A3O-Lancast*r Farming, Saturday, March 18,1989 Veal Industry Under Pressure (Continued from Pago At) than $5OO or imprisonment, not to exceed one month or both. Steve Connelly, special assistant to Maryland Ag Sec retary Wayne Cawley, said that one of the deciding factors in the change in objective in Senate Bill 501 was the homemade video that fanners at the hearing showed of themselves and their operations. “Senator Garrott has been very fair with us,” Connelly said. “She thought there was a problem and she wanted to find out.” Alex Hershaft, president. Farm Animal Reform Move ment (FARM) said, “We lost this one because we had other pressing work and didn’t come in prepared. But we have long range and short range goals. In 30 to 40 years we hope to eliminate the exploitation of farm animals and in the short term, we hope to introduce legislation in as many states as possible to help farm animals now.” FARM helped originate the Maryland senate legislation and Hershaft defended the bills at last week’s hearings.” “We knew it would be comming,” said Jack Miller, legislative representative, Maryland Farm Bureau. “A large number of animal rights groups have headquarters close by in Washington. And after the referendum in Mas sachusetts last fall, we expected Maryland’s veal industry to be an easy target.” Boyd Cook, division manager, Dairymen, Inc. agrees. “They (the Coalition to End Animal Suffering and Exploi tation) tried Massachusetts and we were surprised at the overwhelming vote against it,” Cook said. “But we knew Maryland would be next because we are so close to Washington DC.” Cook said that because the veal industry uses a large number of the dairy industry’s excess bull calves, the veal and dairy industries work together. Dr. Mike Rodebaugh, state ag commission and past president of the Maryland Veterinarian Association, says these laws really seek to manage agriculture from people who know nothing about it In the dairy industry, when we move calves from individual pens to groups, they have a tendency to develop respiratory diseases and they must establish a pecking order. He said the animal’s healthy appearance and good weight gain prove the animal is not stressed. But Gene Bauston, director, Farm Sanctuary, Rock land, DE, says that the veal industry’s gauge of weight gain to indicate health and happiness is not adequate. “The animal needs to be able to have natural behavior patterns,” Upper Dauphin County Area Crops Day HARRISBURG (Dauphin) The Upper Dauphin Young Farmers and Penn State College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension will hold a Dairy Pro ducers meeting on Wednesday, March 22 at 9:3o*a.m. to 3 p.m. The morning session will be held at the Upper Dauphin High School Vocational Agriculture Depart ment. After lunch, the program will travel to Crissinger’s dairy farm on Route 25 west of Gratz. Topics will include: Using Body Condition Scoring to Evaluate Dairy Herd Manage ment, Water Quality Effects on Dairy Cattle, Dairy Cattle Health, and Nutrient Management. The afternoon ses sion will include hands on evaluation of body condition scoring at the Crissinger’s dairy farm. There is no cost for attendance. Lunch will be available from the school cafeteria. For more information and to make reservations, con tact Stanley Weaver the Upper Dauph. High School Vocation; Agriculture Dcpartmei (717) 362-3666, or Pai Craig at the Dauphi County Cooperativ Extension office (71' 921-8803. Stanchion barn feeding has never been easier or more profit able than with Westfalia’s MOB1TRON! Completely automated and computerized, this high-tech, high-performance feeding system offers features conventional andcompetitive methods just can’t deliver. * Single or Dual Rations-meets every cow’s needs * Multiple Feedings Per Day-increases milk output * Optimal Feed Use-saves money * 24VDC Power-accommodates virtually all layouts * Printout (Optional)-simplifies herd maintenance Bauston said. “A calf in a crate is not able to walk around so respiratory diseases may result because it doesn’t breath deeply enough”. Bauston has seen an evolution of improvement in ani mal husbandry since animal welfare groups used the media to publicize what he calls bad practices. But as for veal production, Bauston supports die idea that a calf should be fed hay. This practice, he knows, would elimi nate a whole segment of the veal industry that produces white meat from-a balanced diet of milk replacer. But Bauston calls the white veal “anemic” because he says the calf is deprived of iron. And he claims a study shows that there is no difference in consumer preference for white over pink veal. Pink veal is produced from a grazing operation that includes solid feed to activate the ruminant This type veal would have formerly been called “Baby Beef’ and accord ing to Bauston can be raised more humanely. A grower of this “free range” type veal and a spokes man for alternative veal production is James Nicholl, Brightwood, VA. Nicholl leaves his veal calves with the mother cow for three to four months or until the veal calf is grown. The cows and calves are pastured all year with