On September 16, the Aylmer office of GSE was joined by a few St. Thomas office members for a farm tour field trip! In the morning we toured the W. Luyks Poultry Farm near Port Stanley. Our hosts, Willy and Anne Luyks, shared a wealth of knowledge from their many years in the farming industry as we explored two pullet barns (where chicks are raised to age 19 weeks), and a layer barn (where eggs are produced). We also toured a feed mill, where grain and supplements are mixed to exact specifications for the animals’ diet, and viewed several pieces of farm equipment, including a combine harvester, articulated tractor and sprayer.
In the afternoon we visited Crownbrook Farms, a dairy farm near Belmont. Hosts Andre and Janneke Kroondyk guided our tour around their farm where we saw a bulk milk tank, milking parlour and feed bunkers, along with a herd of 140 milk cows, plus calves and heifers. We even saw a calf that was born just a couple of hours prior to our arrival! We learned that the average cow produces 20L -60L per milking (milked twice each day), and that to give the cows extra comfort, they use sand instead of straw for bedding. We also enjoyed a sampling of cheddar cheeses and chocolate milk at the conclusion of our tour!
A special thank you to our farm hosts for their kind hospitality and taking the time to let us tour their farms!
Please view the photos in the link below.