GARDENING

With our fingers crossed, hopefully the weather will change to warmer and drier conditions to get the crops in as well as your gardens. 

Come Early to buy your Seeds.

We were informed there were a few crop failures last year therefore the warehouse does not have as large of stock to pick from.  As a result, our order for the 250 gram seed order was not fully delivered..   

• We have  Green Beans and Yellow beans.  The Peas are sold out.                                       
• For Sweet Corn, we have Peaches & Cream. Bodacious and Honey Select. Bodacious is almost sold out. 

(Number of days for maturity is 72 to 79 days.)

• Seed Display is ready for selecting your favourite seeds. The last two years the seeds did go quickly!
• Early April, Dutch Sets,Spanish Sets and a few Red Sets are available as well in smaller quantities.                   (500 gram and 1 kg)

• Potatoes have finally all arrived end of April.

      Per kilogram sales of potatoes will be available for  retail in smaller quantities. Potato choices are:    

        Kennebec, Red Chieftain by a 50 lb bag or by the kilogram.         Canada Gold is only by the kilogram sales.  The 50 lb bags are gone. 

  You will notice Yukon Gold is not listed as we can not get them this year.  Supplier substituted for Canada Gold.                 

Come Early.   If it is like last year, Seeds, Onions and Potatoes sold quickly 

Keith’s Corner                      

Spring is slowly starting, and I for one am really excited about what the new cropping year brings.  It gives producers a chance to fill their bunks, silos and hay sheds with some top-quality forages.

With the upcoming hay and haylage crop there is one major decision to make; Do I cut for quality and make a higher digestible crop with higher energy, protein and lower fiber? Or do I cut quantity and put up lower digestible forage but hopefully high yield?

With both of these scenarios, best management practices are still imperative to get the crop from the field cut, processed (baled or put in a silo) and fed out to your animals.

Quantity – For ruminant producers it’s critical to make sure that you have enough inventory on the farm to make sure that the critters have enough to eat for the upcoming year.  Usually when cutting for quantity, the quality will suffer, what I mean by this, is there will be higher levels of undigestible fiber, lower energy and protein in that crop.

With the price of protein and energy sources in the market, this may not be the right decision for producers that are feeding high producing lactating or feedlot animals, but for producers feeding heifers, beef cows and ewe’s, this is a perfectly fine solution.

Quality – Feed stock prices for proteins, grain and fats are at or near all-time highs, and in general when balancing a diet for a feedlot or lactating dairy animal, 9/10 times the limiting factor to the diet is energy, which both protein, carbohydrate and fiber digestibility factor into, and when supplementing this right know with grain, fat or a protein source it is quite costly.  This yield can be made up later in the year with the corn crop to make sure that you have enough inventory going into the next year.  This doesn’t allow you to sell more grain at these prices, but it does keep you feed bill lower because you’re purchasing less feed, so it’s a trade-off.

At the end of the day, there needs to be a balance on what to do with your hay crop, if you have any questions on what to do on your farm, please reach out! 

        CHICK DAYS  continue … !

Order by Dates              Delivery

       (Or Earlier)

April 11                                   May 17

May 2                                      June 7

May 24                                    June 28

    RTL – order by May 16   Delivery June 28

June 27                                    August 2

August 2                      Wednesday, September 7

     RTL – order by July 28        Delivery September 7

NOTE

White Rock Meat Birds will only be

       available as NON-SEXED this year.

For 2022 Chick Days, the Bonnie Heavy Reds will not be available according to the information we have received.

Water for Day-Old Chicks – make sure the water is lukewarm because cool water will chill them or even kill them.

FEED

As a reminder, feed Broiler day-old chicks and/or Layer day-old chicks with Medicated Chick Starter for 4 to 6 weeks then eventually blend over to Grower Finisher.

When layer, day-old chicks begin to lay an egg gradually blend to Layer Crumb or Laymash.

Duck Starter – 4 weeks   Duck Grower Pellet – after 4 weeks

TURKEYS - Depending on the Size of Turkey you are aiming for, time frames could be shortened by a week or two.

