The Rural Voice, 1981-03, Page 7Mack, Janet Webster are proud
of their cow -calf operation
handling midwife duties, one of the cows
toppled on him and broke his leg. That's
when the family learned the value of
living in a community like Varna where
neighbourliness is still very much the
rule.
Frank Van Aaken, a high school
student at the time, was hired to help
Janet Webster with chores and the
remainder of the deliveries. But Webster
recalls sometimes when he'd look out his
front window, "there'd be six or eight
trucks, people just wanting to help." His
neighbours drew manure, cleaned pens
and generally lent a helping hand until he
was back on his feet. Varna, the same
village that rallied behind a family
burned out just before Christmas, is "a
real good community", Webster
declared.
Webster and farmers like him are a
minority in Huron County - the farmer
believes cow -calf operations are less
common than feedlots because land is
now so expensive - and maybe because
cow -calf men don't make as much money.
OMAF beef specialist Stan Paquette,
said in the past six years, cow -calf
operations in Huron County have de-
creased drastically. He said about six
years ago, there were approximately 600
cow -calf operations of various sizes in the
county. By 1980, this had dropped to
about 200 farms. He said essentially the
reason for the decline is there just wasn't
a dollar in the operations for the farmer.
Also, he said, land values have risen so
much in the county, a farmer can't afford
to use $2000 per acre land as pasture.
He said cow -calf operations have often
ended up on farms with a creek cutting
through it or farms with river bottom
fiats.
Mr. Paquette said today, cow -calf
operations are secondary enterprises for
many Huron County farmers in combina-
tion with cash crop, swine or poultry
operations.
Webster doesn't think there's another
cow -calf operation in his township as big
as his own - and certainly his isn't as
large as many. He adds several farmers
do have cows in addition to another
farming operation.
In the years since the Websters started
cross -breeding calves, they've deter-
mined a management program for the
herd. They grow all their own feed - a
neighbour Bev Hill custom combines for
them and they put up 5,000 bales of hay,
and about 3,000 bales of straw each
summer.
On December 9 each year. the cows are
vaccinated for IBR and given vitamins
A,D and E. The cows are also treated
with a new drug Vicogen, a scour -
preventative for the expectant cows. The
drug is administered again on January
10. but Webster said next year, cows will
require only one treatment.
Webster depends on his local vets, and
short courses offered by Centralia
College and OMAF, like the recent
Cow -Calf Day held in Desboro
Community Centre, to keep him abreast
of developments in the cow -calf field.
Also, four years ago the Websters were
one of Centralia College's project farms
and four students spent several days with
them, studying their operation
thoroughly.
Despite a disease prevention program
the Websters find calves must be
carefully watched during the first 10 days
for pneumonia and scours. When a calf
comes down with scours, Webster rushes
it to the Seaforth Vet Clinic, since the
calves can dehydrate quickly. Clinic staff
hook the young animals to intravenous for
24 hours, which usually saves them.
After calves are born, Webster
implants a drug called Ralgro in their ear
and implants the hormone again before
the calves go out on grass.
Webster says despite what some
farmers believe, he hasn't found any
more calving trouble using a Charolais
bull than he did when he was strictly into
Herefords.
But the Websters, like most beef
producers, are concerned about the
current low prices. Webster said last year
he received 19 cents per pound less for
his calves than he did in 1979. His wife
points out "everyone else is getting 10
per cent raises" every year, but not the
farmer. Also, with pork in oversupply,
many consumers are substituting pork for
much of the beef they once bought.
While the Websters aren't thinking
about getting out of the cow -calf business
in the foreseeable future, Webster admits
"if I do make a change, I'll go to cash
cropping, it's a lot nicer life." As Janet
points out, the farmers can't go on strike
if prices don't suit them. Mack adds,
"you send your cattle to market and you
have to take what you can get."
For the beef producer, that's the name
of the game!
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THE RURAL VOICE/MARCH 1981 PG. 5