02—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 2,1984
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Krueger form will host Angus picnic
The home of Triple Crown
winner, Scarra, is the site of
Pennsylvania’s Eastern Angus
picnic and field day.
The picnic, which is to be held
Sunday, June 10, is hosted by
Genetics Unlimited, Inc. and the
Greg Krueger Farm, Coatesville.
Po. Angus Breeders Show, July 13,
CENTRE HALL - “Destined to
be -a major Angus Show in the
East” is how promoters are ad
vertising the second annual
Pennsylvania Angus Breeders
Show.
The show and field day will be
July 13 and 14 at the Centre County
Grange Fairgrounds, Centre Hall.
On Friday, July 13, the Board of
NEWARK, Del. - When
someone mentions the use of
steroids in the livestock industry,
most people think of the growth
promotants used in cattle feedlots.
But now a feedgrade steroid called
sarsaponin is making its way into
hog production. A naturally oc
curring plant steroid, sarsaponin is
available to swine producers in the
formulated product, Micro-Aid.
According to University of
Delaware extension livestock
specialist Dr. Ken Kepbart, Micro-
Aid has been around for nearly 15
years. But distributors have been
actively marketing it to hog
producers only during the past
year. Micro-Aid’s selling points
include improved gains and feed
efficiency—claims which are
based on research conducted at
agricultural experiment stations
at Purdue and North Carolina
State universities.
The Purdue study was conducted
by Dr. Jim Foster and involved
five growing-finishing trials with a
total of 717 hogs in both open front
and total confinement facilities. In
all of these experiments, pigs
remained on test from about 60 to
210 pounds.
Kephart says the purpose of
these trials was to find out if the
The picnic and field day will be
held at the Kruegar Farm, south of
Coatesville on Fairview Road.
Registration for the event will
begin at 8 a.m. followed by an
Angus Judging contest and a fitting
demonstration. Dr. Jim Evans and
staff will give a presentation on
Directors, Junior Association and
the Ladies Auxiliary will all meet.
Following the meetings, roast beef
will be served at 6 p.m., and at 7:30
p.m. “Angusfun” recreational
events will be held.
Registration runs from 7 a.m. to
0 a.m. on Saturday, July 14. The
Angus judging contest will begin at
s *Ol rued steroid holds
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Studies at both Purdue and North Carolina State have
shown the naturally occurring steroid, sarsaponin, to be an
efficient meat producing supplement for market hogs.
product worked, and also to
determine the optimum feeding
level. In the first two trials Foster
added zero, one, two and four
ounces of Micro-Aid per ton of
feed.
In both tests, performance
peaked at the two-ounce rate. At
this level, pigs on the Micro-Aid
diets grew five to seven percent
faster than the control group, with
little or no change in feed ef-
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live embryo transfer.
After the steak dinner at noon,
small herd merchandising and
herd health tips will be the subjects
discussed. At 2 p.m. there will be
tours of various herd operations in
the area. Everyone is invited to
share in these activities.
14
9 a.m., with divisions for men,
ladies and juniors. The livestock
show, judged by Wayne Strawn,
Yorkville, Illinois, will follow and
include classes for bulls, heifers,
junior heifers and steers. A
showmanship contest and the
contest awards will round out the
program.
ficiency.
The next objective of the Purdue
study was to determine whether
pen density influenced the effect of
Micro-Aid. So Foster allotted eight
pigs per pen (9.6 square feet per
head) or 10 pigs. (7.7 square feet
per head). At the lower density,
animals getting the steroid again
grew about six percent faster, with
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Robison elected first president
CARLISLE The newly formed
Pennsylvania Limousin
Association elected James Robison
of Olry as the first president of the
group. The election was held
Friday May 18, at a meeting of the
board of directors. Cynthia
Kreider, Waterford, was elected
vice-president. Filling the post of
secretary-treasurer was Robert
Line, Jr., Carlisle. Richard Mc-
Donald, Shippensburg, was ap
pointed news reporter.
ttiirflSP
Other members of the board are
Robert Penney, Reading, and C.J.
Peters, Mohnton. The members of
the board of directors had been
elected to that post at a general
membership meeting April 7,1984
at the Carlisle livestock Market.
