Small Scale Chicken Farmers Feel Threatened By New Specialty Quota Program

Dec 16, 2016

The president of Direct Farm Manitoba is disappointed that an appeal on behalf of small scale chicken farmers has been rejected by Manitoba Chicken Producers.

Phil Veldhuis says that new regulations surrounding a specialty quota program will impose punitive and arbitrary costs on producers.

It's estimated that under the new program, administrative fees of nearly $80,000 could be imposed on small scale producers in order for them to continue to raise the same number of birds.

Direct Farm Manitoba initiated an appeal of the cancellation of existing exemption programs to support the small farmers who would be directly affected by being forced into a new program with a maximum production limit less than their historical production.

“This is a poor decision for Manitobans who care about where their food comes from, we hope the public will support us as we take this appeal to the Manitoba Farm Products Council," said Veldhuis.

Source : Portageonline

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!