National exposé is not a balanced view: MPC

More documents

Recommendations

Info

14 The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012 There’s no trick to giving calves a good start — it’s all about proper nutrition American dairy expert says raising a healthy calf comes down to the “five Cs” — colostrum, calories, comfort, cleanliness and consistency By Shannon VanRaes CO-OPERATOR STAFF If there’s a problem in your dairy herd, it’s likely the usual suspects are to blame. “Don’t look for the exotic,” Dr. Fox Lance told producers at the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba conference in Winnipeg. “We start to look for really exotic bugs... we think it’s got to be some new perplexing organism that we haven’t discovered on the face of the planet. But oftentimes we can go back and look at those little things and figure out our problems.” The key to raising a healthy calf is paying attention to the “five Cs” when troubleshooting health and development issues — “colostrum, calories, comfort, cleanliness and consistency,” said the American dairy specialist. And when it comes to colostrum, Lance said the best time is as soon as possible. Twenty years ago it was considered acceptable to feed colostrum to a calf 12 or 14 hours after birth. But recent studies have found the sooner a calf receives the antibody-rich substance, the more antibodies it will absorb. “The goal is to collect (colostrum) as soon as possible after calving,” said Lance, adding ideally the calf will receive it in a pair of two-litre doses given about six hours apart. As well, the longer a cow sits before colostrum is collected, the greater the chance it will become diluted with milk, he said. If natural colostrum isn’t an option because of a shortage, or an attempt to break an on-farm disease cycle, go with one of the commercially available alternatives, he said. “I do tend to believe nature’s is best,” said Lance, adding colostrum can be collected from cows that are producing extra, but it will only last about three days in the fridge. Frozen colostrum can be saved for up to a year. “But if you collect that colostrum and you’re not very clean about that procedure, we now have a great substrate for growing bacteria... we want to give them as clean and pathogenfree colostrum as we can,” he stressed. The other bacteria highway farmers will want to shut down promptly is the remains of the umbilical cord. “That umbilicus is three tubes, a vein and artery and what we call the urachus — the waste tube. It’s where urine goes from the fetus,” he said. “All three tubes have to close down and dry out... that’s why we dip navels.” Navels should be dipped directly after birth with a solution of seven per cent iodine, said Lance, adding that if time permits the navel should be dipped a second time after the mother licks off the calf. Once a calf moves on to milk, and eventually grain and hay, getting enough calories becomes a priority — especially if the temperature falls below 10 C. “For every degree drop below thermo-neutral zone (10 C to 24 C), that calf will require one per cent more energy,” said Lance. At -17 C, calves will need 50 per cent more food. No matter what the temperature is outside, milk or milk replacements given to calves should be at about 37 C, roughly the body temperature of a mother cow. Cool milk can cause of bloat in calves, said the veterinarian. Aggressive calves who drink too quickly can also be prone to bloat, but Lance noted there is a charming and cheap solution to that problem. “You buy a little rubber ducky bath toy,” he said. “Throw that ducky in the pail when you go to feed them and they’ll actually play with that ducky and it will slow them right down.” And although labour and time constraints might make it tempting, he warns against cutting nipples for bottle-fed calves to expedite the process, noting that, too, can lead to unnecessary bloating. Getting a calf on to grain is the next most important step in ensuring proper development. “ When you go to wean that calf, our goal is to really “Throw that ducky in the pail when you go to feed them and they’ll actually play with that ducky and it will slow them right down.” FOX LANCE minimize stress,” said Lance. “They are born to drink milk, they don’t know how to eat grain.” To help them learn, throw a little bit into the milk pails of newborn calves, and keep dry grain fresh and palatable, he said. The results are worthwhile. “When you do feed enough groceries to those baby calves, when you give them enough good colostrum, get them going and feed them at a high plain of nutrition... we get growth out of them, and those effects last,” said Lance. shannon.vanraes@fbcpublishing.com Dr. Fox Lance told producers at the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba conference in Winnipeg there are tried and true basics to follow when building overall herd health. PHOTO: SHANNON VANRAES L C O Leaving Competition Obsolete Expand your planting window to 120 days with LCO Promoter Technology, ® available in Optimize. ® The LCO molecule drives communication between the soybean plant and the nitrogen inoculant independent of soil conditions. The result? A scientific breakthrough in enhanced nutritional capabilities that drive natural growth processes, maximizing soybean plant growth and overall crop performance – and now with an even longer planting window! Let’s change history together. Call your Novozymes representative today. www.useOptimize.ca | 1-888-744-5662 Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries we create tomorrow’s industrial biosolutions, improving our customers’ business and the use of our planet’s resources. Read more at www.novozymes.com.
