The Rural Voice, 1993-10, Page 28EXPERIENCE THE
"REEL" DIFFERENCE
Only the Bou -Matic
Xpressway TM Cow
Traffic Systems
have the exclusive
"Exit Reel,"
the key to efficient
cow traffic.
Me open. dean design of Xpressway makes u a
'user frlerdly and murfrtendly-parlor system.
Whether you're building a new parlor or remodeling. a Bou -Matic
Xpressway Herringbone or Parallel can give you maximum efficiency.
The Bou -Matic Xpressway Cow Traffic System moves cows from the
holding area to the milking parlor and to optional exit lane sorting for
safer, smoother, faster cow throughput.
See us for
Debus Dairy Supply Ltd.
R.R. 1 Brunner NOK 1C0
(519) 595-8114
H. Nicholson & Son
R.R. 2 Tara NOH 2N0
(519) 934-2343
21st Century Dairy Eq. Inc.
R.R. 4 Walton NOK 1Z0
(519) 887-6784
FAST - COURTEOUS SERVICE
DELIVER YOUR SOYBEANS & CORN
TO THE MITCHELL CO-OP
LET US SERVE YOU
MITCHELL CO-OPERATIVE
Mitchell, Ontario
WITH 3 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU
Country Elevator 348-8522
Uptown Elevator 348-4524
Monkton Satellite Elevator 347-2232
24 THE RURAL VOICE
innovation although he has had calls
from smaller producers for
information on how his system was
designed. He thinks a couple of
smaller producers in British
Columbia have set up barns based on
his experiments and there has been
some interest from farmers in the
Kitchener area. There was one
inquiry from a large producer who
thought there might be a niche
market to be filled in producing free
range eggs.
He doesn't blame egg producers
for not leaping at the changes. As
long as the difference in housing is
not reflected in the price, it's
understandable that farmers would be
reluctant to make such a radical
change, he says. Farmers may also be
cautious about the possibility of more
disease problems from hens being on
litter. Still, he says, labour wise the
free range system requires about the
same work as their battery system.
He isn't concerned that there
hasn't been immediate acceptance of
the ideas. People should have the
information of what can be done, he
says.
He has also turned his attention to
a new kind of housing for dairy cattle
that would eliminate tethering . A
year ago, along with Dave Barney,
chief technician at the Elora Research
Station's dairy unit, he designed a
prototype of a new system that would
allow animals to each have their own
space, yet have more freedom of
movement for grooming, etc.
Again the initial design seemed to
work well and need little alteration
and the experiment has now been
expanded to 16 cows. The cows are
monitored by personal observation
and by television cameras.
The new system would allow a
release system that could be
controlled, perhaps electronically, for
all the animals at once, but could also
provide for individual pens to be
opened.
Like that old Carnation
advertisement of milk from contented
cows, Hurnik believes that cows that
have more comfort will give more
milk as well as have a longer life.
With more exercise, leg problems in
the cattle may be reduced. So far the
results in terms of milk production
have been pleasing. If the experiment
works equally as well with the larger