The Rural Voice, 1993-05, Page 22Community pastures: laboratories
on pasture management
Experiments at community pasture projects can provide lessons
for all cattle farmers
By June Payne Flath
The face of farming in Ontario
varies from region to region, but beef
producers in 12 Ontario counties
have at (cast one thing in common —
access to a community pasture.
"Community pastures," says
Wilfred Shier, the OMAF pasture co-
ordinator, "were established in the
early 60s and on until the late 70s
under the Agricultural Rural
Development Act."
Local committees are responsible
for day-to-day upkeep and
management of the land base. The
pastures must be self-sufficient,
generating enough income for
maintenance, plus employment of the
pasture manager, and secretary/ -
treasurer.
Some farms, such as the Ice Lake
pasture on Manitoulin Island, charge
a flat monthly rate for pasturing,
others such as Brucc and Grey-
Dufferin charge so much per pound
gained.
The services supplied also vary,
including a combination of identity
tags, de -worming, fly tags, Ivomec,
hay, veterinary fees, and breeding.
"The farms were originally
established to provide pasture for
local farmers who wanted to expand
but didn't have a Targe enough land
base," says Grey-Dufferin pasture
manager Dale Pallister. "They are
18 THE RURAL VOICE
also experimental demonstration
facilities."
Pasture managers are responsible
for the daily supervision of the farm,
animal health, maintenance and
upkeep of the fences and pastures.
Located near Underwood,
Dundalk, Gore Bay, Brockville,
Kagawon, Stirling, Napanee, Emo,
New Liskeard, Sault Ste. Marie,
Thunder Bay and Lindsay, pasture
projects are as wide ranging as their
locations.
The Bruce County farm, for
example, has an ongoing de -worming
program. In 1992 all cattle at the
Bruce County pasture were "de-
wormed 5-6 weeks after being turned
out. Two hundred and thirty-five
were treated with Panacure in salt, 30
with Valbazen drench and the rest
with Tramisol Pour On," says pasture
manager Glen Wells. "All three
products were effective. The cost per
head," he says, "(was) Panacure
$2.38, Valbazen $1.80 (500 Ib.
animal), and $2.21 for the Tramisol."
Victoria County also decided in
1992 "to see what benefits could be
achieved from treating steers on these
pastures for coccidiosis. One
hundred and one steers, with an
average weight of 640 pounds, were
put on pasture May 12," says Wilf
Shier. "They were fed Deccox at the
prescribed rates for the first two
months on pasture."
A control group which consisted
of 123 steers with an average weight
of 633 pounds went to pasture May
12.
"The treated steers gained an extra
28 pounds. The Deccox cost about
three cents per day per head, $1.80
for the treatment period. The average
steer weighed 1011 pounds at round-
up and was worth between 85-95
cents per pound at the local stocker
sale. The extra gain was worth $22
to $25."
Care of the land is as essential as
animal health. The water supply at
the Grey-Dufferin pasture, until a few
years ago, was a municipal water
ditch that ran the full width of the
property. Interior fencing went
across ditching so cattle walked into
the ditch and drank.
In 1982 farmers began to discuss
the possibility of improved gains and
fewer health problems, such as foot
rot and pink eye, if the cattle were
fenced out of the water.
"We built a trough, pumped the
water out of a pond and fenced the
cattle out of the ditch. We could see
a difference in health and gains,"
says Dale Pallister.
A mid-level crossing was then
built so cattle could cross the ditch at