The Manitoba Co-operator | December 13, 2012 15 Suzuki advocates “back to the future” solution to avoid catastrophe Time running out for humanity? David Suzuki urges turning back the clock to a simpler time as a solution By Daniel Winters CO-OPERATOR STAFF / BRANDON Ever get misty eyed thinking about the good old days? According to renowned environmentalist David Suzuki, the days of single-bathroom, 1,000-square-foot houses, streets devoid of traffic jams, and happy children roaming back lanes, fields and forests on the edge of town can — and must — return if humanity is to survive a terrifying array of looming catastrophes in the making. “Do we have to grow all our own food and live in caves, they ask? Well, no, how about going back to 1950?” said Suzuki in his keynote address at the recent Manitoba Conservation Districts Association convention. “We lived good, rich lives back then, even though the economy was many times smaller. How about setting that as a target?” Shrinking the economy to postwar levels and relearning our grandparents’ habits of self-reliance and modest living would reduce the environmental footprint of the world’s seven billion human inhabitants and keep global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emis- Environmentalist David Suzuki gives the keynote address at the annual Manitoba Conservation Districts Association convention. PHOTO: DANIEL WINTERS sions beneath the critical 2º threshold that scientists warn is the tipping point for disaster. Also, by consuming less “stuff,” burning less fuel, and reconnecting with nature, Suzuki argued that we’d be happier, healthier, and better able to preserve what’s left of the world’s resources for future generations. The author of more than 50 books and narrator of TV’s “The Nature of Things” is particularly excited by former CIBC chief economist Jeff Rubin’s latest book, The End of Growth, which predicts that high oil prices LCO Promoter Technology NOW with 120 day planting window! caused by harder-to-extract fossil fuel supplies will permanently hamstring economic growth and force a rethink of civilization. “Quite frankly, the global economy has got to break down. And it will, because it was built on cheap oil,” said Suzuki, adding that he’s “praying” for that exact outcome. “It’s not going to be easy. But we’ve got elders who lived through the Great Depression. They’ve got a lot to teach us.” Suzuki, who is vociferous in his condemnation of industrial agriculture’s use of genetically modified organisms, monocultures, and pesticides, put forth his argument that continued human domination of the landscape and its productive capacity is “suicidal” because it denies the world’s 30 million other plant and animal species the room and means to survive. Without species diversity, the critical components that make up the biosphere that made human life possible for 150,000 years by cycling nutrients and purifying the air will be irretrievably lost, he said. Humans have the unique gift of “foresight” that allows us to look ahead and avoid future dangers, he said, and we must use it if “vast, human misery” is to be avoided within mere decades. “We elevate the economy above the very things that keep us alive,” said Suzuki. “Why do we keep thinking that the economy has to grow? Are there no limits? Can it grow forever? How much is enough?” The 76-year-old was sharply critical of the Stephen Harperled federal government’s attempts to “muzzle scientists” and undo years of progress in environmental activism, and he urged attendees to “get rid of this government.” Suzuki’s address certainly had others talking. Ernie Bayduza, a delegate from the Intermountain Conservation District who sat near the front, was visibly tormented by Suzuki’s foray into political partisanship. “He’s complaining about the present government, but what the hell did the previous government do?” said Bayduza, who admitted that he agreed with much of what Suzuki had to say. Others complained, “he’s full of it,” and called him a “jetsetting environmentalist” who expects others to “do as I say, not as I do.” 2011-26973-02 Novozymes. ® Optimize and LCO Promoter Technology are registered 2012 trademarks of Novozymes A/S. All rights reserved. 12042 09.12 © But others found food for thought. Endless economic growth isn’t sustainable, said David Rourke, who operates a largescale farm near Minto as well as Ag-Quest, a contract ag research company. But making “straight line” projections into the future with regard to climate and population growth are the kinds of games only fools and bankers play, he said. “If we don’t have as much fuel, population could go down faster. But then, the trick might be to have a bigger gun than everybody else,” said Rourke with a grin. Fred Tait, 71, said he fears his grandchildren face a “brutal” future. But the co-ordinator for the National Farmer’s Union said he’s optimistic society will collectively begin to connect the dots and demand action. And he noted that politicians of any stripe can respond quickly, given enough public pressure. “There’s nothing that focuses the mind quicker than the knowledge that you’ll hang in the morning,” said Tait. daniel.winters@fbcpublishing.com NEWS Trapping banned in provincial parks MANITOBA GOVERNMENT RELEASE Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship advises all licensed and permitted trapping has been banned effective immediately in provincial parks that have heavy year-round use by families and pets. The department is also banning trapping within 50 metres of developed areas and designated trails including hiking, ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, ATV and horse trails, in all provincial parks. The new measures will remain in place while the department undertakes an extensive review on how to better manage trapping and improve safety for all park users. The changes follow a second unfortunate and unusual incident in which a pet was killed by a trap in a central region provincial park. An ongoing investigation into both incidents will determine whether fines, charges or other measures need to be taken.
Page 1 and 2: DECEMBER 13, 2012 SERVING MANITOBA
Page 3 and 4: The Manitoba Co-operator | December
Page 13: The Manitoba Co-operator | December
Page 25 and 26: :17.4” The Manitoba Co-operator |

National exposé is not a balanced view: MPC

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?