C2-Lancastar Farming, Saturday, Dacambar 29,1984
LIVESTOCK
LATEST
manure savings
NEWARK, Del. - Poultry • Fields must be routinely checked
manure has become a successful for insects. Fall armyworm, for
substitute for commercial fer- example, can substantially reduce
tilizer on some Delmarva grain gram yield and quality if not
farms. Among other things, high controlled. The threshold level for
level manure management is now treatment of insect damage is
being used to double crop no-till higher in corn silage than in corn
corn after barley. sold for grain.
Last summer, A. & E. Vogl Results from a 1983 no-till double
Brothers of Mastens Corner, Del., cropped corn demonstration
produced 103 bushels of dry land Harris conducted on the Vogl farm
corn this way while cutting their showed essentially no yield dif
fertilizer costs by close to $5O an ference between commercial
acre. fertilizer and broiler manure
The Vogls first tried using treatments. Due to insect damage
poultry manure on double cropped and water stress, yields on both
no-till corn in 1982 with the help of plots were depressed that year.
University of Delaware extension The average under commercial
environmental specialist J. Ross fertilizer was 39 bushels an acre;
Hams. He showed them how to with manure, 63 bushels,
have the manure analyzed for The fertilizer cost $69 an acre
nutrient content and how to compared with $4 an acre to load,
calibrate their spreader in order to haul and spread the manure. These
apply it according to soil test figures include fuel and labor costs
recommendations. They liked the plus equipment depreciation. Since
results so well they’ve been using the Vogls don’t raise poultry, they
poultry manure ever since, even had to buy the manure, which cost
though (being dairy farmers) they $l5 an acre. This gave them a net
sometimes have to buy it from a saving of $5O ($69 minus $l9). By
neighbor. using manure on the 20-acre field
After three years of growing adjoining the demonstration plots
corn after barley, here’s what the they savedsl,ooo.
Vogl brothers have learned: Pleased with the performance of
• Manure can replace the bulk of the manure, this past summer the
fertilizer nitrogen without brothers again used it on late
significant yield reduction, though planted corn after barley for
it’s still advisable to use starter similar savings and a yield of 103
fertilizer. bushels an acre.
• It’s probably best to apply the Hams suggests that other
manure after herbicide application farmers consider following the
to avoid tying up weed control Vogls’ lead and use poultry
chemicals in the organic matter of manure for crop production,
the manure. If the idea of growing corn after
• Short season 90 to 100-day corn barley appeals-as an alternative
hybrids should be used. for double cropping, as a source of
Chester D. Hughes
* ’ Extension Livestock Specialist
I I
For swine producers working in 49 percent in the trial which was
confinement buildings, dust can be conducted during the springtime,
a real health problem. The dust, and by 51 percent in the fall,
which contains bacteria and such j n both the springtime and fall
irritants as ammonia and trials, 240 hogs were used. The
hydrogen sulfide gases, can hogs were divided into two groups
trigger inflammation in the nose, 0 f 120 and kept in separate en
throat and lungs. vironmentally-regulated finishing
Most producers, looking for buildings. One of the groups was
solutions, already know that added fed a ration containing five percent
dietary fat can reduce the amount tallow, while the other group
Qf dust in the feed. Recent studies, received no tallow at all.
conducted at the University of
Nebraska, however describe how
much reduction in aerial dust
occurs when adding dietary fat.
The most significant result of
adding fat was a reduction in the
amount of aerial dust. Workers at
the testing facilities noted an
obvious difference in the en
vironment, saying they coughed
less and their eyes were less
irritated. Their observations were
backed up by the researcher’s
data. Aerial dust was reduced by
Double cropping & poultry
Livestock Ledger
Those hogs fed tallow had a
seven percent higher average
daily gain than those that were not.
And, those fed tallow had four
percent less feed intake and a 10
percent better feed-to-gain ratio.
An economic analysis was not
completed in conjunction with the
study. Adding fat to the diet may
be a good, practical way to reduce
the dust problem.
The Extenalon Service la in iHlrmaUve
action equal opportunity educational in
•Utntlon.
com silage for dairy feed, or as a
hedge against weather effects on
early corn yields-be prepared to
plan manure usage, scout fields for
insects and take action when
necessary.
"Double cropped no-till corn
isn’t for everyone,” Harris says,
"but farmers who have manure
available and are willing to go this
route can certainly reduce their
net input costs.”
sponsors Chester Co. 4-
WEST CHESTER - The first
annual Chester County 4-H
Livestock awards and Buyer
Appreciation Banquet was held
Saturday evening December Bth.
The banquet ended a year of work
for 4-H members and the new
Livestock Leaders Council formed
in Chester County.