UNIVERSITY PARK - Ac
cording to Penn State extension ag.
economist, H. Louis Moore, Penn
sylvania’s sheep numbers have
increased six percent in the past
year, despite a decrease in the
number of sheep nationwide.
The inventory of all sheep and
lambs in the U.S. on January 1,
1984 totalled 11.4 million head,
down five percent from 12 million
recorded a year earlier. Moore
points out that this is the lowest
inventory of sheep and lambs
recorded since estimates were
started in 1867. Except for slight
increases in 1980 through 1982,
there has been a long-term
downward trend in sheep
production in the U.S.
Moore states that the national
cutback in numbers is apparently
due mainly to sheep producers’
Ln>
Just recently, the Lancaster
County Red Rose 4-H Beef Club
held their annual steer branding
session at the Melvin Kolb Holstein
facility near Lancaster. Within
three hours, 70 4-H club steers and
7 FFA project steers passed
through the squeeze chute, receiv
ing an official ear tag, the familiar
“FS” brand and optional
treatments, including a worm
bolus, a growth stimulant implant,
and an insecticide treated ear tag
to control pesty Hies during the
summer.
In addition, a starting might
was recorded on each steer as he
crossed the scales. Hus weight is
used in calculating average daily
gains at the end of the project and
is helpful in planning feeding pro
grams for the remainder of the
project year.
Every 4-H and FFA member
that hopes to exhibit at the Penn
sylvania Farm Show in January
must have his steer officially
branded with “FS” by June 1 of the
preceding year. Therefore, the lat
ter part of May becomes a busy
time for beef club members
throughout the state. Every county
submits the number of steers
branded to the state office and they
determine, by a quota system, the
number of steers that a county
may exhibit at the Farm Show.
of Pa. Limousin Assoc.
Pa. numbers up
U.S. sheep population
at all-time low
Mveitock liedgetf
Chester D, Hughes
Extension Livestock Specialist
The purpose of the Association is
to promote Limousin cattle in
Pennsylvania, support breed
activities, and help to improve and
maintain the breed. Activities
proposed for the new ass'ociation
were a spring sale, fall Limousin
feeder calf and club calf sale, field
day and Farm Show. A directory o{
the members is to be published.
There is to be a logo contest for the
group.
Anyone wishing additional in
formation or submitting a logo for
the contest should write or call:
Pennsylvania Limousin
Association, Robert Line, Jr., Sec-
Treas., 2070 Ritner Highway,
Carlisle, PA. 17013. (717) 243-1281.
deteriorating net returns. The
economist points out that lamb
prices are highly responsive to
beef prices, a segment of the
livestock industry that has also
been generally unprofitable in the
last few years.
Estimates of costs and returns
for sheep operations since 1977
show increasing costs while selling
prices have dropped or remained
steady at best. TTbds has resulted in
a net profit squeeze for sheep
producers.
Moore predicts that lamb prices
should increase in 1984, making the
enterprise more profitable than w
the past few years. Higher prices
will result because of the sharp cut
in sheep numbers and the expected
cut in beef and pork production
combined with a much stronger
general economy.
By
based on the number of steen
branded.
Branding day makes for an ex
cellent time to preview all of the
county steers that are headed foe
Pennsylvania Farm Show, and
former Lancaster Extension
Agent, Max Smith was on hand to
do just that! Max continues to be
an inspiration for 4-H members in
volved with beef projects.
Many thanks go to Frey Bn*
Manufacturing, Quarryville who
donated the squeeze chute to the
dub to be used for branding steed
in the years to come, and to Melvin
and Dennis Kolb for the annual one
of their facilities. Every year, Earl
Umble, representing Young’n<
Inc., donates his services and pro
ducts for implanting and deworming
This year Agway, Salunga pro
vided the insecticide tags and
donated an applicator to the club
Atlantic Breeders Cooperativo
again donated the liquid nitrogw
for freeze branding, and Solanco
FFA supplied the scales W
weighing.
The Red Rose 4-H beef Club &
presses many thanks and gratitu#
to all of those individuals and
businesses who aid in makinj
branding day successful.
The Cooperative Extension Sdj
vice is an affirmative action, eqiw
opportunity educational instiU’
tion.
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