and environ­ mental conditions, people have been adopting new techniques and ideas to help out where they can and today’s farming community is no exception. In an attempt to ease the burden on landfill sites and do their bit for the environment many farmers have begun using newspaper as a bedding for livestock. However, it takes hundreds of pounds of paper daily, which has to be picked up and shredded. Ross Procter, of Bodmin Farms Ltd. near Belgrave has been examining the cost effi­ ciency of making the change from straw to newspaper in his cattle barns, but for now he is using paper as bedding in his chicken operation only. John Dorsch, who looks after the roaster envision of Bodmin Farms Ltd. makes a trip to the landfill site every four to six weeks to pick up a truckload full of newspaper from the bin. The bundles are kept in the barn and shredded as needed, usually every other day. About half an hour is spent on the job. The straw chopper used to shred the paper has about 30-40 knives on its four sides. The paper is fed through a chute that turns around and the shredded bits are blown out the side. Mr. Dorsch says it takes more power to shred the paper than it would to chop straw. The paper has to be very dry before it can be shredded, he says. To use as bedding for the chicks, Fibre Follies Dietary fibre is good for you but don’t overdo it. With too much fibre, you can lose some nutrients linprovtng your and it may leave you c^r' bloated with gas. *u'//e’r To help control the gassy part of a high fibre diet, increase your fibre intake slowly. Also, make sure you take in plenty of fluids since fibre needs water to work at its best. For more information on heart healthy eating, contact your local chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Mr. Dorsch and employee Marie McIntosh have found it ideal when mixed with straw. “It’s got a lot more body to it,” he said. Beyond the environmental bene­ fits there was another reason for .the switch to paper. Mr. Dorsch said that during the summer it was very difficult to get straw into the second level of the barn. “We just can’t store enough.” Paper is also very absorbent bedding and light to handle, though Mrs. McIntosh says it is easier to spread straw in the beds than fork in loads of paper. But most importantly, the paper is environmentally friendly. When the chicken beds are cleaned the paper is spread in the fields and as it is biodegradable it will have little negative affect. Both Mr. Dorsch and Mrs. McIntosh expressed some concern with the composition of the ink, questioning whether or not it would have harmful effects over the course of time. “I hope most use ink that is biodegradable as well, now because otherwise you know you are not doing any harm,” said Mrs. McIntosh. “You have a feeling that you are putting back what you are getting out.”