Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
OMEGA-3
Layers must be fed a diet high in feeds containing omega-3 fatty acids.
Meat
Many folks choose to raise chicken, duck, goose, turkey, guinea, and quail to stock their
refrigerator and provide their family with fresh meat. Others want to broaden the reach
of their offerings and sell freshly harvested birds to local markets. These ventures are
both possible from your own home with some planning, organization, a bit of courage,
and a stiff upper lip. When choosing home processing, you can know with absolute cer-
tainly what the birds ate and were given for medicine, how they were treated during their
lifetime, and the practices used for slaughtering and processing them.
Antibiotic Push-Back
Awareness of antibiotic use by large operations has grown in the past decade, and many
folks are concerned about the long-term health effects of these additives on consumers
regularly eating the meat. Current megafarm practices pack thousands of animals into
small spaces with narrowed genetic diversity that can cause diseases to spread rapidly.
This makes stepped-up use of antibiotics and other supplements — many vitamins and
minerals that the bird would get naturally if allowed to range on pasture — necessary to
keep the animals alive long enough to process.
Some folks who otherwise enjoy eating poultry have allergic reactions to the antibi-
otics. Although antibiotic withdrawal periods are required — legally regulated periods
between the last antibiotic given and slaughter — people with sensitivity find they can-
not afford to take the chance of even small amounts of antibiotic residue in their diet.
As medical awareness grows, so does consumer knowledge of the popping up of
smaller farms and CSAs (community-supported agriculture operations) raising meat
without additives. These home producers can monitor conditions more closely and are
choosing from a variety of breeds, a practice that supports genetic diversity and keeps
flocks more naturally disease resistant.
Mustering Up the Courage
The temptation to raise poultry in the manner that one raises a beloved pet may be the
biggest challenge for people hoping to try home processing. Adhering to the philosophy
that all animals deserve a healthy, stimulating life makes it very easy to turn all the an-
