Canadian Simmental Association - General News Releases

General - News Releases

Practice Safe Livestock Handling

Working with livestock is a hands-on experience. Sometimes, such as during calving season, you know you have to get right in the pen. You have done this hundreds of times and it's second nature for you to get in there...just in case. But as with many farm accidents, danger comes with too much familiarity. It is easy to forget how most animals are aggressive when protecting their young. The impact of an accident involving a cow in-calf can change your life and have serious consequences for your family and your farm. In fact, one in five hospitalizations for farm injuries are related to livestock.

That is why the theme of the 2002 Canadian Agricultural Safety Campaign is "Safe Livestock Handling". Organizations behind the campaign, including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and other farm safety partners nationwide, are working together to raise awareness on how to practice safe livestock handling.

"Following incidents with farm machinery, livestock handling is the next common cause of fatalities on family farms," says Cathy Vanstone, Chair for CASA. "Every producer needs to know how to handle their livestock safely."

Each year, an average of 118 people die from farm-related incidents. Studies done by the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP) reveal some alarming numbers about animal-related accidents:

• 68 per cent of men's livestock injuries occur during calving season.
• Only one in 20 people will survive a bull attack. Bull encounters account for 40 per cent of animal-handling fatalities.
• 46 per cent of animal-related hospitalizations involved horses. Women are more likely than men to fall off a horse, while men are more likely to be struck or crushed.
• On average, 1,727 people are seriously injured each year in farm-related incidents in Canada.

"We have to make it clear that safety is a choice, not an act of fate," says Bob Friesen, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. "That's why we focus our efforts on urging farmers and agribusiness operators to take preventative safety measures at home, on the farm, or where they work."

"We are dedicated to agriculture, so it makes sense that we do all we can to encourage safety on the farm and at agribusiness operations," says John Ryan, FCC President and CEO." "If we can help prevent even one injury or fatality, we will make a difference."

To learn more about our farm safety initiatives, please visit the FCC Web site www.fcc-fac.ca.

For more information, please call:

Basic safety precautions may save the life of you or your loved ones. Whether you've worked with animals all your
life or are new to it, it's a good idea to brush up on safety. Have a look at these helpful hints:

• Always leave yourself an emergency escape route when working in close quarters.
• Keep children away from animals, especially in livestock handling areas.
• Talk or whistle softly when approaching animals so you don't surprise them.
• Check restraining equipment for wear and tear, and repair or replace as necessary.

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SALVAGING FEED TO SURVIVE A DROUGHT
By: Roy Lewis DVM

The unending drought in a large area of Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan has most farmers very distraught and not knowing where to turn. Both pasture and winter feed supplies for livestock is severely short and most grain producers are wondering whether their crops will be worth harvesting. I’ve contacted several other experts in the field and want to spell out some suggestions and courses of action available. As with most of these co-operation between neighbors, governments and business partners is essential to maintain our viable farming communities.

We must look at this problem from both the grain producers and livestock producer’s point of view. Several options could be available to most livestock producers. It is very likely most municipal governments will see that drastic measures must be taken in order to help the situation and pasturing of ditches is a very viable option. Roads could be blocked off or electric fencing put in place to allow grazing right up till the roadsides. When one thinks of the volume of brome forage or sweetclover available over a one or two mile stretch on both sides this could allow valuable grazing time. Scour the ditches first, hardware disease from consuming metal is possible and watch for any old batteries broken open, as we would not wish the cattle getting lead poisoning. Check for your liability in this situation before pursuing.

Most grain crops look very poor in our area and hopefully if crops are very poor grain producers can co-operate with their local livestock producers to take the crop off in either silage, green feed or in cases where it is fenced pasture it. In crops, which were heavily fertilized and with the plants stressed nitrate poisoning is a possibility. Crops should be clipped and sent to labs for rush analysis before allowing access. Levels of Nitrate Nitrogen > 0.35% or Potassium Nitrate> 0.5% are potentially dangerous. Keep in mind the feed can still be diluted and slow exposure to pastures high in nitrates over one week will minimize risk. The most susceptible is the fetuses. Even canola silage can be mixed in. I know farmers who personally have fed up to 1/3 canola silage with good results. If possible turn livestock out after silaging to make use of the stubble. The fertilizer they spread will have a positive effect on this cropped land.

In some locations large tracts of low areas are not farmed in these grain fields. Cattle will be able to utilize all this area by sloughs and in willow thickets. Although the swamp grasses are a little more unpalatable and probably not as nutritionally sound as a stopgap measure they will suffice. Make sure and keep the mineral and salt consumption up. Watch for Water Hemlock the one very poisonous weed we get in our area. It generally grows in swampy areas and the root bulb is the extremely toxic part. Rely on the county field people or Provincial Agriculture office for identification if you are concerned. Otherwise lets get the cattle out into these lusher areas.

Feed efficiency must be maximized and this year like no other rumensin must be feed to allow the least amount of feed to do the most good. Talk to your veterinarian nutritionist, cow-calf specialist or feed man to find out more specifics if you haven’t fed it before.

This is most definitely the year for a very thorough cull. Any bad uddered, poor milkers, wild cows, prolapsers etc etc culling this year is a must. Keep the best productive cows. Even if you have never done it pregnancy checking will eliminate open or late cows getting rid of those unproductive mouths to feed. We are even suggesting this shortly after the bulls are pulled. Late cows will just show up open. This can allow your feed supplies to be stretched out for the pregnant cows. Same applies with bulls cull heavy and deep. There will be lots of top quality yearling bulls available from our purebred breeders.

Bedding will also be in very short supply. Keeping the cows at a condition score around three minimizes the amount of bedding necessary throughout the winter. Snow can be a good insulator lets hope we get lots of it this winter. Other options are wood chips (if available) and dried peat moss although dusty is an excellent bedding product.

Hopefully this has given our local farmers some viable options. Most importantly talk to your neighbor. I am always amazed at the ingenuity of the farmers. Together we can get through these trying times and will be better prepared for the future.

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