Turkey Starter – 4 to 6 weeks Medicated

Turkey Grower – 4 to 6 weeks Medicated

Turkey Finisher – 4 weeks  (Non Medicated)

Equipment for Poultry

    Brooder Lamps,                   Brooder Bulbs

    Feeders                                 Waterers

    Egg Cartons                Shavings for Bedding

Stress Aid – For the customers that purchased Stress Aid, we have been told it is no longer available.

We are looking at another product that does

 sound very similar to Stress Aid – Poul-Vite.

It offers vitamins to give the chicks and

 turkeys a good start.

Getting Ready for the Birds

With the Avian Influenza outbreak, it is most important that Bio-Security measures such as disinfecting pens and equipment are in place at all locations. 

Precautions are:  

-  Ensure that birds with outdoor access do not share areas with wild birds or other animals.

-  Make sure free-range areas do not have attractions for wild waterfowl (i.e. ponds or open feeders) that may become contaminated with bird droppings. 

-  Frequently clean poultry coops, waterers, feeders, clothing, boots and equipment. 

-  Limit exposure to visitors 

-  Keep new birds separate when entering the  

   flock.

There are already Zones that have strict rules for movement of birds, commercially and domestically raised.

-  Signs of sickness such as:

-  Lack of energy, movement, or appetite

-  Decrease in egg production

-  Swelling round the head, neck and eyes

-  Coughing, gasping for air or sneezing 

-  Tremors or lack of co-ordination 

-  Diarrhea

If you see signs, report to your Veterinarian immediately.

When the birds arrive on any one of the  delivery dates, be sure to have your pen ready for the.

• Pen and other equipment should be cleaned and disinfected. The product Virkon 50 gram package mixed with 5 litres of water offers a 1% quality spray disinfectant against viruses, micro-organisms and bacteria.
• Check for any holes around the foundation or screened areas to protect against predators getting in the pen.
• Water Containers should be suitable in size for Chicks. ( In stock we have 1 Gallon containers.)  **Remember the water should be room temperature to luke warm for the little day old chicks.**
• Water should be changed and checked daily if not twice a day for the 1 gallon containers.
• Feeders should be suitable for chicks as well.  We have in stock 2 foot feeders.  Plan to fill the feeders possibly two different times during the day.  If you have meat birds, they will eat all day if you let them which is not advisable.
• Being that the Ready-to-Lay and Meat Birds are older, they will need larger waterers and feeders. During the hot, Summer months they drink lots of water. Check their supply regularly too.               In stock we have 5 gallon bottom-fill waterers and 7 Gallon Top Fill waterers.
• Feeders we have 25 lb poly containers or   50# Galvanized feeders.
• Use shavings or straw for their bedding. Do not use sawdust.
• Barn Fresh being a form of diatomaceous earth works good as a base under the shavings or straw to help absorb moisture.  Organically Barn Fresh may be helpful for bugs and parasites on birds if they eat the product or fluff their feathers while sitting on a dry area.  The Barn Fresh scratches the bugs’ outer skin and eventually dehydrates and dies. 

Attention Students

Do you need a Summer Job starting 

July 1?

Requirements: 

• The student is to be 15 years old.
• Strength to be able to lift 55 lb bags.
• Duties include Mill and Yard work,
• Some Maintenance such as Painting, Cleaning etc.

To apply, bring in a Resume in to McBrayne Feed during May.

Wool Growers

If you are in need of the Government Sheep tags, contact:    Ontario Sheep Farmers

                        130 Malcolm Road, Guelph

                        Ontario N1K 1B1

                        Telephone:  519-836-0043

                        Fax: 519-836-2531

                        www.OntarioSheep.org

Free for the Taking   

“The Messenger”  that is mailed to us regularly listing various topics of interest for those in the Sheep business.

Feed Products

        to Help Maintain Health

Kid/Lamb Colostrum

For Goats           

16% Just Kidding (Dry Dairy Goat Ration Pellet

20% Kid Goat Starter Ration (0% ECP) Pellet

17% Goat Developer

15% Billy Goat Gro-Finisher Ration Pellet

Dairy Goat Mineral

For Sheep 

16% Lamb Starter Ration with Bovatec .66% ECP

16% Lamb Starter Ration (No Bovatec)

35% Sheep Supplement (200) (3.3% ECP)

Premium Sheep Mineral