DS-Umcaster Farming, Saturday, May 20, 1995
pennState
College of Agricultural Sciences
HBB
BiaUKUU From Dairy and Animal Science at Penn Stale
THOUGHTS ON
FARM ANIMAL
WELFARE
Brenda Coe
Animal Welfare
Project Assistant
Mote than 12,000 ago, wolves
that approached ancient man’s
campfire were among the various
species of animals which instinc
tively recognized that association
with humans might increase their
chances of survival and ultimately
their ability to reproduce.
Domestication was a mutually
beneficial process, and the inter
dependence that developed
between man and beast still exists
on farms and communities around
the world.
Today, people depend on
domesticated farm animals for
food, fiber, and a myriad of by
products used everyday at home
and work, and producers work
hard to meet consumer demands
for an inexpensive, wholesome
food source and other quality
products.
However, animal agriculture
has been increasingly criticized in
the last decade by certain members
of society who question the prac
tice of raising and using animals
for food, fiber, and most other
purposes.
Currently, 90 percent of our
population live in urban and subur
ban areas, and only 2 percent
the farmers and ranchers feed
the entire nation. In terms of the
American experience, farming has
become the exception rather than
the rule.
Only a century ago, most people
in the United States had ties to
farming and domestic livestock;
they either lived in a rural area or
had relatives involved in commer
cial agriculture. Now our popula
tion has become so removed from
the practice of animal agriculture
that many people no longer under
stand the processes by which food
finds its way from the farm to the
dining table. And studies have
shown that the more remote the
public is from an issue, the more
likely they are to look to general
ized mass media for information
about the issue.
Inundated with information
and sometimes misinformation
from the mass media, the general
public has become more health
conscious and concerned about
environmental issues, the use of
natural resources, and the well
being of all kinds of animals. At
the same time, criticism from
organized activist groups ques
tioning the conduct of the agricul
tural community has increased.
Because the public has been and
continues to be misled by these
“animal rights" activists, the ani
mal agricultural industry needs to
become more proactive in educat
ing the public about the facts of
animal production practices.
The public needs to be informed
about continuing progress in ani
mal care and about areas being
actively researched. For instance,
over the years, as new knowledge
and information have become
available, the industry has volun-
Brenda Coe
tarily adopted more humane hand
ling, transportation, and slaughter
techniques. Dairy cattle are now
routinely provided access to exer
cise lots or pasture, concrete floors
are grooved to reduce slipping,
animals are castrated and dehorned
at earlier ages, vaccinations are
used to prevent disease, stray vol
tage on dairies is being eliminated,
housing designs and space allow
ances for veal calves and gestating/
farrowing sows are being modi
fied, effective veterinarian-client
patient relationships are more
widespread, and emphasis is being
placed on preventing rather than
curing disease.
Improvements also continue to
be made in the area of transporta
tion and handling. Some of these
improvements result in economic
returns that offset the cost of the
changes, but the public must also
know that a balance must some
times be struck between the wel
fare of the animal and cost of
production.
The most appropriate response
to misinformation is education.
Those on the forefront of animal
agriculture have identified three
general approaches to the chal
lenges of public ignorance and ani
mal rights agendas; (1) the animal
agriculture industry must have a
well-organized response; (2)
guidelines must be established for
the care and use of animals in agri
culture; and (3) educational mater
ials and programs must be made
available to the public.
It is clear that producers and
researchers must continue to work
together to develop a base of infor
mation from which current pro
duction practices can be evaluated
and, where warranted, realistic
changes made. Perceived ethics of
producing and marketing animal
derived products are extremely
important in the acceptance of
these products by consumers. In
addition, public perception often
forms the basis for legislation and
regulation of agriculture produc
tion and marketing.
Well-intentioned but unrealis
tic. unnecessary, and nonconstruc
tive restrictions based on misinfor
mation have been adopted into law
in European countries and have
had a negative cffccton production
efficiency and trade economy. A
timely educational effort now may
prevent the passing of inappropri
ate legislation in the U.S.
