Recently most of people prefer healthy food and one of the main components of healthy eating is organic food. And now many people will ask what`s the difference between organic and non-organic food. Important difference between them is in process of their growing, producing, handling and packing.
Organic vegetables and fruits are grown using natural fertilizer, like manure or compost. These components do not destroy natural properties of soil in contrast of industrial fertilizers which contain nitrate.
In conventional agriculture are used pesticides and insecticides from plant`s diseases and pests. In organic farming people use natural methods, like making traps.
Organic farmers use mulch and hand weeding. Conventional farming prevents chemicals and herbicides during the weed`s growth.
Unlike organic farming, non-organic agriculture applies genetically modified seeds, their benefits are doubtful.
There are no antibiotics for treat, appetite enhancers, growth hormone in organic animal husbandry. Livestock treats humanely, its free to walk and have a natural feed.
If you decide to begin raising livestock, it will be better to start from chickens. It`s easy to breed, their feed is not very expensive and there is no need in large area. Knowledge about chicken`s raising and caring will help you later if you want to keep on breeding animals.
People domesticated chickens many thousands of years ago and it was easy, because they are homebodies. In return of caring chickens gave people fresh eggs and meat.
But raising chickens has some disadvantages, such as dust, their tendency to dig the ground, a lot of droppings producing by them.
But there are more benefits then disadvantages. You have the freshest eggs with bright yolk every day and you have meat whenever you want. You will spend few times a day for caring for chicken flock. You must feed them, clean their housing, provide pure water and collect eggs every day. Caring for chickens mustn`t depend on the weather. You should make your job twice a day (in the morning and in the evening) without weekend and holidays.
Before you decide to breed animals have everything ready for it.
At first, check zoning regulations. You should carefully select an area, because it may prohibit from keeping certain populations, limit its number and it should be enough distance from human habitation. Also review all about zoning laws in your region.
At the second place you should inform your neighbors about your decision to breed livestock. That will save you from rows, troubles and visits from the authorities.
At the third place you must prepare facilities for your animals, especially if you live in a cold or hot climate. Make sure that your constructions are rather big for them. Ensure animal`s feed and pure water. Try to prefer organic and quality food that they receive all the nutrients they need.
Fourthly, install railing. This is necessary for your animal`s safety. That will help you to protect them from predators or thieves.
If you decide to buy an animal avoid purchasing stock at an auction, because usually animals are coming and going. You will have no notion about animal`s health. It could be ill or have injuries. You can spend large sums on treatment of animal.
It will be better if you will buy an animal someone breeder who lives near. You will have possibility to turn for help to professional. When you buy from a local breeder, you can see animal`s living conditions. You will know everything about its health and conformation.
If you want to buy a female breeding animal (cow, goat, sow, rabbit) the seller can offer you a male animal, which will help you to breed, when the time will come. You can immediately buy a male rabbit, because it will take a little bit place, unlike bull, boar or goat buck.
At the same time you can buy a livestock in the farm store, the county Extension office or find seller in the newspaper classified ads.
Even if you interested in fresh milk and eggs, breeding food animals means that once they will be slaughtered. The main rule among farmers is to never give names to your animals. But it will be very hard to you if you have two or more animals and you must discern them. At least try not to give them affectionate names. That will be a good advice to use numbers for calling your animals.
In addition to emotional preparation dealing with butchering includes prowess in prescribed procedures which will provide tasty and tender meat. If you can`t butcher your wards ask for help from your neighbor who has his own livestock or from professional slaughterhouse.
If you want to raise a goat or cow for dairy production you should know that your animal will give milk only after lactate. The main advantage to breeding livestock only for meat is that the project can be short. For example broiler chickens can be raised for about 8 weeks, lambs can be ready in 6 or 7 months.
In addition to supplying freshest eggs, meat, honey and milk, breeding farm animals has benefits for our health. Fresh air, the view and the sound of animals all this has a sedative effect, a distraction from worries and stress.
You must care for your livestock every day. They pull you away from your house, reflections and force you to get out for some exercises.
The other important reason for breeding livestock is educational value. Raising animals for food teach kids the basics of producing food. I think that looking after animals is a wonderful way to teach children responsibility, compassion and patience.
The best way to learn children about the natural processes of procreation, birth and death is raising animals or study visit to the farm.
Like many modern farmers I didn`t grow up on a farm. This passion came to me in youth. My parents were town children, but my uncle had a local farm. He grew his fruits, vegetables and animals for his family and I visited them at summer holidays. I remember their big flock of laying hens, cow, some pigs and the goat into the yard.
I remember that drank the most delicious milk in the world and ate the most delicious eggs with bright yolk. These events made me determined to have farm and animals on it.
My farm is started with some chickens, later appeared ducks and geese. Then just for fun I raised rabbits and goats. But I decided to get rid of them it takes too much time. Before long I understand I am not ready to live without freshest milk, meat and eggs and I have been grateful for these resources during the economic crises.
I learned by rolling my sleeves into what has become a life-long and ongoing learning experience.
Before, in our country preference was given to the factory farm, but nowadays most people prefer organic food. It pleases, as the basis of human health is a healthy product. Now, many local farms compete with the food market and major trading brands. You can join the ranks of these farms too, and combining a passion for agriculture at a profit.
Local farming is guides the consideration that smaller is better. All plants and animals grow with personal attention and careful handling. Your chickens have fresh food, fresh air and gave you freshest eggs with orange yolks. There meat is tender and tasty. This applies to the cows, pigs and goats there meat is free from hormones and antibiotics.
Your green-stuff are grown naturally, have just mechanically treatment and organic fertilizer.
If you have a job outside the farm, to grow crops for yourself and for your friends or relatives, it calls hobby farming. Actually, only a handful is able to make a living solely by farming. Most developed large farms have evolved over many generations. They improved their fertile soil, invested in equipment, but factory farming model is broke many family farms.
The hobby farming is the key to recovery a local farm economy. These farms are preserve skills and secular knowledge that would fade in an age of technological advances. The local farms improve the quality of the land and unlike factory farm do not pollute the water.
Сегодня продолжаем разговор о породах уток.
Одной из самых яйценоских пород считается Болтунья, хотя мясо у них тоже нежное и постное.
Яичной породой является и Индийский бегун, их так прозвали потому, что туловище их пребывает в вертикальном положении и создается впечатление, что при ходьбе, они бегут. Мясо у них сочное, нежное и постное.
Отличаются от всех остальных пород мускусные утки. Ну, во-первых, они издают не так много шума, как все остальные породы. Они любят гнездоваться на деревьях и верхушках заборов, т.к. это древесные утки. Это очень сильные крупные утки мясного назначения, их мясо плотное и постное, его даже сравнивают с говядиной или телятиной. К тому же мускусные утки прекрасно подходят для скрещивания с другими породами, для достижения лучшего результата. Так, при скрещивании с пекинской породой. получилась мясная широкогрудая порода Мулард.
Пекинская же порода была выведена в Китае, у уток белое оперение, они быстро растут и набирают вес и жир. Были даже выведены штаммы гигантских пекинских уток для коммерческого производства мяса.
Ну, и породами двойного назначения, т.е. яично-мясными, являются саксонские утки, шведские и порода Валийский Арлекин. В отличие от Валийского Арлекина, Саксонские утки могут легко адаптироваться к любым погодным условиям.
