The Rural Voice, 2002-03, Page 51Advice
Think long term to protect water, speakers say
Practical ways of protecting the
environment while producing beef
were outlined by two participants in a
panel at the Grey -Bruce Farmers'
Week Beef Day in Elmwood.
James McKinlay and Glen Welis
showed photos of some of the
projects they've been involved with
in their operations.
McKinley said farmers share the
resources of sunlight, soil, water and
people.
"People are an important part of
the equation. How we utilize
resources will affect our success."
On examining their Ravena-area
farm in Grey County, he and his wife
Joan decided with their relatively thin
layer of soil and sloping property that
forage was the best use of their land.
Cattle were the way to add value to
the forage. But increasing the number
of cattle means putting more pressure
on the environment, he said, so a
number of steps have been taken on
his 465 -acre farm to reduce the
damage, including creating corridors
and laneways rather than having
cattle spread out the damage.
Also on the farm they have
developed a number of watering
areas that protect the natural
waterways from cattle trampling and
fouling them. One includes a spring -
fed, concrete water trough.
On another farm they use the
water from a dam to power a
hydraulic ram which pumps water
from the pond to a watering area.
Working with a local sportsmen's
club, McKinlay also constructed a
three -pond natural water purification
system to treat run-off from a
concrete pad. The ponds have been
planted with bullrushes and reeds to
clean the water. Last summer the
ponds dried up and he actually took
water to the ponds to preserve the
aquatic life in the ponds.
There's a visible difference
between the water in the first settling
pond and the final .pond in the
system, McKinlay said.
Glen Wells described
environmental improvements made
at the Bruce County Community
Pasture where he has been manager
for 29 years.
The changes began in 1991 when
Ontario Hydro offered 75,000 trees
that had not been used in t he
reforestation programs along the
length of the new power corridor
from the Bruce Nuclear Power
Development to Lambton County.
The Underwood Creek runs
through the 1600 acre parcel and this
was fenced off and the trees planted
along the banks. A low-level crossing
was put in to take the cattle across
the creek but after one year this was
replaced with a bridge. "Don't go
with a low level crossing," Wells
advised. "It puts all the cattle in one
place (to foul the water)."
Another project was in the "Big
Valley" at the back of the farm.
There were erosion problems on the
sides of this valley and cedar and
spruce were planted that are now 10-
12 feet high. White ash were also
planted.
In 1993 the Community Pasture
got involved with Ducks Unlimited
in fencing off a creek and municipal
drain and creating a three -paddock
rotational grazing system. A solar -
powered pump helps provide fresh
water without cattle going near the
creek, as well as powering an
electrical fencing system. The cattle
now have fresh clean and cool water
all the time, Wells said.
"If you supply good water for
cattle they will walk right by a
muddy water hole to get clean
water," Wells said. The farm now has
water troughs on all the ranges and
cattle will walk 80 rods to get fresh
water.
The most recent program began
last spring in co-operation with the
Saugeen Valley Conservation
Authority which planted trees along
another section of the Underwood
Creek after it had been fenced off.
With last year's dry conditions,
Wells said he was sure the trees
wouldn't survive but 90 per cent of
them have.
All the changes have meant taking
about 150 acres out of pasture
production and reducing the stocking
by about 100 head per year, Wells
said. Improved pasture management
will likely see that number increase
again, he said.
"There is no immediate payback
for the expense" (of environmental
improvements), Welis said. "You
have to look down the road."0
Extra care pays off in pork nursery
Maximizing care will result in
reduced mortality in light -weight
pigs (those born at less than 1.1 kg)
and will increase the weight gain
from birth to 16 days of age in all
sizes of pigs, regardless of birthrate,
Cate Dewey told producers attending
the Centralia Swine Update.
The research was conducted by
Dewey and Karen Richardson of the
University of Guelph, on a 600 -sow
farrow -to -feeder farm involving 1381
piglets.
The "regular care" piglets had the
same processing with teeth and tails
clipped and received an iron shot
within 24 hours of birth and were
cross -fostered as necessary.
The extra care for the other group
included treating the umbilical area
with diluted iodine and disinfecting
scalpels and the clippers used on
teeth and tails between each pig.
Processing of small or weak pigs was
delayed until day 3. An electrolyte
solution was provided from day one
until weaning.
For newborns a rubber mat was
put under the heat lamp for three
days. Chilled piglets were dried with
a towel, given a hot water bottle and
a warm bath and placed in a box of
shavings underneath the heat lamp
and were given a solution of glucose
orally and/or colostrum stripped from
a farrowing sow. Splay -legged
piglets were taped, massaged and
helped to get colostrum.
Sows on maximal care were given
a third meal each day and manure
was cleaned from the crate twice
daily.
Piglets born at less than 1 kg
weight were only half as likely to die
if given maximal care. At 16 days,
standard care piglets averaged 4.75
kg while maximum care piglets
weighed 4.91 kg.0
MARCH 2002 47