OVSC Newsletter - February 2023

OVSC Newsletter

President’s Message

I hope that calving is going well for everyone who has an early calving season. We had 6 out of 6 bull calves and the cows we sold also all had bull calves. What are the odds of that happening?

As you know, we held our OVSC fall meeting at the Alfred Taylor Centre in November and I must say it was rather disappointing to once again only have a handful of members show up. Those that did had some great ideas about many initiatives and this gives me hope for the future of the club. But I have to be honest, if we don’t soon get some more people out to meetings and prepared to contribute to the club, I have to question whether or not the club will survive.

We have had a very successful Stars of the Valley sale in recent years. New buyers and new consignors alike are showing up for the sale and that gives me hope for our breed and the club. Our current board is compiled of several new members and that is wonderful to see but overall our membership numbers and participation levels are dwindling and this is very concerning.

I hate to sound like a Debbie Downer but someone needs to say something to draw attention to the issue. I hope you enjoy this newsletter and as you read through it please consider showing up to our AGM. If you are interested in getting involved please consider letting your name stand to become a Director. We have two Director positions that will be up for renewal or voting on at the AGM. Even if you don’t want to become a Director we welcome members to get involved and help out with the club and our activities. What are you waiting for? Get involved!

Yours truly,

KimHeuff

OVSC President

OVSC Board of Directors

Nick Ashby, Director

Ashby Farms

ashbyfarms@outlook.com

613-349-5778

Michael Hall, Director

Crystal Brook Farm

Hall.michael11@gmail.com

613-290-1415

Kim Heuff, President Spruce Rock Farms kim@kimheuff.com

613-298-5806

Scott McCaig, Director

Ferme Terr Agri Inc. Mccaig_services@outlook.com

613-577-8649

Jessica Peeters, Vice-President Jessica.horse.8@gmail.com

Norm Plume, Director

Evergreen Odds normgplume@gmail.com

613-223-1457

Fred Stewart, Director

BEEF/4H/Youth

Miniature Meadows

miniaturemeadowangus@gmail.com

613-861-2062

Nancy Neuman, Secretary 2826 Swale Road Greely, ON K4P 1N2

613-619-5566 ovsimmental@gmail.com

Please join us on Sunday, March 26th at 1:00 PM for our AGM. As usual we will have a potluck lunch, silent auction, good discussion and great company.

Farm Show Exhibit Items Wanted

We have a booth at the Farm Show and with that comes the opportunity for members to showcase their farms and cattle. We welcome materials such as farm signs, posters of cattle for sale, educational information, etc. from all of our members. If you would like to contribute something please get in touch with Nancy or Norm.

Ottawa Valley Farm Show Returns in 2023

The farm show is finally set to take place Tuesday, March 14 - 16th. How nice it will be to get out and see the displays and visit with friends. The club will have a display once again. Thanks to Norm and Donna Plume. We are looking for a few members to work the booth. If you would like to spend some time volunteering please contact Nancy Neuman a message either by phone 613-619-5566 or by email at ovsimmental@gmail.com

Pictured above: Kinsley Driscoll

Youth Incentive

The OVSC Board of Directors recently voted to increase the incentive paid to youth who purchase a 4H prospect at the Stars of the Valley Simmental Sale. The new incentive has been increased from $75 to $100 payable to youth who purchase at the sale and use that animal to complete their 4H project the following season.

A form must be completed and signed by the 4H member’s leader to confirm completion of the project.

If you have questions or a completed form please email ovsimmental@gmail.com

Pictured below: Amber McCaig

Paid Advertising Rates 2023

Business Card Ad

$10 per issue

$40 per year

Quarter Page

$25 per issue

$90 per year

Half Page

$40 per issue

$140 per year

Full Page

$75 per issue

$250 per year

New Local Youth Show Taking Shape

We are proud to announce the creation of a brand-new junior beef event in the Ottawa Valley. On May 20, 2023 youth from across Eastern Canada will embark upon the Carp Agricultural Society Fairgrounds for the inaugural Valley Junior Beef Sweepstakes.

Stars of the Valley Sale 2023 Proposed New Social Weekend

At our November meeting there was a healthy discussion about enhancing the sale by hosting a Friday evening social event complete with prime rib dinner (or something of the sort). This would be for all members, not just those with cattle in the sale. The hope is to create a time where we can relax and enjoy the company of fellow Simmental friends and strengthen our club and breed. We’d love to hear your thoughts about this idea and continue the conversation at the AGM.

The Ottawa Valley had long been renowned as home to some of the most passionate and talented junior beef exhibitors in existence, as well as a hotbed of the most competitive show cattle in the nation. While opportunities are available for these youth during the local summer and fall fair season, little to no venues exist for our youth to showcase their beef cattle projects and talents locally during the spring show season.

Given their incredible passion, many juniors take the initiative to travel across the province, country or even into the United States to compete at high level competitions and broaden their horizons in the agricultural sector, when they could be getting this experience in their own backyard. The organizing committee of the Valley Junior Beef Sweepstakes is committed to hosting a world-class event for our local junior beef exhibitors and those from across Eastern Canada to showcase their talents and grow as future leaders right here in the Ottawa Valley. The Valley Junior Beef Sweepstakes will be an accessible venue for young people to showcase their livestock and compete at the highest level, while experiencing the atmosphere, people and cattle that make the Ottawa Valley such a well-known location for those in the industry. The juniors participating (aged 21 and under) are the future of our agriculture sector and rural way of life, so we hope to inspire these juniors to grow their passion and develop essential life skills by means of a premier junior livestock event.

The show committee, consisting of local industry members, welcomes you to join us at the inaugural Valley Junior Beef Sweepstakes in Carp on May 19 & 20.

If you would like to support this new venture in any way, please reach out to “Valley Junior Beef Sweepstakes” on Facebook, or by email at valleyjbs@gmail.com

Thank you

Thanks to everyone who has helped keep our club strong. We appreciate the time and hard work that our volunteers give so generously.

Club Fundraising

We are looking for ideas on how to do some fundraising for the club. If you have any ideas please share them.

If you would like to donate an item or two to one of our silent auctions please feel free to bring the items along to our events. We will be having a silent auction at the AGM if we receive items.

Ontario Hosts 2023 CSA Convention and YCSA National Classic

The Ontario Simmental Association and Ontario Young Canadian Simmental Association are pleased to be hosting the 2023 CSA AGM and Convention and the YCSA National Classic in Ancaster Ontario, August 3-6. We are looking forward to hosting Simmental enthusiasts from across the country.

The CSA portion will start with a tour on the 3rd which will include a stop at the state of the art University of Guelph Beef Research Barn in Elora. There will also be great learning and networking events as well. The CSA AGM will take place on the 5th along with the Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundational Sale and banquet.

Move in will begin in the afternoon of August 2nd for the YCSA National. A fun weekend is planned for juniors. Plan to participate! We are looking forward to juniors participating from across the country. More information to be posted in the next month on the OSA website and Facebook page.

Welcome to la fermière folle

It is with great pleasure that we offer for sale this relatively young group of purebred Simmental bulls. They were born and raised on our farm, with special attention to genetics. Our breeding program uses only AI, allowing us to use varied and diverse genetics. We are conscious of the predominance and strength of popular bulls in the Canadian Simmental breed across the country, and our breeding program goal is to add vigor to the breed by selecting strong but lesser-known sires. These may often originate from the United States, while being 100% qualified for the Canadian market. This particular group of bulls have been sired by bulls such as W/C Wide Track 694Y, MRL Battle Cry 2G, TNT Tanker U263, and BCLR Cash Flow C820.

We think you’ll be quite impressed by their EPDs. Those bulls which are physically mature enough have been semen tested by our vet. Our current calving season is set to produce several calves from LCDR Favor 149F, with 2 heifers on the ground that are looking very solid and exceptionally vigorous. Please take a look and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

LFF 4J - JOE JOE ROCKET - Polled Purebred

DOB 21 Mar 2021

Sired by W/C WideTrack 694Y, great cow family.

LFF 4J

LFF 8J

LFF 8J - JIMMY - Polled Purebred

DOB 23 May 2021

A great way to promote quick gain in your young animals. A bull that is very easy to work with. Sired by TNT Tanker U263

LFF 9J

LFF 9J - JOHNNY CASH - Polled Purebred

DOB 17 Dec 2021

Impressive EPDs, a nice bull from BCLR Cash Flow C820. His dam is a constant in our herd.