woodlands or buildings to protect the cows and calves from the elements as required. He tries to get the mother cow to accept the second calf for the last part of the lacta tion if possible. And he uses artificial insemination to pro duce cross-bred calves for his operation. Nicholl has developed a private trade from individuals and restaurants for the pink veal he produces under the tradename of Summerfield Farm Products. “I think the exercise my calves get helps the quality of the meat I pro duce. And my calves get no additional iron except what’s in the mother’s milk. Solid feed comes from what they ste al from their mothers. Nicholl disagrees that the public has no preference for white or pink veal. He says the chefs in expensive restaur ants like to use their own special sauces on white veal. And he finds that he must sell his customers on his product. “I think the public has been sold on “milk fed” veal that is associated with the white type veal,” Nichool said. “But when I show them how my veal is raised, and they taste the difference, they like Summerfield Veal.” Barbara Hoffman, Fremont, WI, who raises 1800 veal calves each year and speaks for the American Veal Asso ciation, takes strong exception to the idea that veal calves are kept anemic. “The light color comes from milk feed and youth,” Hoffman said. “We feed them iron and give regular blood tests to see that the calyes are not anemic. At TT Don’t put off maximum stanchion barn profits any longer! Contact your local sales center for information about Westfalia’s MOBITRON today! the first sign of an anemic calf we give them booster shots.” Hoffman also said modem calf bams now have win dows, ventilation and heating in winter. “Any person who raises veal knows ventilation is the most important fac£ in healthy calves. And we leave the lights on 24 houn| day. It’s 10 degrees below zero here now.” Hoffman said at the time of the interview. “And my calves are in 70 degree bams. I know they are contented and better off than running around out in the cold.” Calves are tied in individual stalls with a small partition at the shoulders to keep them from defecating or stepping cm their neighbor or eating their neighbor’s feed. The calves sleep in a normal position and can get up and down and groom themselves at will. “We believe we are raising veal calves in the best envi ronment for the calf as well as the fanner,” Hoffman said. “Individual stalls give a greater livability rate, help the far mer to monitor each calf’s eating habits and allow imme diate detection of sickness. People who don’t know calves (Turn to Pago AM) Calf Rearing Study Copywrited In 1988 A research study related to “Artificially Rearing Calves” was completed at Texas A&M University Ag Experiment Station and a report was copywrited in 1988, This study by Ted Friend and Gisela Dellmeicr takes a ethological view of the common practices and problems found in raising calves. Ethology looks at animal behavior in relation to habitat Friend and Dellmeicr use an ethogram to catalogue “human perception of the richness and complexity of behaviors that optimize the welfare of an animal-in this case a calf. The authors show major bovine ethogram components to include: general postural behavior; inges dve behavior; locomotionykinctics; slceping/resting; body maintenance/grooming; social behavior; explorative behavior, eliminative behavior and circadian/diurnal rhythms. From a locomation/kinetics (body movement) study, the report says that maintaining calves in groups would appear to be the solution fra* common problems found in calves in small individual stalls. Problems such as impaired locomotor ability and learned helplessness. But little is known about the potential effects of the prevention of normal grooming. Yet, the group housing method is subject to other prob lems which farmers have to contend. The report lists: inter-calf sucking, urine drinking and the regulation of. feed intake as some of these problems. y" West!alia Milking Equipment And Computer Sales Centers w&TFAUAS/y ENGINEER Walton’s Dairy Sarvlea Gary Walton 717-352-7606 HAMBURG Shartlaavilla Farm Sarvlea Dale Wanger 215-488-1025 Dairyman Inc. Mid-Atlantic Division Don DaWltt 301-549-2100 PORT ROYAL Walnut Dairy A Barn Equlpmant Jonaa King 717-527-2681 Lavl Stollzfus 717-436-9429 Interstate Dairy Equipment Co. Willie Plume? Ken Van Bremen 301-662-4403 >JFAUA ?A ENGINEER SALES CENTERS Brenner Dairy Equipment Albert Brenner 814-654-7309 REP NEW MILFORD Sega'e Dairy Service 717-465-7506 Lyeo Dairy Satvlee RobL Waltz- 717-484-0410 Steve Waltz- 717-494-0708 Robart E. Turnar 717-677-9301 LEQLA Rahar & Thompson, hie. Amos Flahar Rick Thompson 717-656-3307 MIFFLINBURG Wahr'a Dairy Equlpmant Mark Wahr 717-966-1396 OXFORD W & J Dairy Salas BIH Guhl 717-529-2569 SPECIAL WESTFALIA DEALERS FOR THE AMISH DAIRYMAN PARADISE Lloyd Ranck 717-687-6361 LQGANTON. Winter Road Diesel Service Tim Stoltzfus Chuck Zimmerman 717-334-6814 Longeneeker Implement Dale Longeneeker 814-793-3731 717-297-3163 iS CEN' TROY Dairyland Sales A Service Uka Kelley 717-297-4128
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers