Are You Enslaved by the Animals You Breed?
16 Jan 2012 | Category: agriculture | Author: admin
Are you free to quit your animal farm when you want or need? Or do you give up instead your much deserved vacation? Could you check up on your animals from far away?
This article aims at showing you how current technology could come in your rescue, if you feel bound to your duty more tightly than you are ready to bear.
You certainly have somebody you trust you can depend on, helping you and doing regular chores. But you worry that your own absence might harm the creatures in your care. You may wish you could set up a system providing you with the capability of implementing constant supervision. Even when you are on the premises you cannot have everything under your eyes all the time.
Therefore, if you find yourself in such a case, you may consider if installing a surveillance system might ease the burden of your anxiety.
Surveillance cameras are quickly becoming a common place item, with a large range of features, now easily available and affordable. You should study them in action and see which types give you the information you need.
You can start with only one camera and then, once you gain experience and confidence with the system, you may enlarge the scope of your surveillance. You can easily install cameras in additional locations with points of view that were not sufficiently covered.
Different systems can be conceived, but essentially they have all in common some of the devices that permit displaying, recording and transmitting significant views rich of informative content.
Once the views are stored in a computer they can be seen through the Internet from all over the world.
Generally, if many cameras are installed all over the place, they are connected to a central monitoring room where real time views are continuously displayed on one or more screens.
This is only the first part of the surveillance task, as the monitoring person in charge alerts whomever needs to implement immediate actions as a consequence of what is seen happening.
Most important, and including the real essence of surveillance, is the capability to save and play back later selected parts of the views, for researching events and for learning the lessons deriving from the developing events.
Two unrelated technologies can provide additional information if necessary or useful. One is the so called GPS or Global Positioning System, whereby by attaching a small and unobtrusive object to any person, vehicle or animal, tamed or wild, one can constantly track their whereabouts.
The other is RFID or radio-frequency identification, that permits to store identifying data on a very small tag. This can be read at a distance when the bearer passes at a short distance from the reader, an automatic device.
It is designed for recording every such passage, transmitting in real time essential information to whom is in need to know. Weight, milk production or other data can also be collected automatically.
Modern farming can make good use of current technology. It may even free you to quit your animal farm when you wish or need.
The Agricultural Business and Water - Exploring Our Nation's Drought Crisis
26 Nov 2011 | Category: agriculture | Author: admin
Water rights in America are all about politics. It is truly amazing that large cities with large populations have the political clout to take the water from rural areas where we grow America's food supply and all of our crops, and the agricultural products that are shipped worldwide.
There is another concern that has to do with this issue and that is the value of land. Although a farmer over a long period of time can make a lot of money farming; because of all the regulations in the agriculture industry it often make sense to sell the property to a developer instead of growing crops.
Because people in the city will not conserve the water like they should, and because the populations of our urban areas in the United States are increasing so rapidly, we are unable to recharge our reservoirs like we have in the past during the winter months. There just isn't enough water to last through the dry summer months.
It used to be the droughts came every 5 to 10 years. Now even a mild drought year can turn into a severe drought year, because we use so much water. The Colorado River is in jeopardy and Lake Mead in Nevada provides water to three of the thirstiest states out west. The Ogallala aquifer is also receding and there are farmers whose wells have run dry.
If that land cannot be irrigated or used for agriculture, nothing can be grown there. Our nation is in a drought crisis and yet, we often do not address this issue, because no one wants to talk about it. It drives down real estate prices, it scares the citizens, and it is a political football that no politician wants to touch. I hope you will consider all this and remember without the agriculture business and without water there's no food to eat. Please consider all this.
Six Tips For Breeding Quality Boer Goats
06 Oct 2011 | Category: agriculture | Author: admin
The single most important factor in producing Boer Goats for meat is picking the right breeding male or buck. Spending the extra to acquire a high quality buck will more than pay for itself as a strong buck will produce strong offspring even, when paired with an average doe. On average, Boer Goat offspring will put on weight at the same rate as their sire. That's why a buck from a proven bloodline will cost you more but a high quality buck will produce offspring that quickly gain weight getting them ready for market sooner with less work.
Here are some other factors to consider when choosing a breeding buck:
1. 35-80lbs is the primary market size for meat goats. The young should reach this size at approximately weaning age. The offspring from a high quality buck can weigh up to 80lbs at 90 days old where as those from a lesser quality buck might only weigh in at 35lbs at the same age. While the cost to purchase a buck with average bloodlines will be far less expensive up front, the lack of quality will have serious effects on your level of production leading to struggles for long-term profitability. To do it right, plan to purchase a premium quality buck - you'll be glad you did.
2. Jaw Alignment - Meat goats are generally raised on pasture so a buck with a poor jaw line is a significant detriment when grazing. Poor jaw alignment is an absolutely unacceptable in breeding bucks for a commercial herd.
3. Good feet and legs - Hoof rot can be a problem for goats that live in wetter climates. Regular clipping of the hooves is required and strong legs are an obvious advantage for moving around the pasture.
4. Healthy Genitals - The obvious purpose of a breeding buck is to breed your does successfully so look for bucks with well formed, equal size testes in a single scrotum.
5. On average one breeding buck is required to service between 25 - 35 does however if conditions are perfect, one strong, excellent quality buck may be enough for up to 50 does. With the exception of breeding, the bucks are usually kept separate from the does. Does are generally bred for a six week period every eight months and this hopefully leads to three crops of kids every couple of years.
6. It's essential that your breeding bucks are able to live on pasture as a pen-raised buck will tend to stay near the pen while the does will spend their time including breeding in the pasture. A homesick Buck won't do the job.
Boer Goats are a pleasure to raise. Done correctly, they can provide excellent income to your farming operation and in these tough economic times, that's a wonderful ace to have up your sleeve!
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