Members of the council act in an
advisory capacity in planning the
various 4-H livestock shows and
events throughout the year. They
were the major force in developing
the Kimberton Fair Petting Zoo
which provides the general public
the opportunity to see and touch
baby farm animals. Money raised
from the zoo helps the council
defray the cost of all the 4-H shows
and the banquet.
Two hundred and thirty people
from across the county attended
the banquet. A beef, lamb, and pork
dinner was served. The beef was
donated by Devereux Soleil
Farms, the pork by Hatfield
Packing Company and Kunzlers,
and the lamb by Breezeview
Farms of Atglen. The rest of the
meal was donated by the Devereux
Foundation, a staunch supporter of
the Chester County 4-H Livestock
Clubs. The purpose of the banquet
ITC rules on
Canadian
pork exports
CAMP HILL - A recent Pa.
Fanners Association publication
reports that the International
Trade Commission has ruled 4-0,
that Canadian exports are hurting
U.S. hog producers.
Canada exported about 125,
million pounds of pork and about
500,000 live hogs to the U.S. last
year. Canadian shipments this
year are running almost three
times higher than 1983, and have
already cost U.S. producers an
estimated $644 million.
The ITC ruling sets the stage for
a Commerce Department in
vestigation to determine if the
exports are being subsidized by the
Canadian government. Such a
finding would justify the use of
countervailing duties. The Com
merce Department investigation is
due to be completed by late
January.
New Murray Grey sire 'invades' U.S.
Dorbrook Farms of Colts Neck, NJ, recently announced the
addition of a new herd sire, Isla Invader, to their herd of
Murray Grey cattle.
Several years ago, the farm established a herd of this
breed, with foundation stock being imported directly from
England. A number of the herd's females were sired by
Willalooka Ambrose, the breed's first international beef sire.
“Our thought is to have a herd of Murray Grays of all im
ported breeding so that beef men of the area can come to
New Jersey and get good cattle that are the same as one
would find in Great Britain," reports Dorbrook's general
manager, John Gerow.
Devereux Founda
was two fold: first to show ap
preciation to all purchasers of 4-H
market animals and to all sponsors
of trophies in 1984, and second, to
honor all 4-H members who ex
celled in 4-H work this year.
Master of Ceremonies for the
evening was Mr. Don Cairns, a
member of the 4-H Beef Club. The
entire program was run by club
officers from the four livestock
club. The following is a list of all 4-
H members who received awards
during the year:
Sue Burkhart, Mohnton -
Champion Market Hog. Mike
Stoltzfus, Elverson - Reserve
Champion Market Hog, Champion
Junior Showman. Allison Burns,
Elverson - Champion Trio. Lois
Bagshaw, Gap • Champion Senior
Showman. Robert Bell, Mohnton -
Reserve Champion Senior
Showman. Jill Burkhart, Mohnton
- Reserve Champion Junior
Showman.
Donna MacCauley, Atglen -
Champion Market Reserve
Champion Showman, Reserve
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Secretary of Agriculture John R.
Block recently released copies of
the 1984 Yearbook of Agriculture -
“Animal Health - Livestock and
Pets.”
The 688-page hardback has 87
chapters, 32 pages of color photos
and more than 300 black and white
photos. Each year the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
publishes a yearbook on a different
subject.
For this yearbook, 54 authors,
including specialists from USDA
and state land-grant universities
and private veterinarians, wrote
or co-authored chapters.
The book has sections on raising
backyard poultry and pet birds,
cattle, sheep and goats, swine,
fish, dogs and cats, rabbits and
other small animals and horses.
Copies of the 1984 yearbook are
available for $lO each from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office,
Swine Club
Sheep Club
USDA issues 1984
Yearbook of Agriculture
tion
H banquet
Champion Junior Blocker. Betsy
Colket, Phoenixville - Reserve
Champion Market Lamb. Kathleen
Baroni, Downingtown - Champion
Showman, Reserve Champion
Senior Blocker. Meredith Rapp,
Downingtown - Champion Junior
Blocker. Nancy MacCauley,
Atglen - Champion Senior Blocker.
Beef Club
Greg Davis, Coatesville -
Reserve Champion Steer,
Champion Senior Showman, Senior
Achievement Award. Ken Walker,
West Chester - Champion Steer,
Champion Angus Heifer, Out
standing Teen Leader. Erica
McClellan, Kennett Square -
Reserve Champion Angus Heifer.
Tiffany Rohrer, Nottingham -
Champion Junior Showman, Feed
Efficiency Award, Junior
Achievement Award. Phil Howe,
Downingtown - Champion First
Year Showman. Lisa Howe,
Downingtown - Average Daily
Gain Award. Mike Crossan,
Coatesville - First Year
Achievement Award. Don Cairns,
Parkesburg - Outstanding Teen
Leader.
Washington, L).C. 20402. Copies will
also be on sale at government
bookstores in many cities. Each
member of Congress will have
limited copies for public
distribution.
1984 Yearbook of
Agriculture.