24-Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Nov ember lf>. 1969 Fast Changing Cattle Industry May Be Changing Too Fast \mei ica's cattlemen aie pav ing moic loi changes some times called technological ad vances than they haigamed foi Stiess in cattle, caused bv shipping, handling, fecdlot sur faces. and other external factors, jesult m a loss of weight in cat tle and an economic loss to cat tlemen As fast as cattlemen work to select stock with the genetic abil ity to thrive in modified environ ments, the environment is chang ed. This was the suggestion made by Dr H L Self. Professor of Animal Science. lowa State Uni versity. m the current issue of The Merck Agricultural Memo The Memo is published by Feed Products Meick Chemical Di vision as a seivice to animal health and nutrition The Memo reports on a senes of studies of stiess situations leading to shiinkage made b\ Dr Self, piofessor in chaise of outlying fauns at lowa State He found that an aveiage ot 121 pounds of beef was lost m tian sit in one animal This figure was de\ eloped af tei buying an 800 pound steer which shuink 9% or 72 pounds Aftei leading the animal for 120 days, it weighed 1.080 pounds It was then shipped to market and lost 45% or 49 pounds in transit The total shrink loss was 121 pounds. Dr Self observed that the ef fects of shipping, handling, wea ther, feedlot surfaces and hous ing, even cattle management, may cause stress in animals Most of these factors have been studied by Di Self and other experts. For example, confine ment studies at Oklahoma State University indicated steers ad justed readily to slatted floors The steers were fed free-choice in self-feeders Carcases showed no-unusual bruises or other dam age due to confinement On cold winter days, cattle may crowd into a poorly venti lated barn and “steam” The mass of bodies and lack of mov ing air causes this high degree of heat and humidity When the animals return to the cold out side, the moisture in their coat either freezes or rapidly eva porates and causes super-cool mg This chilling, in turn, causes stiess and frequently leads to influenza or pneumon ia Tests in Ohio showed that cat tle bedded with stiaw on a solid floor undei cover gained slightly fastei than cattle on slatted floors In anothei test, yeaihng steers with access to overhead shelter gained an aveiage of 0 4 pounds pei steer pei day fastei than unshelteied controls Most of the tests showed both advantages as well as disadvan tages Foi example, the test of bedding cattle on straw showed weight gam, but there were 12 cases of foot tot among steeis on bedding, while none occuned on the slatted floor The stress situations have been with cattlemen a long time The fiist great change in livestock, says Dr Self, was then domesti cation Then, many years latei, anothei change was made The cattle were transpoi ted from one point to another Since this change, the tempo of new, artifi cial environments increased rap idly Trail drives led to rail then Try A Classified It Pays titick tianspoi tation The future, «.,iv!> Di Self, is in air transpor tation This will cicate a whole new set of problems for cattle and cattlemen Foi. the cattle must adjust to every change Until this adjustment is made, cattlemen face the possibility or shrink or weight loss in their animals In order to overcome the loss, cattlemen have been selecting slock with the genetic ability to thrive in modified environments. Now, suggests Dr. Self, the mod ifications are coming too fast. Since there are so many vari ables to consider and more being introduced eveiy day Di Self says that, m the final analysis, each cattle feeder must make his own decision about housing, shipping and handling on the basis of his needs, ability, financial lesouices and personal piefeiences But, scientists will help by developing the informa tion that will aid the feedei in making his decision CRIB FILLER Reol Winners SiSage or Grain C/F 105 C/F 66 C/F 40 C/F 123 For complete details on the profit potential from See v our local Crib Filler dealer below FARMERS SUPPLY CO. ZIMMERMAN S ANIMAL Lancaster HEALTH SUPPLIES R D , Lititz MUSSER’S MILL The Buck LANCASTER BONE FERT. CO. Quau yville KIRKWOOD FEED & GRAIN Knkwood ANDERSON FF r E D , oSfrd ,N "'EAVER nX-IT SHOP R D New Holland H. H. GOOD MILL Fn epointville DISTRIBUTED BY STANFORD SEED COMPANY Plymouth Meeting, Pa. 19462 Milk Program Pennsylvania dairymen will have a chance to vote in the stale lefoiendum i awarding a propos ed milk marketing program All milk pioduceis will icceive a ballot by mail giving them a chance to vote on the plan to de duct one-half of one peicent of the gross milk check (less haul ing) for the promotion of milk tnroughout the country This vote will come early in Decem ber, Our Extension Service is scheduling four (4) meetings throughout Lancaster County to provide an opportunity for all milk producers to become better acquainted with this milk mar keting program. Dairymen are urged to attend one of these meetings. We are not attempting to tell the producer how to vote, but we are interested in getting him better informed so that he will be able to cast a more know ledgeable vote The proposal re quires at least two-thirds of those voting to favor the pio gram providing it lepiesents at least 50% of the production of those voting The important thing is to become acquainted with the piogiam and then VOTE. 1970 . • * Crib Filler F. M. BROWN’S SONS, INC Sinking Spring BOMBERGER’S STORE GERMAN FEED MILL Denver MARTIN FEED MILL Ephrata E, H. KEEN & SON Atglen Elm ALLES-CH ALSUS ERS OME-SEVEffTY (53* HORSEPOWER) • Best performance and comfort features of the hot One-Ninety XT, in the low-profile, high clearance One-Seventy! MM • Automatic TRACTION BOOSTER! • Hydrostatic power steering! • Triple hydraulics, optional! See it now at. .. allis-chalmers L. H. Brubaker Lititz, Pa Alien H. Matz Grumeili Farm Service Farm Equipment Quarryvilie, Pa. New Holland . Roy H. Buch, Inc. Nissley Farm Service Ephrata, r.d. 2 Washington Boro, Pa. L. H. Brubaker N. G- Myers & Son Lancaster, Pa. Rheems, Pa. •Mfr s estimated PTO tip.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers