A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA Website: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
DRY COWS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HEAT STRESS TOO!
Summer is just around the corner and soon, the herd will head back to pasture.
The warm summer months can be challenging for the milking herd when temperatures and relative humidity soar. We tend to forget that dry cows can suffer from heat stress too.
It is well known that the dry period in dairy cattle is critical in many ways. Optimum conditions during the dry period will influence positively the outcome of the subsequent lactation. When dry cows are exposed to heat stress, the effects may extend well into the following lactation.
During the dry period, the mammary system undergoes many changes. Tissue grows and extensive cell turnover takes place. This process is required to compensate for the cell loss that took place during the previous lactation.
The extent of the regeneration process dictates the number of milk producing cells as well as their production capacity. The absence of a dry period is associated with decreased milk production in the subsequent lactation since the mammary gland regeneration process is altered.
Environmental factors such as photoperiod and temperature have been demonstrated to affect subsequent lactation as well. For example, cows exposed to short-day photoperiod during the dry period produce more milk and have improved immune function than similar animals dried-off under long-day photoperiod.
Temperature is another important environmental factor. Dairy cows prefer cool temperatures. As the temperature gets warmer, especially if the relative humidity is high, signs of heat stress may start to show up: lower dry matter intake and reduced milk production for lactating animals.
A less known fact is that dry cows can be negatively affected by warm temperatures as well. Furthermore, not only will dry cows exhibit signs of heat stress during the warm spell but the effects may extend well into the following lactation.
COST OF PRODUCTION
Adjustments Reduce Swine Feeding Costs
In The Grower-Finisher Barn
The swine team at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), have provided management tips that swine producers can utilize to help reduce feed costs in the grower-finisher barn.
Since feed accounts for 65 to 75 per cent of the cost of raising a pig, and feed costs keep rising, it makes good business sense to reduce costs through proper feeder management.
Swine feeder management in the grower-finisher barn is about maintenance of and adjustments to feed systems for savings. Two per cent feed wastage can amount to six kilograms of feed. OMAFRA’s grower – finisher specialist created a seven-minute video that shows what producers can do to reduce feed waste and costs.
The video highlights feeder management tips for improving feed usage in the grower-finisher barn.
The swine feeder management in the grower-finisher barn video is on OMAFRA’s website at: Ontario.caswine.
FARMS GETTING LARGER WITH FEWER FARMERS COUNTER-STATSCAN
from Statistics Canada
The trend to consolidation and adaptation in the Canadian agricultural sector continued between 2006 and 2011 as the number of census farms declined and many farms expanded and consolidated their operations. The 2011 Census of Agriculture showed a shift away from livestock-based farms to crop-based farms. A full analysis is available in the analytical report, “A snapshot of Canadian agriculture.”
The 2011 Census of Agriculture counted 205,730 census farms, a decline of 23,643 or 10.3% from 2006. At the same time, the number of farm operators fell by 33,135 or 10.1% to 293,925.
Farm numbers have been declining steadily since 1941. Between 2006 and 2011, the number fell in every province except Nova Scotia, where it rose 2.9%. The number of operators was down everywhere in Canada except Nova Scotia, where it increased 2.5%, and British Columbia, where it was up marginally.
Between 2006 and 2011, the average size of Canadian farms increased 6.9% from 728 acres to 778 acres. In Saskatchewan, the average farm size increased 15.1% to 1,668 acres, the largest increase in the country.
Production shifted as well. Crop production and beef farming have long been the backbone of Canadian agriculture, but the gap between the two has widened. In 2006, oilseed and grain farms accounted for 26.9% of all farms and beef farms accounted for 26.6%. By 2011, the share of oilseed and grain farms had increased to 30.0%, while the share of beef farms had declined to 18.2%.
COMING EVENTS
June 5 Wellington Federation of Agriculture, monthly board meeting at OMAFRA Boardroom, Elora at 7:30 p.m. For information, contact Lisa Hern at 519-848-3774 or email: jplh@golden.net.
June 6- National Farmers Union Waterloo-Wellington Local, monthly board meeting at 7:15 p.m. at the Husky Farm Equipment, Alma. (They meet every first Wednesday of the month).
June 7 – Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) – Ontario Provincial Conference, Quality Inn, Woodstock. Details available at: www.cafanet.com.
June 9 – 17th Annual Children’s Farm Safety Day for Waterloo Region from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Event will be held rain or shine in Woolwich Township at: Dennis & Helen Martin, 1220 Lundy Rd., RR#1, West Montrose. Registration by Friday, June 1st. For more information, contact Lois 519-696-2667 or check the website: www.waterlooruralwomen.org.
June 19&20 – Ontario Pork Congress. Mark your calendar; check website: http://www.porkcongress.on.ca/.
June 24 – Local Food Fest – a celebration of local food and copies of the 2012 local food map available at Ignatius Jesuit Centre with children’s area, workshops and more. Visit the website at: www.guelphwellingtonlocalfood.ca. and copies of the 2012 local food map available at Ignatius Jesuit Centre with children’s area, workshops and more. Visit the website at: www.guelphwellingtonlocalfood.ca.
July 4 & 5 – SouthWest Crop Diagnostic Day, Univ. of Guelph, Ridgetown, 8:15 a.m. Check the website: http://www.diagnosticdays.ca/.
July 12- FarmSmart Expo, University of Guelph, Elora Research Station, Elora. Watch for details at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/.
July 13- FarmSmart Expo Youth Day at the University of Guelph, Elora Research Station at 8:45 a.m. Check the website: www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/.
July 23-27 – 4-H Conference Career Sen$e; Application Deadline: June 11th, Guelph. See website for details: http://www.4-hontario.ca/youth/opportunities/conferences/default.aspx.
