The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-03-21, Page 54Take time for tractor safety
Many farmers are anxious to get out to
work on the land and in their haste neglect
tractor safety and machinery maintenance.
"Tractor roll overs and tractor related
accidents account for more than one half of
all accidental farm deaths," says Larry
Swinn, public relations co-ordinator of the
Farm Safety Association of Ontario. "Many
of these accidents occur in early spring."
''Too"many farmers try to beat the gun by
getting the tractor out on the land before the
soil is dry," he says. "The end result is that
they lose time pulling the tractor out of the
mire." •
Attempts to pull the tractor out of the mud
can also end in injuries and fatalities. With
enough pull, an improperly hitched tractor
can flip in less than two seconds.
"There's only one way to hitch a tractor
and that's from the draw bar," warns Mr.
Swinn.
In the spring rush, many farmers also
neglect routine machinery maintenance.
Failure to keep machinery in good repair can
cause down time during peak season and can
also cause personal injury.
"In the past couple of years we've become
increasingly concerned about preventative
maintenance," says Mr. Swinn. "An
increasing number of farmers are trying to
-get an extra year or two out of their old
tractors and related equipment to avoid
buying new equipment. Older models need
routine repair work or complete overhauls to
operate safely."
Mr. Swinn urges farmers to take the time
to repair old equipment before the season
begins. Order spare parts before they are
needed because parts for older tractors may
be difficult to find on short notice. Be sure to
replace all safety shields before using the
tractor.
"Safe operation of tractors and farm
equipment takes time, but not as much time ,
as it takes to recover from injury or the
financial loss of down time during the
growing season."
Call a veterinarian first.
Save time, money and animals' lives: call
a veterinarian as soon as animals get sick.
"A veterinarian will take longer to find the
cause of an illness, and thus the bill will be
higher, if the symptoms have been masked
or hidden by unnecessary drugs, which the
farmer has administered on his own, says
Dr. Walter Weir, director of Saskatchewan
Agriculture's veterinary services branch.
"A farmer who tries treating animals
disease by tria and error costs himself time
and money," Weir said. "The illness will
take hanger to diagnoze, and the animal will
take longer to respond to the correct
treatment, .and. may even die any time
during the process."
Call a veterinarian as soonas disease is
suspected. Be sure to have a detailed and
correst history of the patient as well as the
laboratory for assistance in, arriving at a
cause of the illness, and sometimes a cause
for the death.
Diagnostic laboratories staffed by veterin-
ary pathologists and highly trained technical
staff are capable "of assisting practicing
veterinarians in solving difficult cases and
confirming a diagnosis. The facilities can
handle anything from a canary to a 2,000
pound bull.
However, during the summer, dead
animals decompose rapidly. As a general
.rule, animals dead more than 1,2 hours are
difficult to diagnose accurately.
"It is a commonly held belief that a shot of
antibiotic will cure anything: no so," Weir
said. "If your calves are suffering from
coccidiosis, pouring water in their left ear
flock or herd ready for the veterinarian. • will do as much good as giving them
Many diseases have similar symptoms, even antibiotics."
though their treatments may be completely "Get a correct diagnosis from your
different,• so veterinarians often have to veterinarian and save animals, and save
• submit blood, urine or tissues to a diagnostic money on treatment."
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