BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[bnjrob]

The big poultry factories don't loose everything when the USDA "depopulates" a flock. The government even reimburses them for each bird they kill. The poultry companies treat chicken farmers like Monsanto treats soybean farmers, probably worse. I'm in the process of getting NPIP/AI certification so I don't have to worry about the interstate laws, but I do know that all that is useless during an AI outbreak. It means the government already knows where my flock is if I'm in the 6 mile radius. The government will always use the public health argument during an AI outbreak when they start eradicating poultry.

I don't know how much money the gov't gives the big corporations for the loss of depopulated flocks, but the amount of money that I saw being talked about as being offered to small flock owners was not enough to cover the true cost of their losses. And yes, the big poultry companies treat their producers as badly as the plant farmers are treated by the big companies.

NPIP is not standardized among all states. Some states require more testing than others for their importation requirements - regardless of NPIP status. And not every state even has NPIP. I believe it is AZ that does not even have NPIP. NPIP is a crock. It is meant to make money and keep people listed with the govt so they can find you easily if a commercial poultry producer decides that you are a threat to them.

 

[DesertChic]

There so many things we should be seriously pondering these days. Speaking of AI, a wild mallard was found in Alaska last month with the high strain I think. That area seems to be our vulnerable entry point from Asia. Population growth is the one factor that concerns me. How do we feed all these people? There's a good argument for cutting out mass meat production and using that grain to feed the world which could also lower greenhouse gases. I'm nowhere close to becoming a Vegan yet that's why I'm interested in becoming more self sustaining. Part of that definition for me is finding an excellent meat bird that I raise completely on our little acreage. I did find one small hatchery in Georgia that sells Red Ranger hatching eggs.

I applaud everything @bnjrob said in response, and also want to add that humans did not evolve to live on grains any more than ruminants like cows did. People need meat to be truly healthy, but it has be meat raised the was nature intended. Cows need to eat grass, not grain. Grain makes them sick, which makes their meat unhealthy for human for consumption, which makes humans more unhealthy and thereby dependent on the medical community and pharmaceutical companies to treat their symptoms. (Notice I did NOT say to cure them.)

The more involved you become in being self-sufficient, the obvious it will probably become that you'll be much healthier for it.

 

[lpatelski]

I don't know how much money the gov't gives the big corporations for the loss of depopulated flocks, but the amount of money that I saw being talked about as being offered to small flock owners was not enough to cover the true cost of their losses. And yes, the big poultry companies treat their producers as badly as the plant farmers are treated by the big companies.

NPIP is not standardized among all states. Some states require more testing than others for their importation requirements - regardless of NPIP status. And not every state even has NPIP. I believe it is AZ that does not even have NPIP. NPIP is a crock. It is meant to make money and keep people listed with the govt so they can find you easily if a commercial poultry producer decides that you are a threat to them.

I payed a total of $8.00. It cost the Vet more money to drive out. So it would be more like keeping you on the poultry radar.

 

[ronott1]

I applaud everything @bnjrob said in response, and also want to add that humans did not evolve to live on grains any more than ruminants like cows did. People need meat to be truly healthy, but it has be meat raised the was nature intended. Cows need to eat grass, not grain. Grain makes them sick, which makes their meat unhealthy for human for consumption, which makes humans more unhealthy and thereby dependent on the medical community and pharmaceutical companies to treat their symptoms. (Notice I did NOT say to cure them.)

The more involved you become in being self-sufficient, the obvious it will probably become that you'll be much healthier for it.

I watched a very good documentary on Netflix called cooked by Michael Pollan. He has some very interesting observations about food and our evolution with it.

One thing to watch out for is the Snake Oil salesmen when it comes to nutrition. They are out to sell stuff--books, programs and even their own line of food. It is likely a bit of cronyism as discussed earlier. We demonize grains but humans need to eat 30 to 40% of their diet as grains. We cannot live without them yet over doing them is also bad.

Pollan asserts that the processing of food is what causes the problem. We process a bunch to get white sugar and then process a bunch more to get high fructose syrup.

 

[abbevilleoz]

I payed a total of $8.00. It cost the Vet more money to drive out. So it would be more like keeping you on the poultry radar.

I wish it were that easy here. I have to attend two classes, have my grounds approved, and every bird on my place tested. All those items have a separate expense, too. I've already spent about $150.00 just for the classes. Oh, I'm now a state certified tester, though. Funny thing, we practiced on layers from a chicken farm. Half tested positive for pullorum. The explanation was that they had been vaccinated for the disease.

I really don't have a side in this discussion but I am concerned for the future of children and grandchildren. I do agree about our dependency on grain, especially corn and soybeans. That's why it's easier for Americans to eat fast food and sodas, it's cheap because grain is cheap. A grass fed pound of beef is much more expensive that a a pound from a feed lot steer. When I see Monsanto suing an old farmer with a seed cleaner because he's "inducing" their farmers into keeping back seeds that are "patented" it does make me sick. Have to blame greed and our government for this kind of nonsense. The flip side is, how else can we support an ever growing population? I really like the idea of community supported agriculture.

 

[bnjrob]

I don't have much use for the U.N. and any initiatives they are trying to push on the U.S., but I like this idea that Bolivia has about working toward self-reliance. http://undergroundreporter.org/bolivia-food-independent-2020/

 

[DesertChic]

I watched a very good documentary on Netflix called cooked by Michael Pollan. He has some very interesting observations about food and our evolution with it.

One thing to watch out for is the Snake Oil salesmen when it comes to nutrition. They are out to sell stuff--books, programs and even their own line of food. It is likely a bit of cronyism as discussed earlier. We demonize grains but humans need to eat 30 to 40% of their diet as grains. We cannot live without them yet over doing them is also bad.

Pollan asserts that the processing of food is what causes the problem. We process a bunch to get white sugar and then process a bunch more to get high fructose syrup.

I haven't seen his documentary, but I loved Michael Pollan's book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma".

It's definitely true that the closer a food is to it's natural form, the greater the nutrient content. We now live in an age when our government insists that milk straight from a cow or raw eggs freshly harvested from organically raise, free ranging chickens will mean certain death. Meanwhile, the milk you buy in the grocery store must be fortified with both calcium and Vit D, and all breakfast cereals must include vitamin and mineral additives because processing has stripped them of all nutritional value without the additives. It makes no sense.

Beyond that, I can't speak for others, but I've found that my entire family is much healthier when we avoid sugar and grain. Even my son's teenage acne cleared up amazingly well when he began eating daily salads and stopped consuming all but raw dairy products. On those rare occasions when we do consume grain products, I typically make them from scratch using organic flour, whether it's the crust for a quiche, homemade pasta, or freshly baked bread.

 

[ronott1]

I haven't seen his documentary, but I loved Michael Pollan's book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma".

It's definitely true that the closer a food is to it's natural form, the greater the nutrient content. We now live in an age when our government insists that milk straight from a cow or raw eggs freshly harvested from organically raise, free ranging chickens will mean certain death. Meanwhile, the milk you buy in the grocery store must be fortified with both calcium and Vit D, and all breakfast cereals must include vitamin and mineral additives because processing has stripped them of all nutritional value without the additives. It makes no sense.

Beyond that, I can't speak for others, but I've found that my entire family is much healthier when we avoid sugar and grain. Even my son's teenage acne cleared up amazingly well when he began eating daily salads and stopped consuming all but raw dairy products. On those rare occasions when we do consume grain products, I typically make them from scratch using organic flour, whether it's the crust for a quiche, homemade pasta, or freshly baked bread.

Watch the documentary called cooked and then rethink this whole subject. Post back here after you watch it.

 

[Kusanar]

 
I watched a very good documentary on Netflix called cooked by Michael Pollan. He has some very interesting observations about food and our evolution with it.

 
One thing to watch out for is the Snake Oil salesmen when it comes to nutrition. They are out to sell stuff--books, programs and even their own line of food. It is likely a bit of cronyism as discussed earlier. We demonize grains but humans need to eat 30 to 40% of their diet as grains. We cannot live without them yet over doing them is also bad.

Pollan asserts that the processing of food is what causes the problem. We process a bunch to get white sugar and then process a bunch more to get high fructose syrup.

I haven't seen his documentary, but I loved Michael Pollan's book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma". 

It's definitely true that the closer a food is to it's natural form, the greater the nutrient content. We now live in an age when our government insists that milk straight from a cow or raw eggs freshly harvested from organically raise, free ranging chickens will mean certain death. Meanwhile, the milk you buy in the grocery store must be fortified with both calcium and Vit D, and all breakfast cereals must include vitamin and mineral additives because processing has stripped them of all nutritional value without the additives. It makes no sense. 

Beyond that, I can't speak for others, but I've found that my entire family is much healthier when we avoid sugar and grain. Even my son's teenage acne cleared up amazingly well when he began eating daily salads and stopped consuming all but raw dairy products. On those rare occasions when we do consume grain products, I typically make them from scratch using organic flour, whether it's the crust for a quiche, homemade pasta, or freshly baked bread.

I had to have a talk with my husband, I had to explain that I had a dozen farm fresh, unwashed eggs that had never been in a fridge and that I knew that they were sitting out on the counter and that I did not want them washed or refrigerated. He called me crazy. Wish I had access to raw milk nearby, but I don't.

 

[DesertChic]

I had to have a talk with my husband, I had to explain that I had a dozen farm fresh, unwashed eggs that had never been in a fridge and that I knew that they were sitting out on the counter and that I did not want them washed or refrigerated. He called me crazy. Wish I had access to raw milk nearby, but I don't.

We can't get raw milk either. There were a few people selling it, but the government came in and shut them down, calling the mix "toxic".