LIVESTOCK MARKET OUTLOOK Penn State Agricultural Econo mist Lou Moore did not fit the live stock industry into the “good news” category in 1994, and appreciable improvement may not be realized in 1995. Hog prices fell through the floor in September and have been at the lowest levels in 20 years. It usually takes three to four months for lower prices at the farm to be reflected at the supermarket. This time, however, very little of the drop has shown up at the retail level. The chain has become so com plex from producer to retail store that retailers seem to have little knowledge of events which shape the world outside the store. There have been a few specials to move more pork, but prices are stuck at unrealistically high levels. Packers and retailers currently are profiting from a record hog supply and the lowest hog prices in two decades. And the end doesn’t seem to be in sight. Pork supplies increased about 3.S percent in 1994 and may increase to 4 to 5 percent in 1995. Hog prices are not likely to move higher than the mid-s3os through spring. Beef supplies will probably be up 1 percent in the first half of 1995, but lower-priced feeders, fewer placements, and lower- cost feed will bring some cattle finish ing operations back to profitable levels in early 1995 after nearly 18 months of straight losses. Also, poultry supplies will be up 5 per cent in 1995 and turkey supplies about 2 percent. Professor Lou Moore will pre sent his 1993 Market Outlook at both the Lancaster Cattle Feeders Day in January and the Keystone Pork Congress in February. Purebred Beef Breeders Forum The first Northeastern Pußbred Beef Cattle Breeders Forum will be held on Feb. 18 at the Toftrees Resort Hotel in State College. The meeting will provide an important coming together for a number of leaders in the generation, publica tion, and use of expected progeny differences (EPDs) in beef cattle. The lineup of notable speakers for the forum includes Larry Benyshek, Georgia; John Hough, American Polled Hereford Associ ation; Kent Anderson, North B&B SPRAY PAINTING SANDBLASTING SPRAT - ROLL - BRUSH Specializing In Buildings, Feed Mills - Roofs - Tanks - Etc., Aerial Ladder Equip. Stone - Barn - Restoration 574 Gibbon’s Rd., Blrd-ln-Hand, Pa. Annraring Strviee (717) 354-5561 American Limousin Foundation; Bob Schalles, American Simmcn tal Association; and John Crouch, American Angus Association. Topics will include the basics of how an EPD is calculated, impor tance of data submission from breeders, why EPDs change, how to get carcass trait EPDs, and how to use EPDs to merchandise cattle. EPDs have become one of the most important tools for genetic improvement in beef cattle. These numbers represent the relative genetic value of any individual animal within a breed for a given trait, compared to all other animals in that breed. Selected traits might include birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, scrotal size, or milk production in female off spring, among others. Recently, the generation of EPDs for carcass traits such as marbling and fat thickness has allowed breeders to select for traits that appeal to both producers and consumers. The Northeastern Purebred Beef Cattle Breeders Forum will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude about , 4 p.m. The cost of the program is $45 per person, including lunch. For more information, contact John Comerford, The Pennsylva nia State University, 324 Henning Building, University Park, PA 16802. Pork Expo Moves To Lebanon The seventeenth annual Key stone Pork Expo will be held Feb. 15 at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center at the Lebanon County Fairgrounds on Cornwall and Rocherty Roads. This year’s meeting will feature a trade show with 48 exhibits and educational seminars for produc ers. The Expo will once again sponsor a Pork Bowl contest and public speaking competition for FFA and 4-H members. Kirk Clark, nationally recog- nized for his work with medicated early wean programs at Purdue University, will speak on the bene fits of multiple site production. Gary Maas, president of Agri Careers in Massena, lowa, will provide tips on keeping top notch employees. Tom Congelton, mar keting manager for the Central Kentucky Hog Marketing Associa ion in Springfield, Ky., will pro vide his perspective on establish ng a marketing network. Lou Moore, Penn State profes sor of agricultural economics and a avorite speaker over the years at he Pork Expo, will be on hand to leliver his hog market outlook. Dennis Zimmerman, a producer and member of the Nutrient Man agement Advisory Board, will dis cuss the Nutrient Management Law and how it will affect individ ual operations. Following the educational sem inars, the fourth annual Legislative Activity Fund Auction will be held. There will be no banquet this year following the Expo, but one is tentatively planned for later this year. Contact your county extension office for a copy of the Pork Expo program. Improving Swine Profitability Beyond hog prices, the produc tion related items with the greatest influence on profit in the swine industry typically include feed costs, maintaining facilities at capacity, and sow productivity. The price of feed is difficult to con trol. Decreasing building capacity will generally reduce profits per pig. However, increasing sow pro ductivity can add dollars to your bottom-line. Most sows will wean at least eight pigs/litter. Getting that aver age up to 8.5 or 9 takes more time - so make sure things go well at farrowing, check sow comfort and temperatures, and watch pigs throughout lactation and transfer as needed. But of all the things that pro ducers do, according to Dr. Ken Kephart, Penn State extension swine specialist, it’s farrowing management that pays major divi dends. The extra pigs will basical ly go to market for the cost of feed, since the overhead costs are cov ered by the pigs already in the bam. So the profit on these extra pigs, even with today’s depressed market, is at least $23 per head. Sheep Shearing School While sheep producers are most concerned with lambing at this FRANSGARD TIMBER WINCHES c /W? Quality built, tractor-mounted winches with few moving parts Model Capacity Min. HP V2BOO 6200 lbs. 25 HP V4OOO 8800 lbs. 40 HP V 6500 14200 lbs. 80 HP PATU CHIRPERS Tractor-mounted models chip limbs, slabs or whole trees. Adjustable chip length. Model Capacity Min. HP DC4O 4" 15 HP DC6S 6.5" DC 100 10" ' ' -V *>- * P.o. Box IM4 StreoV. s Wv . , Mi g 30 HP 40 HP OOE> * * . X. * * \ v '«>■ * Lancaster Farming, Saturday. Fabniary 4, IWS-A33 time of year, it won’t be long until the flock will need shorn —again! The demand for sheep shearers remains constant, with many small flock owners lacking the necessary skills or equipment to tackle the job. As they have for the past 8 years, the Lancaster County Sheep and Wool Growers Association will sponsor a sheep shearing school to train beginners or shep herds with limited experience. The school is scheduled for April 7 and 8 and will be hosted by Rod Nissley at the site of his flock located in Campbelltown, near Hershey. The two-day school will be instructed by Mike Fournier and Chet Hughes, Penn State extension livestock agents. Equipment will be provided by Penn State Univer sity. To receive more details, fees, and registration information, con tact Penn State Cooperative Exten sion in Lancaster County at (717) 394-6851. Winter Care Of Horses Just because winter is here, it’s easy to confuse overkindness with necessity. Horses do not have to be kept in their stalls and buried under layers of blankets and hoods to be happy. In fact, they’re much happi er and healthier outside. Nature provides horses with a winter coat designed to keep them warm without a lot of human assis tance. A horse’s winter coat traps body heat between the hair fibers. Placing a blanket on a horse with a winter coat actually compresses the insulating hair fibers, eliminat ing the air layer and reducing the horse’s natural protection against the cold. Horses start to grow their winter Outreach Luncheon Set WESTMINSTER, Md. The Central Maryland Chapter of .the Fellowship of Christian Farmers will hold its Eighth Annual Out reach Luncheon on Saturday, March 4 horn 12 p.m. • 2:30 p.m., at Wilhelm LTD. This year’s speaker is Dr. Max Lennon from Peach Tree City, Ga„ former president of Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. He is the president & CEO of Eastern Food Inc. Lennon served as president of Clemson University from 1986 to 1994. Previously he was the dean PALAX WOOD PROCESSOR Cuts, splits and conveys wood up to 12" diameter. Available as PTO tractor s' mounted version or trailer c* model equipped with JL 13 HP Honda engine. PATU LOADERS & TRAILERS Knuckleboom loaders and forwarding trailers with continuous grapple rotation. Six models with outreach range of 13'5" to 26'5" and load capacities of 7 to 12 tons. coats when the days begin to short en. The shorter length of day-light, not temperature, stimulates hair growth. Very cold temperatures will not affect healthy horses, but cold, soaking rains or drafts can make them sick. As a conscien tious owner, all you really have to do is provide horses with a place to get away from the wind, rain, and snow. Horses who live outdoors most of the time need a three-sided shel ter. Build the shelter tightly and position the opening facing away from the prevailing winds. Consid er seasonal wind directions and take advantage of natural wind breaks by locating the shed on the leeward side of small hills or groups of trees. Be sure the site and the shelter floor are well drained to prevent muddiness. Natural wind breaks of trees or brush also offer barriers to prevailing winds and will help protect the pastured horse. Provide draft-free stabling if horses are kept inside. However, horses shouldn’t be cooped up in an airtight overheated bam. If sat isfactory ventilation cannot be pro vided by opening the doors and windows to allow for a draft-free air exchange, then mechanical means, such as ventilating or exhaust fans, would be considered a necessity. Ventilation removes moisture that accumulates quickly in a tightly closed bam. This moisture can predispose the horse to pneu monia and related illnesses; there fore, it should be eliminated. Ample straw, sawdust, or shav ings provide warm bedding for cold nights. An important thing to remember is to keep our horse off of the cold ground. of the College of Agriculture and director of the Agriculture Experi ment Station at the University of Missouri. Having owned and operated a crop and livestock farm in the ear ly 19605, he was awarded the Out standing Young Farmer Award in 1966 and received the National 4-H Alumni Award in 1989. Tickets are $7.75 each and will be available for reservations. For more information, contact Dave Sparks. (410) 239-8480 or Lawrence Cooper, (410) 374-4868. •Vis "JUCTViry
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