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The Rural Voice, 1999-05, Page 32B.J. BEAR GRAIN CO. LTD. B.J. BEAR GRAIN CO. LTD. WET BREWERS GRAIN • An excellent source of By -Pass PROTEIN • Available in Full or Split Load Quantities OTHER FEED INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE For further information on These and Other Feeds Contact: B.J. BEAR GRAIN CO. LTD. 25 Industrial Drive, Unit 7B, ELMIRA, ONTARIO N3B 3K3 1-519-669-1750 Feedtech Quality Silage Inoculant A Improves forage nutritional value and palatability. ♦ Researched and tested under farm conditions. A Improves milk production. A Improves average daily gain. SUPPLY LTD. Neustadt, Ontario 519-799-5366 Feedtech is easy to use and comes in either a water soluble or a granular format to best suit your needs. A Works over a wide variety of climatic conditions and type of crop (high moisture corn. corn, alfalfa, sorghum, grass). t: Alfa Laval Agri 28 THE RURAL VOICE heifers and breeding bulls they're keeping for sale bringing the total herd to 90. A couple of sons of their top cows are in artificial insemination units and he has sold some breeding bulls to breeders in western Canada. As well, cattle and embryo's from their Willvern Farm herd have been exportedto Japan, Brazil, Holland, the United Kingdom and the U.S. The Willvern line is bred for production, built around two families that have been the source of Superior Production and Canadian Champion awards, trace to Willvern Astro Jet Giget and Willvern Warden Snowball. "Cows have to produce here," says Paul. "Milk pays the bills." The herd average is 12,228 kg of milk. 503 kg. of fat and 405 of protein and the herd has BCAs of 257, 286 and 270. "We like big framey cows that can eat a lot of forage," Paul says. "We give them good feed so they can produce well." They grow their own corn and forages on their 200 -acre farm north of Clinton using mostly no -till practices, which Paul finds a time saver. Another time saver is the TMR system he added a year ago. Currently, the Gibbings are still milking twice a day (with the help of one part-time helper since their daughter Paige was born last year) but after talking to other top breeders, he's taking another look at three - time -a -day milking. "I said I'd never do it but I've said that before," he smiles, remembering that 10 years ago he wouldn't have dreamed he'd be using no -till. "With our high production it would definitely help the cows." It might even increase production more, he says. In looking for herd sires he looks for a family history of strength with good feet, legs and udders. "If a cow doesn't have a good udder she won't last long when she starts producing a lot of milk," he says. When a new bull comes on the market, Paul likes to listen to the success others have had with him. "Just because one bull works in one herd doesn't mean he works on your own herd," he says. "We try to keep up with the best new bulls but if there's a good bull that has worked