There is something plaguing the back of my mind. When I started farming, a local man said, "If you are going to have livestock, you are going to have deadstock!". I did not think about that much before he said that.
In days gone by, not even so long ago, animals were stronger and healthier. They were not fed genetically modified corn or canola and there were no pesticides in the feed due to residuals from many sprays during growth. In some farming operations the grains are sprayed 9 times! 9 times? What is going on? Then we feed the grains to the animals. Why?
Ruminants have several stomachs and there is a reason for that. They can eat coarse grass or dry grass, which is hay, and derive nutrition from it. They have done that for many long years, centuries even, and were not given grain. Only in the last 100 years has man wanted bigger, fatter animals and decided that ruminants, which are cows, goats, sheep and bison, should be fed grain. The results are disastrous.
Little Sofi, the border collie that lived here on the farm had a massive cancerous growth in her throat and the cancer had spread through her body into her organs. Many dogs are dying of cancer, just like many people. Yet, in uncivilized worlds, there is the danger of dying of starvation much more than dying of cancer. We do not keep animals raised for meat for very long, with most being slaughtered at a year or two. They are fed huge amounts of grain to force them to achieve a market weight, which at one times, was many pounds less than the market weight of today. Even not so long ago, a lamb was marketed at 50-60 pounds and today, it is expected to market lambs at 110 pounds. To ensure this happens, from the day they are born they are given a lamb feed of crushed grains.
But other than unhealthy animals, are there any other consequences? Yes!
The animals of years gone by thrived on pasture grass in the summer and marginal to good hay in the winter. Some years were a little leaner and the animals survived on straw and hay, but they did survive.They did not attain market weights of today, but there is another side effect. Production farms routinely do things, like using chemicals to kill worms, and automatically giving medicines. Chicken farmers give newly hatched chicks medicated feed with antibiotics in it. What?Why?
The close rearing of the birds in barns with artificial lights that do not allow the birds to produce vitamin D from the sunlight and that keep the air moving, but not fresh enough, allows the chicks to succumb to respiratory and other diseases. So they are drugged right off the bat.The medication stays in the meat. We eat that. But we are creating a whole new species of birds that can no longer manufacture antibodies to control their own wellness. People are in this sad state too.
The sheep and goats are in a mess and I cannot speak for the cows, but I believe they are in a worse mess. Years ago, sheep ran around huge mountain sides and grazed until the winter came. They came back strong and vibrant and full of life. They were not chemically treated for worms and there may have been some deaths, but the animals were permitted to die. Today, the bottom line, the profit, means we try to save every animal, including the weak and the infirm. We ply them with medications and hope they survive to keep the profit margins high. In the old days, weak and sick animals were culled to create a naturally pest resistant flock or herd or strong natural animals that could hold their own through lean winters if necessary. They were kept longer and not force fed grains. The animals were allowed their natural diets of grass, weeds and shrubs and they maintained excellent health.
We have not improved. We have robbed the animals of their survival and made them dependent on chemicals to survive. And grain. And in turn, humans are suffering great consequences with a plethora of modern illnesses and diseases, particularly autoimmune disease. In countries where the modern western diet does not exist, many of the diseases that go with western society also do not exist. I strongly believe in the connection between what animals eat, and what we eat makes us sick. I don't know how to get through to enough people to help them understand that though. What do you think? Or have you given it thought? We need to revert to allowing animals to eat their natural diets if we are going to eat them and we need to cease use of chemicals if we are going to eat the animals that we are forcing chemicals on or the health of the modern human is at stake. Do you think so?
In days gone by, not even so long ago, animals were stronger and healthier. They were not fed genetically modified corn or canola and there were no pesticides in the feed due to residuals from many sprays during growth. In some farming operations the grains are sprayed 9 times! 9 times? What is going on? Then we feed the grains to the animals. Why?
Ruminants have several stomachs and there is a reason for that. They can eat coarse grass or dry grass, which is hay, and derive nutrition from it. They have done that for many long years, centuries even, and were not given grain. Only in the last 100 years has man wanted bigger, fatter animals and decided that ruminants, which are cows, goats, sheep and bison, should be fed grain. The results are disastrous.
Little Sofi, the border collie that lived here on the farm had a massive cancerous growth in her throat and the cancer had spread through her body into her organs. Many dogs are dying of cancer, just like many people. Yet, in uncivilized worlds, there is the danger of dying of starvation much more than dying of cancer. We do not keep animals raised for meat for very long, with most being slaughtered at a year or two. They are fed huge amounts of grain to force them to achieve a market weight, which at one times, was many pounds less than the market weight of today. Even not so long ago, a lamb was marketed at 50-60 pounds and today, it is expected to market lambs at 110 pounds. To ensure this happens, from the day they are born they are given a lamb feed of crushed grains.
But other than unhealthy animals, are there any other consequences? Yes!
The animals of years gone by thrived on pasture grass in the summer and marginal to good hay in the winter. Some years were a little leaner and the animals survived on straw and hay, but they did survive.They did not attain market weights of today, but there is another side effect. Production farms routinely do things, like using chemicals to kill worms, and automatically giving medicines. Chicken farmers give newly hatched chicks medicated feed with antibiotics in it. What?Why?
The close rearing of the birds in barns with artificial lights that do not allow the birds to produce vitamin D from the sunlight and that keep the air moving, but not fresh enough, allows the chicks to succumb to respiratory and other diseases. So they are drugged right off the bat.The medication stays in the meat. We eat that. But we are creating a whole new species of birds that can no longer manufacture antibodies to control their own wellness. People are in this sad state too.
The sheep and goats are in a mess and I cannot speak for the cows, but I believe they are in a worse mess. Years ago, sheep ran around huge mountain sides and grazed until the winter came. They came back strong and vibrant and full of life. They were not chemically treated for worms and there may have been some deaths, but the animals were permitted to die. Today, the bottom line, the profit, means we try to save every animal, including the weak and the infirm. We ply them with medications and hope they survive to keep the profit margins high. In the old days, weak and sick animals were culled to create a naturally pest resistant flock or herd or strong natural animals that could hold their own through lean winters if necessary. They were kept longer and not force fed grains. The animals were allowed their natural diets of grass, weeds and shrubs and they maintained excellent health.
We have not improved. We have robbed the animals of their survival and made them dependent on chemicals to survive. And grain. And in turn, humans are suffering great consequences with a plethora of modern illnesses and diseases, particularly autoimmune disease. In countries where the modern western diet does not exist, many of the diseases that go with western society also do not exist. I strongly believe in the connection between what animals eat, and what we eat makes us sick. I don't know how to get through to enough people to help them understand that though. What do you think? Or have you given it thought? We need to revert to allowing animals to eat their natural diets if we are going to eat them and we need to cease use of chemicals if we are going to eat the animals that we are forcing chemicals on or the health of the modern human is at stake. Do you think so?
All answers are not black or white.
RSS Feed