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The Rural Voice, 2003-03, Page 30Glen Osprey Farm Salers R.R.#6, Shelburne, Ontario LON 1S9 PERFORMANCE TEST 2003 24 Polled Salers Bulls 38 Salers heifers Bred heifers and cows available for sale. For further information, contact David Pease (519) 925-6412 or check our web page www.salerscattle.com BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK 887-6461 887-6811 SALES SPECIAL VACCINATED SALES Mon., March 31, April 14 8 28 -10 am April 3 & 10 - Easter Lamb & Goat Sales - 11:30 am A ril 19 - Stocker Sale in lieu of Good Friday -10 am Tuesdays 9 am. - Fed Cattle, Cows, Bulls Thursdays 8 a.m. - Bob Calves, Veal, Lambs, Goats & Pigs Fridays 10 a.m. - Stockers Confidence • Trust • Service WESTERN STOCKERS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE SALE Visit our website at www.brusselslivestock.ca Email us at: info@brusselslivestock.ca NSW: Seeect .l'epte Gates Se€ect 44te - The Economical Choice! Features: • Quality, 6 bar construction • Hot dipped galvanized for longevity • Available in several standard lengths: 4', 6', 8', 10', 12', 14', 16' ATWOOD LENCO SUPPLY LTD (519) 356-2282 TARA H NICHOLSON & SON (519) 934-2343 For more information contact your local BSM Dealer: GRANTON AVONBANK • FARM EQUIPMENT (519) 225-2507 LUCKNOW MAITLAND VALLEY AGRI SYSTEMS LTD (519) 529-3820 MILDMAY MIDWAY FARM SYSTEMS (519) 367-5358 WELLESLEY PROGRESSIVE FARMING (519) 656-2709 DRAYTON CONESTOGO AGRI SYSTEMS INC (519) 638-3022 WALTON KEITH SIEMON FARM SYSTEMS LTD (519) 345-2734 BSM Agri Ltd. R.R. #4 Arthur, ON. Canada NOG 1AO Tel (519) 848-3910 Fax (519) 848-3948 Visit our website at www.bsmagri.com 26 THE RURAL VOICE after the customer -centred business means you need to be sure your production system matches the needs of your supply chain partners. "Are there production interruptions, bottlenecks or deviations that your customer or the rest of the supply chain can't deal with?", he asked. Processors, for instance, need to have product every day of the week. Because of the requirements of meeting customer -centred markets, this tends to be "a proprietary system", with the processor controlling from primary production through processing to sales. One of the keys is how to manage variability, Cohoe said. "We need to take more of a look at what it takes to create a differentiated system." More benefits of reducing variability of pigs were discussed by Cathy Aker, technical director with Ontario Swine Improvement Inc. While it's important for the future improvement of pigs that genetic variability be maintained and all pigs not be identical, at the farm level variation increases costs of production and decreases efficiency, she said. Genetic variability expresses itself in everything from litter size to growth rate to feed intake and efficiency to carcass characteristics. "We need to minimize variability but understand that we can't eliminate it," Aker said. Aker gave an example of the cost impact of variability in growth rates when she examined what happens with pigs having to be held longer to reach market weight. Keeping a pig beyond 23 weeks cost $6.29 for one week, $15.49 for two weeks and $26.16 for three weeks. The average cost of pigs shipped after 160 days is $15.18 (based on 10,000 market hogs a year). But if a farmer decided he needed to clean out the barn and shipped every pig remaining in the barn at 24 weeks of age, 23 per cent would go out light and at $1.50 kg that would cost a producer of 10,000 market hogs $54,000 a year. Even among pigs from the same genetic stock, management can affect variability from one farm to another. Management is also the key to reducing variability, Aker said. "Motivate yourself by finding out