In an effort to educate producers
and the public alike, the American
Veterinary Medical Association
Scores Close As Record
LOWELLVILLE, Ohio—A
record number of competitors
came from Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and West Virginia to
participate in Yeo Farms fourth
Livestock Judging Contest held in
conjunction with Yeo Farms
Annual Club Lamb Sale on April
has published a set of animal wel
fare recommendations. For exam
ple, it has taken the position that
confinement provides many
opportunities to enhance the health
and welfare of food animals. Orga
nizations such as the Livestock
Conservation Institute, producer
and breed associations, universi
ties, and national committees have
developed informational materials
on appropriate animal care, hand
ling and transportation practices.
Many livestock and marketing
groups have developed operational
codes of ethics. Colleges are offer
ing new courses on animal welfare
and, in other animal-related
courses, are devoting more time to
animal welfare and its relationship
to research and production on ani
mal welfare. Research continues to
provide information on how ani
mals perceive their environments
and to investigate what constitutes
well-being for different species.
The issues of animal welfare,
care, and use will not disappear.
The goal of animal agriculture
must.be to bring the issues to the
forefront where they can be clearly
seen and discussed, and if need be,
changes made. In this way, unin
formed and misinformed Ameri
cans will gain greater understand
ing and appreciation for the impor
tance of animal agriculture in our
world.
PHONE: 717-626-1164 or 717-394-3047
FAX 717-733-6058
Mon., Tues., Wed.. Fri. 8 AM to 5 PM; Thurs. 7 AM to 5 PM
FARM
EQUIPMENT
10/j' Bush Hog mower,
excellent condition, $3950
304/725-5323
1066 black stipe new re
built motor, 20.8-38, good
condition; 1066 cab, good
TA and motor, 18-4-38,
4200 hours; 1466 cab,
good TA and motor,
20-8-38, 3900 hours, 240
UIT, good condition, 1000
hours, good rubber; 300
good condition, TA and
motor; M good, live hyd.,
PS; 1811 Cub Cadet, 450
hours, 44" mower
717-966-3483.
12' Oliver Disc, Grain Wa
gon w/Hydraulic Auger, JD
7000 Corn Planter, (6)30*
Rows, No Fertilizer $2500.
(717)432-8587.
#135 Gehl mixer/ grinder,
20‘ discharge, auger and
extra screens. $5,800 or
best offer. Call
(518)963-7593.
14' Grain Body Dump
Truck, 1974 Internationa!,
30,000 GVW, PS. Air
Brakes, Inspected. $4200
080. (717)369-2540.
15' rotary hoe, 3pth, excel
lent condition. York
County. (717)862-3970.
1947 John Deere A; Ford
8N 717-336-2497 after
4PV
1948 Furmall Cub w/plows,
cultivators, discs, excellent
condition, $3000; 107 IH
Cub Cadet, $7OO.
717-485-3436.
Number Compete
22. Both events took place at the
farm in Lowellville.
Sixty-five young people com
peted as individuals and as mem
bers of county 4-H club teams in a
tightly contested event. There
were 10 junior teams, for those up
to the age of 13, and six senior
teams.
Each participant was asked to
evaluate seven pens containing
four animals. There were four
pens of cattle and three of sheep.
Each contestant was also asked to
estimate the weight of a young
Angus bull so that, in the event of
a tie score in the judging competi
tion, the contestant whose esti
mate of the bull’s weight was the
closer would be given the higher
placing. As it turned out, several
positions in the contest were
settled by the tie-breaking esti
mate of the bull’s weight
Charles County, Maryland
swept first place in the team com
petition in both divisions. On the
junior team were Jonathan House,
Becky Rice-Overstreet. Katie
Roberts, and Angelique White. On
the senior team were Beth Braun,
Jason Roberts, Sarah Roberts, and
Joe Swann.
Edging out the others to win
second place in the junior division
was the Little Woolies team from
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.