DLMS Sale Contacts

Mark Shologan

780-699-5082

Joanne Shologan

780-689-6068

(Leave message if no answer).

Julie Lauzon

la fermière folle

LFF 2K

LFF

DOB 28 Jan 2022

- Polled Purebred

Very impressive EPDs, square back end, great disposition.

LFF

LFF 3K - KENNY ROGERS - Polled Purebred

DOB 28 Jan 2022

Dam is from Dikeman’s Sure Bet. Great set of EPDs.

Campbell’s Bay, QC 613-315-3815

jewels1@videotron.ca

2K - KARL

3K

Julie Lauzon

LFF 4K

LFF 4K - KOLONEL - Polled Purebred

DOB 18 Feb 2022

Sired by MRL Battle Cry 2G. Great cow family.

LFF 5K

LFF 5K - KAPITAINE - Polled Purebred

DOB 5 Mar 2022

Sired by MRL Battle Cry 2G. Another solid cow family.

LFF 6K

LFF 6K - KOJAK - Polled Purebred

DOB 28 Mar 2022

Dam is from WLB Bounty Hunter. Hard pressed to find a better set of EPDs. Excellent heifer bull.

LFF 7K

LFF 7K - BLACK KNIGHT - Polled Purebred

DOB 26 Apr 2022

Dam is a very prolific Baldie who throws consistently great heifers, very easy to work with.

LFF 9K

LFF 9K - KNOCKOUT - Polled Purebred

DOB 3 May 2022

Dam was sired by TNT Tanker U263 and from our strongest cow. A younger bull with very promising EPDs and the pedigree to match.

LFF 10K

LFF 10K - KONSTANTIN - Polled Purebred

DOB 8 May 2022

A nicely rounded bull with well above average EPDs for CE and API. Don’t let his age fool you, he’s packing a lot of punch.

For more information on each bull visit the Canadian Simmental Association website and enter the tattoo number in the Animal Search section. http://bmmi.cgenregistry.ca/csa/default.aspx

The sale link below will be fully activated once videos of the animals are added. Please phone either Joanne or Mark with any questions on bidding on the day of the sale. https://farmgatetimedauctions.ca/auction/19184

New Member Profile - Ashby Farms Fleckvieh

The beginning is always a great place to start, so that's where I'll begin. My great grandfather bought the land that has now been farmed by four generations of Ashby’s in January 1931. They moved all their cattle, sheep and other farm animals 10 kilometers down the road in between the snowbanks. In the subsequent 92 years there has been Hereford, Angus, a herd of registered purebred Holstein cows, a herd of registered Lincoln Red beef cattle, a large flock of sheep, and pigs scattered all through those years. My grandfather bought the original farm from his father in 1958 (the same year my dad was born), and joined it to the farm next door that he already owned. Dad took over when grandpa passed away in 2013. Patricia and I purchased our farm two lots over in January 2016.

You can't wish your life away but I truly wish that my grandpa had met Norm Plume. I think that he, like me, would have liked the man and loved his cattle. My wife and I first met Norm and Donna when they moved to this area in 2019. As we became friends along with my mom and dad we started helping with ear tagging, needling, castrating, catching calves and moving cows and calves to and from pasture. The more we helped the more interested we became in Simmental cattle. In the fall of 2022 Norm asked if we would come to an Ottawa Valley Simmental Club meeting as we had been tossing the idea back and forth about getting some of our own Simmentals. We really liked how welcoming everyone was despite us not having any Simmentals yet. Our first heifer was purchased at the Simmental Solutions Sale in Listowel in October 2022. Then an opportunity of a lifetime fell into our lap. One day while looking for full Fleckvieh cattle for sale online I saw a herd of full fleck cows for sale in Alberta. I called the gentleman that was selling the cattle and we chatted for an hour. His offer to us was come out to Alberta to his farm, take our pick from his herd and based on pregnancy checks we could buy as many as we wanted with very few restrictions. One of the only stipulations was that we could only purchase bred cows which was fine with us! We flew to Alberta in late October to pick our herd. We took dad and Norm with us for their knowledge and keen eye for quality cattle. With their input we chose 30 cows and 7 heifers based on pedigree and eye appeal (and of course what would fit on a transport trailer). There were trucked home in November and started calving in January, all cows due by mid March and heifers in April.

