BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[gjensen]

New way to tag chickens? These 'tag' won't fall off, weird...
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/...s-shed-light-on-bird-flu-fight/?intcmp=hphz02

That goes too far for my taste. I am not anti progress, or anti GMO. We have been modifying the genetics of plants and animals for thousands of years. If we can do it more efficiently in the lab, so be it.

My line in the sand is when we begin gene splicing genes that come from entirely different species etc. If it is not possible, "naturally", there might be a good reason.

 

[Beer can]

That goes too far for my taste. I am not anti progress, or anti GMO. We have been modifying the genetics of plants and animals for thousands of years. If we can do it more efficiently in the lab, so be it.

 My line in the sand is when we begin gene splicing genes that come from entirely different species etc. If it is not possible, "naturally", there might be a good reason.

Exactly. I argued with my father in law on the subject of gmo. He said we've been doing it for thousands of yrs. He's 76 I don't think he realizes what they have been doing lately. The whole gene splicing thing is scary. Baboon genes do not belong in horses, tobacco genes do not belong in carrots.
I do not think we need to be messing with nature to that extreme.

 

[dfr1973]

I just have one thought on the concept of chickens that glow in the dark: might as well put up a big neon sign saying "Eat at Joe's!" or whatever your first name happens to be. I'll bet the owls, coons, possums, and other night predators will absolutely LOVE the idea.

 

[hellbender]

Finely ground leaf meal, free fed to the birds in the winter, is a good supplement. Separate from their main feed, they will not eat too much or too little.

I'm not really planning to force my birds to eat alfalfa.

I bought that extra alfalfa because it was available ...some years it's not easy to get around here but this year was a bumper crop and I feed it to my lactating dairy goats.

Certainly the chickens will pick around it and perhaps glean some of the notorious goat wastage but I think one would be hard pressed to force them to eat it. At $14 bucks a bale, it would make more sense to sell off a few bales of alfalfa and use the money for chicken food.

Long before it comes to that...I'd just eat the whole bunch.

 

[hellbender]

If you don't mind, could we speak about insanity for a few moments? I mentioned the dairy herd in the above post but I didn't take the time to mention that two of my offspring want to turn one of the old chicken barns into a grade A dairy...Insanity? We don't have enough to do? Around here, most people won't even consider tasting goat milk, much less cheese.

We do make a lot of cheese for ourselves and a few friends but they want to tap into the same folks they are working on/with for the capon 'pie-in-the-sky' proposition. But that does seem to be gathering steam and it might just work out to at least be a break-even scenario.

The building is solid, having been once an old cow dairy barn and it wouldn't take much to do what they want. There's already hot/cold running water but who will do all this work? Truthfully, 'ol dad has a few health issues that demand targeted treatment tout de suite and that is not a 'perhaps' situation.

It would require using the 'part time' gals to come back full time and someone will have to pay them. I wonder who? These people are chock-full of ideas that require investment capital and hard work and they know I'm an easy touch. We have massively increased our herd size and plan to double down this breeding season...like right now.

Who knows...I might be dead in a month so I'll just say full steam ahead but save enough cash to have my body burned and the ashes cast up around the snake den.

I love my kids!!

 

[keesmom]

\ Around here, most people won't even consider tasting goat milk, much less cheese.

I wish I could find a reliable source of goat milk around here! Without having to take out a loan to get a gallon at Whole Foods. Raw goat milk would be even better. I love making cheese. Chevre is so easy. However MA won't even allow people to buy sparklers, let alone raw milk.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

I wish I could find a reliable source of goat milk around here! Without having to take out a loan to get a gallon at Whole Foods. Raw goat milk would be even better. I love making cheese. Chevre is so easy. However MA won't even allow people to buy sparklers, let alone raw milk.

??? Who told you raw milk is illegal in Massachusetts? They are quite mistaken! There are tons and tons of raw milk dairies in your state. Many sell goat milk.

http://www.nofamass.org/content/information-about-raw-milk-consumers

http://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-finder/massachusetts/#ma

 

[keesmom]

??? Who told you raw milk is illegal in Massachusetts? They are quite mistaken! There are tons and tons of raw milk dairies in your state. Many sell goat milk.

http://www.nofamass.org/content/information-about-raw-milk-consumers

http://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-finder/massachusetts/#ma

I don't even remember. It's been a while since I tried looked in MA. I started getting raw milk from Maine. There are several dairies near a place we have up there.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Well, there are many raw milk dairies in MA now. Take a look at those lists and see if any are in your town or close by.

 

[keesmom]

Well, there are many raw milk dairies in MA now. Take a look at those lists and see if any are in your town or close by.

There is one seasonal goat dairy about a half hour away.Hopefully they will have some available.