A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 19, 1998 Penn State Reports UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Penn State University re searchers conducted trials to evaluate weaning behavior and growth performance in beef calves weaned early (four months) versus conventionally-weaned (seven months). The trials were conducted over two years and involved 100 cross bred (Angus x Simmental) cow/ calf pairs. Beef producers often transfer calves to a new location out of hearing and sight of the dams at NFO Proposed Pork Plan To USDA AMES, lowa National Farmers Organization pro posed a pork recovery plan to USDA designed to provide relief to America’s hog producers. Phase one of the independent hog pro ducer recover plan calls for USDA to pur chase hogs directly from pork producers and donate them to relief agencies. “This program would not only provide help to those in need, but also assist hog producers who are laboring under record low prices,” said National Farmers Organization President Gene Paul. Prices hog producers receive have plummet ed to 26-year lows. Record low pork prices combined with record high hog inven tories present a monu mental industry pro gram. Currently pro ducers receive approx imately $4O for a 245- pound hog. Comparatively, retail ers gross about $330 for the same animal. USDA now estimates a $144 million loss per week for pork produc ers. “The USDA should step in and help pork producers in their hour of need, as they have in the past with other farm commodi ties,” said Paul. Independent hog pro ducer losses are becoming catastroph ic, and a combination of industry and gov ernment efforts can provide necessary relief to the pork industry. YANKEE CANDLES Best Selection Lowest Prices Shipping Available The Herb Merchant Carlisle, PA 1-800-404-4372 weaning time, which is thought to reduce weaning distress. Weaning distress was evaluated within this study by leaving half the dams within auditory and visual dis tance of the newly weaned calves (dams stayed) and relocating half the dams to a different farm (dams removed). The calves were allotted to one of five treatments, including; 1) early-weaned, dams removed; 2) early-weaned, dams stayed; 3) conventionally-weaned, dams re moved; 4) conventionally (w gsTFAu *) Interstate Dairy Equipment Year End Discount Days Monday, lUesday & Wednesday Dec. 28th, 29th, 30th ' • jr -if-. * - 10% Cash and Carry Discount of Parts and Supplies Mum) Beef Early weaned, dams stayed; and 5) abruptly-weaned and placed im mediately into a feed lot. The early- arid conventionally-weaned calves were returned to fescue pasture for 77 days and 14 days, respectively. The intent of returning calves to pasture was to reduce weaning distress caused by relocation, new ration composition, and different water source. One of the most common weaning management practices is to wean calves and im mediately relocate the calves to a feedlot. Thus, 20 calves were also abruptly-weaned and placed in a feedlot at the same time the pas ture-weaned calves arrived at the feedlot Twenty-eight day fecdlot per- Including... • NORBCO Freestalls • Greenhouse Structures • Concreting • Equipment Installation • Ag-Bag Plus — Silage Inoculant • G7Ol0 —10' Dump Truck Bagger • G6OO9 — 9' Bagger for Wagons • G6OO8 —B'Bagger for Wagons • MR56O3 Flex-A-Tuber — Bale Tuber • MR6o2—Square Bale Tuber Call for year end machine specials! • Take-Off — 10% OFF • Buy All 3 15% OFF • Pulsation— 10% OFF • Buy All 3 with Meters— 20% OFF • Milker Units — 10% OFF 2 Units in stock • 4000 sal. tanker • 6750 sal. tanker Interstate Dairy Equipment 10 Miller Alley • Thurmont, MD 21788 800-332-6559 • 301-271-7344 Weaning Research formance was measured for ear ly-, conventionally-, and abrupt ly-weaned calves. Calf distress was evaluated by recording beha vioral activities such as vocaliza tion, pacing, lying, standing, and grooming. In addition, white blood cell counts (WBC) and neu trophil : lymphocyte (N:L) ratios were used as indicators of calf dis tress levels. Feedlot performance was evaluated by average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (FE), and blood traits (WBC,N:L) ratios). The early-weaned calves had more distress vocalization and paced more than the conventional ly-weaned animals. This demon strates the dam-calf bond is stron ger at four months of age than at seven months. This stronger bond is probably the reason calf distress is greater in early-weaned calves. Regardless of weaning age, calves that were weaned within visual and hearing distance of their dams definitely vocalized more than calves located on a dif ferent farm from their dams. How ever, after the third day, calves close to their dams appeared more relaxed and vocalized less than calves with the dams removed. Calves with dams removed con tinued to exhibit distress traits un til the sixth day. Keeping the dams within hearing and visual distance of the calves apparently shortened the time of distress following weaning. • Freestall Bam Renovations • Freestall Mattress Installations • Sidewall Curtains Framing • & Installation Bluft Ridg* Summit Smlthtburo . 4 A □ Middle School Fr*d»rick (Turn to Pago A 39) Emmtttburg Interstate SB Dairy Rt 77 Kaymv —S'55O Mdvln Kolb S«K Barn I
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