We will continue to promote agriculture and land preservation while raising a potential next generation farmer. But if not, at least she will have the understanding and satisfaction that comes from raising animals and working the land. I can his head sometimes and wondering what we are doing, I hope he is proud. He would have loved these cows and the unbelievable calves they raise. Our hope for the future is to blend the old with the new and use top quality modern genetics but not forget about the past and how the breed made it to where it is today.

Nick, Patricia and Milly Ashby

Welcome New OVSC Members

New Members in 2022

Ashby Farms - Nick and Patricia Ashby - Prescott, ON

Rosebern Farms - Tyler McCann & Gillian MacDougall - Bristol, QC

Stonehenge Farms - John Ashby - Prescott, ON

Knollside Farms - Travis Taillon - Lunenburg, ON

Jessica Peeters - Apple Hill, ON

Dumarc Farms - Ryan MacLeod - Dunvegan, ON

JCL Simmentals - Jason Rowland, Merrickville, ON

J-Star - Jackie and Nathan Latchford, Beachburg, ON

New Members in 2023

Egan Home Farms - Kelvin and Ory Egan, Low QC

Reminder: If you have not already paid your 2023 Membership fee please do so. You can send an etransfer to ovsimmental@gmail.com or send a cheque to Nancy.

Jessica Peeters, OVSC Vice President

Hello all, my name is Jessica Peeters. 2022 was my first year as a board member and I loved it! I am a large animal technician for Rideau-St. Lawrence Veterinary Services and Navan Veterinary Services. Animals have always been a big part of my life, then add in medicine and the farming community and I have my dream job. My family and I have had Simmental cross bred cows since 2012. It has been quite the adventure since then and it still continues. My goal is to get to having a registered herd and to hopefully get

Hold the Date:

OVSC Picnic 2023

Saturday, June 10th more details to come. We have a great day planned for this years picnic. We are still working out the details but it looks like we will tour multiple farms viewing cattle and eventually making our way to Evergreen Odds for food. Farm stops may include: Spruce Rock Farms, Ashby Farms, Dobbie Simmentals, and Snowdame Farms.

3 Minute Read

Cattle, deer liver flukes causing rising problems

Deer liver flukes in particular are becoming a more common problem in cattle herds, and treatments can prove tricky for producers.

Liver flukes start their life cycle in tiny freshwater snails but end up in the livers of grazing animals, where they mature and pass their eggs. Feces containing fluke eggs must land in water for transmission to snails. If the animals’ feces lands on dry ground, the eggs die. Cattle generally get two types of liver flukes: the cattle flukes, Fasciola hepatica; and the giant deer fluke, Fascioloides magna.

Certain areas of the United States and Canada with habitat for snails have a problem with flukes in cattle. Some have greater problems with deer flukes because these parasites are endemic in deer; moose and elk. Deer flukes in cattle can be more difficult to control.

Dr. Anne Rogers of the Edson Veterinary Clinic in Edson Alberta has seen a growing number of deer fluke cases crossing from elk into cattle. “We used to see this problem primarily in cattle grazing pastures that had previously been used by farmed elk, but now these parasites are also in the wildlife population in our region. We are seeing this problem increasingly spreading west over our practice area,” she says. We tend to see flukes most commonly in cattle grazing low-lying areas that have water, since snail is the intermediate host. These flukes damage the liver, and we’ve seen everything from cattle just not doing well to cattle that actually die of liver failure if the damage is severe. These cattle can also die from redwater disease caused by Clostridium hemolyticum. Liver damage opens the way for this infection, which is acute and deadly.

“If we find flukes in the area where a rancher is grazing cattle, we recommend vaccinating annually with an eight-way clostridial vaccine that contains protection against redwater,” says Rogers. In some areas ranchers would vaccinate twice a year to be safe. It’s helpful to know the cause of death in any animal that dies. We are lucky in Alberta because we have a BES surveillance program that will pay to have a vet come to your ranch and do a postmortem on animals found dead,” Rogers notes.

