The Rural Voice, 1985-09, Page 41FARM NEWS
figures are totalled, Den Boer makes
between $130 and $150 per acre profit
(even with current beef prices), says
George Jeffrey, area manager of
Gallagher Power Fencing and one of
the hosts for the day. No cash crop
can compete with numbers like these,
Jeffrey says.
Den Boer invested $2,100 in electric
fencing this spring. He also spent the
better part of a week putting it up on
his own, but the fence will need only
minimal spring maintenance, says
Jeffrey.
Den Boer still has plans for this
pasture. His major drawback to date
is water. The cattle's rate of gain is
affected by their daily walk from the
pasture to the watering area. As well
as affecting gain in a negative way,
the walk to the water creates a muddy
path. Den Boer plans to trench in a
water line to the back of the farm and
install three additional watering sites
to correct this problem.
He is also adjusting his approach to
fertilizer. This year, Den Boer applied
chicken manure to 40 acres. He added
200 pounds of ammonia nitrate per
acre to all 80 acres. Next year he
wants to apply more nitrogen fer-
tilizer to the pasture. He has also
decided to increase his herd size. With
the intensive management, the
pasture can support more cattle.
Den Boer has accurate records of
his rate of gain and participates in the
Red Meat Program. His statistics
look good in comparison to a sum-
mary of stocker/slaughter cattle on
the Red Meat Program in Bruce
County as reported August 7.
There were 65 producers in total in
the Bruce Red Meat results: 24 with
steers in feedlots, 10 with steers on
pasture, 20 with heifers in feedlots,
and six with heifers on pasture. The
total number of stocker/slaughter
cattle was 5,524. The top group of
heifers in a feedlot was 83 Charolais
with an average daily gain of 3.07
pounds fed on haylage and barlage.
The average daily gain of all heifers
was 1.6 pounds. The lowest group of
heifers in a feedlot was 46 Herefords
with an average daily gain of .08
pounds.
The top group of steers in a feedlot
was 150 Herefords with an average
daily gain of 2.9 pounds fed on
grainlage, silage, and corn gluten.
The average daily gain of all steers
was 1.55 pounds. The lowest group of
steers in a feedlot was 57 Herefords
with an average daily gain of .08
pounds fed on hay and gain mix.
The highest group of steers on
pasture was 5 Herefords with an
average daily gain of 1.97 pounds.
The average for the whole group was
1.66 pounds. The lowest group of
steers on pasture was 95 western
crossbreds with an average daily gain
of 1.25 pounds.
The top group of heifers on pasture
was 64 exotic with an average daily
gain of 1.7 pounds. The average for
the entire group was 1.46 pounds with
a low of .41 pounds in a group of 32
mixed heifers. Len Lobb of Durst
Farm Equipment used these figures to
draw a comparison to Den Boers' cat-
tle on rotational pasture, which
achieved two pounds of daily gain.
Den Boer is pleased with his
results. In the future he may make his
fields even smaller and move the cat-
tle consistently on a daily basis.❑
BUYERS OF C A N O L A
Immediate unloading
Payment
SPEARE SEEDS
Harriston, Ont.
519-338-3840
SEEDS
Bar -B -Dee Farms Ltd.
would like to inform their
customers that they will be
handling white beans as a
licensed satellite for W.G.
Thompsons & Sons Ltd.
Licensed Grain Elevator Handling Wheat,
Barley, White Beans, Soybeans, Corn,
Feed, Seed, 8 Fertilizer
Maisberfccds O
Bar -B -Dee Farms Ltd.
R.R. •1, BORNHOLM. Ontario NOK 1AO
Phone (519) 347-2966
SEPTEMBER 1985 39
1