A24—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 16,1983 Owner By Jane Bresec MONROETON The story of a totally integrated veal operation in Bradford County was told by its founder and owner, Walter E. Newton, of New Albany, recently, in the Monroeton Fire Hall at the annual Ladies Day Seminar sponsored by the. Women’s Committee of the Bradford- Sullivan County Farmers’ Association. Formerly a farmer dealing in poultry and feeder lambs, Newton related that his interest in raising veal began in the early 60’s when he picked up some literature about veal calf feed during a lamb tour in New Jersey. About that same time he discovered that some newcomers in the county were starting a veal operation, and he got involved through marketing those calves to one of the meat packers who was buying his lambs. Soon he organized his own operation, buying Holstein bull calves from the stockyards, and payed farmers to grow them. He furnished the feed and by 1966 began making ids own feed, now patented as Formula I Feeds, Inc. He stayed small until three years ago and now sells feed into 13 states through a distributor system. Newton calls his industry a “recycling industry” prefectly fitted for a leading dairy county like Bradford. He buys the equivalent of 80 tractor trailer loads of milk and 25 tractor trailer loads of whey a week. Fat bought from chain stores is rendered out and all combined to make his veal calf formula which in turn is fed to surplus calves to produce a first class product • veal. “We prefer to buy Holstein bull calves 3 to 7 days of age,” Newton said. Veal must be white because DISCOUNT FERTILIZER FOB East Liverpool. Ohio Urea 46% off barge * 153*00 Potash 62% Kalium off barge *ll7 *oo DAP 18-46-0 off barge *215*00 MAP 11-53-0 off barge *225*00 Also Biends $3.00 Discount to Customers Purchasing More Than 25 Tons Minimum-4 Ton Purchase Jerry A. Hoover 110 Seneca Trail Apt. H Hartville. Ohio 216-877-1031 before 8 AM & after*3o PM » -7 - relates story of that color is what markets well. Colored breed calves are not ac ceptable. Because calves are not bom with much immunity from disease, they must be fed colostrum (the mother cow’s first milk) within the first 24 hours after they are bom. “Fanners are realizing this more and more and are taking better care of their new-born calves,” Newton said. Veal growers feed the calves totally pre-digested ration so that the rumen of the calf is never allowed to develop. That ration developed by Newton into his “Formula I” consists of skim milk powder, fats, starches, whey powder, and pure dextrose. Calves are fed tins exclusviely for 15 or 16 weeks until they reach a weight of around 350 pounds, and then are slaughtered at the K and R meat plant in Wyalusing. Recently 1000 head of calves were slaughtered there in one week. About two years ago, a calf station was started to receive calves and dispense them to the growers in a shorter time. This was done, he said, because he didn’t like what was happening to calves in the area. Many were going through two or three sales before reaching the veal fanner. The stress and humane factor led to a high incidence of calf mor tality. “Our calves with the new station are now trasported in covered tracks, kept in a heated area, and are back on the farms before 4 o’clock in the afternoon of the same day. Over 800 calves were put through the station in the three days it was open last week," he said. Several different premiums are paid to farmers for their new born calves according to their weight and vigor. The highest bonus of $25 integrated veal operation Engine Specialists Since 1915 WHITE ENGINES Matas Of HERCULES Enjim The Diesel For; • SHOPS - x'-'f MmMJ • generator sets • REPOWER, ETC. 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The cull rate for a heavier calf is higher - and after three or four days they stop eating, possibly because they might have been injured calving, Newton surmised. Kosher slaughter is done at the Terrytown plant, too, because most of the veal is marketed to New York city to leading restaurants, Newton said. “People ask about the animal rights movement,” Newton con fined. “Dr. Fox’s idea'that calves must be able to rub together and chew a cud has not paid off. The mortality rate is higher in group pens compared to the individual The results are in terms of added feed appeal, greater feed value at feeding time and higher feed efficiency. Make sure you save the nutritious crop you worked so hard to grow. Get CROP SILE It will help keep nature's nutrients in your hay (age. For more information about CROP-SI lE, 5 contact your young's Feed Management S Representative or write to: young's, R D. #l, Box 71, Roaring Spring, PA wooden pens used. Most animal rights people are anti-meat. ” We have 30 veal growers in our operation growing 7000 calves today, Newton said. The remainder of the 20,000 total veal calves in the county are being raised by independent growers. We are the second largest agricultural industry next to the dairy industry in Bradford County, Newton claimed. “Bradford County veal producers market $2O to $25 million a year, all without government help. We are the only area in the United States that never lost a cent in the veal business,” he con cluded. * U-*
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