Ag's message

[seedcorn]

We are very aware of ads telling the American public to buy their pork or poultry meat because it is antibiotic free. What is causing the problem? All pork and poultry are fed antibiotic free. With poultry, the withdrawal rate is longer than the chickens are alive-not to mention, illegal. Hogs get a stress releaver for 2 days after being shipped at 7 days of age. How many of you put the same thing in your water for chicks? If we fight the message, we are seen as bad people. If we ignore the messages (current POA), then we are allowing the buying public to pay more for meat than they should. So what do you think?

(For those that hate commercial Ag, just skip this thread. Don't need your insults)

 

[journey11]

Yes, agreed. I hear all the time people freaking out over the Cornish X, claiming they are given growth hormones or genetically modified to reach that size. They are just plain wrong, uninformed. They are simply a hybrid and the growth is entirely due to hybrid vigor and natural genetic traits. I have raised many and I know. Mine are carefully managed and have a humane life and death as livestock, butchered at 7 and 9 weeks (males/females). I don't medicate for cocci. I keep them on clean pasture and they don't need it. I have not had any die of heart attacks or blown out legs. Hogs, now I know nothing about hogs other than they are tasty.

 

[seedcorn]

Side note, ducks go from hatched egg to 7+ pounds in 42 days. I'm told the drakes look like geese size wise.

@journey11 How they are raised is another great question. You have true cage free. Some cage free are still caged. Some free ranged are still locked in buildings. Another operation kept all poultry on the same 20 acres. Filthy mess when it rained. But again, different discussion.

 

[bobm]

I L O V E commercial ag !!! Without commercial ag , everyone would have to get a bank loan to enjoy their McNuggets and Western Bacon Cheeseburger not to mention a Pizza. In this morning's newspaper full page add for " New Seasons Market" a organic grocer. ... " free range boneless, skinless chicken breast, locally raised the old- fashined way, with free access to the outdoors and no antibiotics " reg $ 6.99 / lb. for $ 5.99 . one page over... Safeway grocery store add for antibiotic free whole chicken for $0.88/ lb. , average weight per chicken is 5 Lb. ... 5lb. x $0.88 = $ 4.40. One chicken breast equal one meal per person for $5.99. While the whole chicken has 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, plus back for stock all for $ 4.40. I must have flunked first grade math class to not see the bargain of one chicken breast for $5.99 vs. $4.40 that would feed a family of 4 and still have leftovers.

 

[seedcorn]

Have to pay for the deboning and skinning. Labor is expensive. I have no problem with them advertising it as such and price it according. I don't appreciate them suggesting commercial friers are fed antibiotics when they know they aren't. That should liable.

 

[catjac1975]

A lot of people equate hybridizing with GMO. Humans have been breeding the biggest rooster with the biggest hen for all time.I did not know they chickens were not fed antibiotics. I hate all of the additives and chemicals that find their way into our foods. But 8 billion people need to be fed daily. All I can do is raise as much as I can for my family. The real solution is population control.

 

[seedcorn]

@catjac1975 You are correct. The general population is so far removed from their food source its scary. They believe everything on internet/TV. Scream something long enough and loud enough, it becomes truth. When I go to market for wife, see all the non-GMO ads for produce that is only available as non-GMO, I smile. The labeled non-GMO is usually 2X higher than exact product by it. I have a non-GMO bridge, anyone want to buy it?

Just like evolution and the laws of natural selection get jumbled up. I've seen animals/plants emphasize certain genetics to allow them to adapt but I've yet to see a horse bear a calf. Or a gorilla suddenly become human.

 

[bobm]

Have to pay for the deboning and skinning. Labor is expensive. I have no problem with them advertising it as such and price it according. I don't appreciate them suggesting commercial friers are fed antibiotics when they know they aren't. That should liable.

I process chickens about 4 times per year so I have processed hundreds of chickens over the years. I can debone 2 chicken breasts from the same bird in about a minute and remove their skins within 3 seconds. I am sure that those that process chickens as a livelyhood 8 hours per day can outperform me without a doubt. So, what it costs for labor vs. what is being charged does not compute. I , however agree with you that those that make false claims have to be held financially liable.

 

[baymule]

There is a commercial running on TV about antibiotic free chicken. The commercial states that it is illegal to sell chicken with antibiotics in them and just de-bunks the whole "antibiotic-free" label.

I don't hate commercial Ag, anybody that eats has at least a little to do with commercial Ag. I buy flour tortillas. I didn't raise the wheat, I didn't process the wheat, I didn't make the tortillas. That is just one example of how commercial Ag is intertwined in our daily lives. I buy milk. I don't have a cow, I didn't milk the cow, I didn't pasteurize the milk and I didn't bottle it in that 1 gallon jug with the handy dandy handle. I didn't make the cheese or the bread that was in my grilled cheese sandwich, or the butter I cooked it in. Sure was good.

I do prefer to eat foods that do not have pesticides or herbicides in them. So for that reason, I try to raise a lot of our food. Plus I like what I grow versus what is at the grocery store. But I buy food at the grocery store, I can't grow it all. I like to can, dehydrate and freeze the extra vegetables for winter time enjoyment. We eat pretty darn good around here, no way we could afford to eat out of the store in comparison to what we grow and raise.

I don't want to eat GMO. I believe I have the right to know what is in my food. Food has labels with ingredients listed. Why not GMO? I don't care if it is safe or causes green whelps on my face, I want to know if it is in my food or not. For those who deem it safe and they want to eat it, more power to them, I am happy for them. I am not trying to argue if GMO is safe or not, not trying to argue at all. My point is, what's the big deal, just put GMO on the ingredient list. Now, that wasn't insulting, was it?

We currently have 4 pigs, one is ours, the other 3 are for people in our immediate community. We split the feed cost and each person pays for their own processing. I noticed one of the pigs had lice. That creeped me out. I want my animals to be healthy, happy and not scratching because vermin is on them. After researching what to do, I bought apple flavored ivermectin and I'm going to put a dose on some bread and give it to them. Two weeks later, I'll repeat it. I started giving them bread as a treat to get them used to running up for their treat. LOL Natural remedies were available, but I want those lice DEAD and GONE. It will also worm them.

I try to be as organic as possible. But I can't be 100% organic, it's just not possible. So don't think that because I want to live as organic as I can, that I hate commercial Ag. I use commercial Ag every day.

 

[seedcorn]

@baymule agree with everything you said. Wish labeling was that easy. You see, we have a thing called lawyers in this country with rights. They make your lice look like good things. If it is a product that can be GMO, unless marked non-GMO, assume it probably contains GMO products. Even non-GMO or organic may have chemicals used on them or GMO used in production. In America it is not what is right/wrong but what is legal/illegal. Thank you our suing public. We deal with it every day. Because non-GMO costs more to raise, it will always be priced higher.