BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Beekissed]

Quote:

How, pray tell, can one have a biosecure, PASTURED poultry production that does not include insects....and do that indoors? Just too funny in the extreme!

 

[bnjrob]

Quote:

How, pray tell, can one have a biosecure, PASTURED poultry production that does not include insects....and do that indoors? Just too funny in the extreme!

Apparently I missed that part about the biosecure unit. Geeze Louise! It's hilarious to think about until you look at what kind of precedent it could set. How many times have I said that these people would have our animals, and even us eventually, living in sterile bubbles? No thank you, I'll pass.

Oh by the way, did y'all hear about the new HPAI strain that was found in multiple commercial poultry flocks in Indiana this past week? Yet commercial poultry keeping is supposed to the way to go and they want us to treat our small flocks the same way.

 

[Beekissed]

That's the feeling I get whenever I see a so called chicken expert from this or that university, sponsored by the USDA, talking about doing studies on "small flocks"...the very same flock they blame all their mistakes upon, along with the whole "disease vectors of wild birds and insects" mantra. Anyone with common sense can tell you that you if you crowd too many of any one creature into an airless, sunless environment you will get disease...happens for humans and it happens for animals. Add poor genetics and substandard feed into that mix and you get double trouble.

But, must blame it on those free range flocks that are not in controlled environments.

Any time those "experts" who can't seem to keep an animal alive, with all the power of their scientific knowledge, start casting an eye towards our backyard flocks it makes me nervous. If they are taking any interest or doing any studies at all, it's with an eye towards controlling them, not helping them.

This NPIP is just another way of sliding their foot under that door, IMO. Oh, it is packaged so sweetly and nicely and gives people a feeling of being more official and safe in their flock tending, but it's nothing more than NAIS in another, more subtle packaging. Since NAIS was received so poorly, they just took it back to the factory, dressed it up in different clothing and sent it back out to do the door to door sales of controlling our home food production...in the name of food safety.

 

[bnjrob]

That's the feeling I get whenever I see a so called chicken expert from this or that university, sponsored by the USDA, talking about doing studies on "small flocks"...the very same flock they blame all their mistakes upon, along with the whole "disease vectors of wild birds and insects" mantra. Anyone with common sense can tell you that you if you crowd too many of any one creature into an airless, sunless environment you will get disease...happens for humans and it happens for animals. Add poor genetics and substandard feed into that mix and you get double trouble.

But, must blame it on those free range flocks that are not in controlled environments.

Any time those "experts" who can't seem to keep an animal alive, with all the power of their scientific knowledge, start casting an eye towards our backyard flocks it makes me nervous. If they are taking any interest or doing any studies at all, it's with an eye towards controlling them, not helping them.

This NPIP is just another way of sliding their foot under that door, IMO. Oh, it is packaged so sweetly and nicely and gives people a feeling of being more official and safe in their flock tending, but it's nothing more than NAIS in another, more subtle packaging. Since NAIS was received so poorly, they just took it back to the factory, dressed it up in different clothing and sent it back out to do the door to door sales of controlling our home food production...in the name of food safety.

AMEN! Most people don't get it and don't care. I've had some show people tell me that they don't care what kind of things get put into place as long as the government lets them have poultry shows. It was all I could do not to tell one guy that I would be happy to assist him in removing his head from his colon. I just do not understand how the commercial industry can't see that the problem is the way that they raise these birds. I think they know that what they are doing is the cause and they are just flat out lying about it because they are unwilling to give up their current profit margin.

 

[nanasacres]

I have no chickens at present, but find this discussion thought provoking and informative. This is why I research with those who are accomplishing and sharing their experiences instead of laboratory theories. Thanks to BYC forum's participants, I will make more intelligent decisions for safe, healthy, happy chickens.

 

[Our Roost]

There are many on this site that have ventured outside the commercial Cornish cross. Many breeds offer an alternative with less health concerns. It may take longer to raise and feed them, but in some cases, the efforts are well worth the exploration and adventure. Interesting to trace history back to see what they were eating for table fare before the Cornish came to light. Some very good reading on here regarding meat birds.

 

[ronott1]

There are many on this site that have ventured outside the commercial Cornish cross. Many breeds offer an alternative with less health concerns. It may take longer to raise and feed them, but in some cases, the efforts are well worth the exploration and adventure. Interesting to trace history back to see what they were eating for table fare before the Cornish came to light. Some very good reading on here regarding meat birds.

Yes! A 20 week old SG Dorking!

 

[DesertChic]

Yes! A 20 week old SG Dorking!

You have SG Dorkings? I'm so jealous!

I have to say though...I'm very fond of the taste of both Barred Rock and NN Turken. They're well worth the wait.

 

[ronott1]

You have SG Dorkings? I'm so jealous!

I have to say though...I'm very fond of the taste of both Barred Rock and NN Turken. They're well worth the wait.

I used to hatch them for a friend and have raised a couple from Mc Murray. I crossed one with barred rock and Australorp.

They were some of the best tasting cockerels yet.

 

[bnjrob]

There are many on this site that have ventured outside the commercial Cornish cross. Many breeds offer an alternative with less health concerns. It may take longer to raise and feed them, but in some cases, the efforts are well worth the exploration and adventure. Interesting to trace history back to see what they were eating for table fare before the Cornish came to light. Some very good reading on here regarding meat birds.

I know some of what they were eating before the commercial industry took over. My breed, the Java, was considered one of the finest table birds during the last couple of decades of the 19th century, into the early 20th century. They were recommended as a good all around farm bird for both meat and eggs and we've found them to work well for us.