The team consisted of Chris Ben
ninhoff of Bessemer, Shawna
Kephart of Enon Valley, and Bar
RUY^LLjnADE^nnEN^M^OUGI^rhMBIHIMi^fc^
1948 Ford truck w/12'
flatbed dump body, truck
runs, has very little rust on
cab and fenders, $5OO
080 410-756-4060 call
anytime
1978 JD 6600, Levelland
combine, 2700 original
hours, air, Dial-O-matic,
$1 3,500 neg.;
717-437-2361.
1980 Tryco 3-wheel sludge
application machine, D.D.,
Allison automatic, 66’ tires,
1750 hours, More vacuum
system. $14,000 080. Will
trade for equipment or any
thing of equal value... What
do you have?
609-894-2649.
1986 Ford 4610 4WO,
52hn cab w/H&A, 2280
hours, excellent condition,
$19,800. (412)627-5287.
1987 1000 Gallon DeLaval
Century Bulk Tank, 2-3 HP
Condensing Units.
(717)530-1341. •
1990 New Holland D2OOO
big square baler, used only
2 years, excellent,
$32,500. NH 1033 bale wa
gon, 105 bales, $5,200. NH
1044 bala wagon, 120
bales, $4,100. Boeder Im
plement, KS,
(913)336-6103.
2010 JO backhoe, $3000;
horse-drawn single row po
tato planter, $200; Ford 3pt
hitch 2R corn planter,
$200; 66 NH baler w/
Wisconsin gas engine,
$500; railroad ties
$lO/each. 717/689-9790.
bie and Jesse Mahosky of Wam
pum. Second place in the senior
division was won by the Mahon
ing County Livestock Judging
Club, Ohio. Participating in this
second place team were Meliss:
Glista of Canfield, Andrea Mussei
of New Middletown, Matt Petrus
of New Springfield, and Richard
Ricketts also of New Springfield,
Another team from Charles
County, Maryland took the thin)
place honors in the junior division.
The team consists of Kim Fea
ganes, Beth Ann House, Carrie
' Moore, and Beth Robert The third
place senior team was from Jeffer
son County, Ohio with Jeremy
Fabian, David Hendrix, Ric Hen
■ drix, and Mike McKim.
| In the individual competition,
I Jonathan House of Charles Coun
ty, Mapdand won the blue ribbon
in the junior division. Second and
third places in that division were
both won by contestants from
Lawrence County, Jesse Mahosky
took the second place by only one
point and Shawna Kephart won
third on the basis of the tie breaker
to leave Alie Made of Mahoning
County in fourth.
In the senior division, Andrea
Musser of Mahoning County won
the blue ribbon. Second place was
won by Beth Braun of Charles
County, Maryland. Third place
went to Ric Hendrix of Jefferson
County, Ohio.
20hp Kohler engine, twin
cylinder electric start, like
new, (717)248-9605
2120 Ford, 4WD, 7588,
backhoe, 7109 loader, 450
hours, shuttle trans ,
$22,000. (717)647-9020
DISMANTLING FOR
PARTS. Just arrived (or
parts 2 Case 580 CK back
hoes Lots of good parts
available.
BALANDA EQUIPMENT
P.O. Box 407 RT 29
Palm. PA 18070.
1-800-322-8030
(2) FMC-GBIIO green
bean multi-row harvesters,
hydro. 4WD, cab & air, ex
cellert condition
609/935-0348.
(2) Grove 14’ hydro-driven
forage wagons; MF 410
combine w/4R (30" row)
corn head; MF 300 com
bine w/13‘ grain head; (2)
2-wheel wagon chassis.
717/648-8048.
(2) JD 8300 18x7 drills; (3)
IH 5100 drills. Zeisloft
Used Equipment,
800/919-3322.
(2) JD LA tractors, running
condition, $2,200 and
$1,500. Chester County.
(610)495-6170.
2R JD com planter w/no-lill
attachments, fiberglass
boxes, Pequea Silt, good
condition. 814-383-2708
leave message.
2 used Chisholm-Ryder
snapbean harvesters w/
hyd. dump wagon, good
cond., call 609-691-5097.