In the case of cattle flukes, feces can be checked for eggs. This isn’t a good test for deer flukes because cattle internally wall off the flukes and do not pass on the eggs. That is why the problem is generally not diagnosed until the animal dies or is slaughtered and the liver is checked.

Some animals with deer flukes will lose weight but other appear healthy. We’ve found deer flukes in 4H steers that were fat and healthy otherwise”, says Rogers. “In our experience, we see everything from nothing obviously wrong to poo-doing animals, to animals suddenly dead from redwater disease. If a damaged liver is discovered at slaughter and the animal is otherwise healthy, the liver would be discarded but the rest of the meat is fine to

The typical treatment for cattle flukes is albendazole (Valbazen), which kills mature flukes in the liver. However, it doesn’t work as well for deer flukes. “If we find a herd that has an issue with deer flukes, we use albendazole in higher dosage. At necropsy in treated animals we’ll find dead flukes in the liver, so it does seem to kill them. There is no drug specifically labeled for deer flukes, however, so your vet would have to recommend and prescribe the

Pictured above: Kasey Lafleur

higher dose.” Rogers said vets also battle the problem in farmed elk. Typically, they are treated once or twice a year, but there is no on-label use in elk. A European product called Fasinex has shown efficacy but its use in Canada would require an emergency drug release. To effectively treat either type of fluke, producers should consult their vet on products and timing. The flukes need to be a certain level of maturity before they are susceptible to the drug. There are also some cautions about using albendazole during the first trimester of pregnancy”, Roger warns.

In some herds, if we’ve only found one animal with flukes and haven’t seen any issues, we may not treat the entire herd for flukes, we may just monitor. Annual vaccination for redwater is recommended. “In many regions in Canada ranchers used to simply vaccinate young cattle for blackleg and maybe revaccinate every few years and they got by. I’ve been trying to educate producers and let them know they need to vaccinate every year with the eight-way vaccine that contains protection against redwater. This is a very inexpensive and effective vaccine. There is no

Deer fluke prevalence is difficult to determine but with veterinarians, ranchers and butchers working together, we can get a picture of what’s going on,” says Rogers. “I’ve talked with other vets and deer flukes seem to also be an issue in southern Manitoba and some of the northern US states”. The cattle fluke is more common. Redwater is also becoming more common and producers in some areas now must vaccinate for it. Twenty years ago we didn’t have redwater in our practice area says Rogers, but it’s been steadily increasing in incidence and moving across this region. Parasites move around with their hosts and so do various diseases.

Note: Redwater is covered by commonly used colostridium vaccines like Tasvax 8.

Source: https://www.producer.com/livestock/cattle-deer-liver-flukes-cause-rising-problems/ November 25, 2021

Liver damage caused by flukes, as seen here, can open the way for redwater disease, which is acute and deadly. | Dr. Buddy Faries photo

Stars of the Valley 2022 Sale Report

In case you missed it, here are some highlights from the October 2022 Stars of the Valley sale. Once again we had a very strong sale showcasing some of the best cattle from the Ottawa Valley. Congratulations to our members that sold cattle and to the buyers who brought home some impressive cattle. Good luck to everyone who purchased.

The sale grossed $240,600 with an average of $6169.

Top Selling Bull

Barlee Simmentals sold Lot #1, a January/22 bull calf to Hoffus Stock Farms for $8000.

Top Selling Cow

Alliance Simmentals sold Lot #2, a 2018 polled purebred cow to Lacombe’s Farm for $8500.

Top Selling Yearling Fullblood

Alliance Simmentals Lot #9, a homo polled Fleckvieh sold to Double Bar D for $16,000.

Top Selling Yearling Purebred

Barlee Simmentals Lot #19, a polled black purebred sold to Dunmac Farms for $12,000.

Top Selling Heifer Calf - Fullblood

Lacombe’s Farm sold Lot #29, a polled fullblood heifer to Dobbie Simmentals for $6750.

Top Selling Heifer Calf - Purebred

Rosemead Farm sold Lot #26, a black purebred female to Timberwood Farms for $7500.

Alliance Simmentals and Lacombe’s Farm sold Lot 36B to TC Tara Simmentals for $7500.