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Author Topic: Want to grow my own pig feed  (Read 43151 times)

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #30 on: March 08, 2009, 03:58:54 pm »

chickens

  • Joined Jan 2008
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #31 on: March 08, 2009, 05:00:58 pm »
Thanks again Russ, what invaluable information, no not at all boring infact fascinating and as we read we sit here nodding and agreeing with you. 
Am going to digest it all and will probably be back with more questions - sorry  :)

sausagesandcash

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • UK
    • IrishHandcraft
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #32 on: March 08, 2009, 10:43:32 pm »
My hat is off to you russ, loved your post, especially the bit on GM. I went to look at the ingredients on weaner pellets and found that most of the ingredients were GM.

"With genetic engineering familiar foods could become metabolically dangerous or even toxic.” Statement by 21 scientists including the following, Professor Brian Goodwin, Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Professor Peter Saunders and Professor Richard Lacey.

 Dr Andrew Chesson, vice chairman of European Commission scientific committee on animal nutrition, "Potentially disastrous effects may come from undetected harmful substances in genetically modified foods."

Dr Vyvyan Howard: expert in fetal and infant toxico-pathology at Liverpool University Hospital,  "Swapping genes between organisms can produce unknown toxic effects and allergies that are most likely to affect children"

 Dr Michael Antoniou, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Pathology at Guy’s Hospital says, "The generation of genetically engineered plants and animals involves the random integration of artificial combinations of genetic material from unrelated species into the DNA of the host organism. This procedure results in disruption of the genetic blueprint of the organism with totally unpredictable consequences. The unexpected production of toxic substances has now been observed in genetically engineered bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals with the problem remaining undetected until a major health hazard has arisen. Moreover, genetically engineered food or enzymatic food processing agents may produce an immediate effect or it could take years for full toxicity to come to light." Dr Antoniou recently warned MPs against believing there was any safe alternative to a ban on GM foods, "We should not lull ourselves into a false sense of security: we should not think that by regulating something which is inherently unpredictable and uncontainable it automatically becomes safe!"

Sober reading. Despite the extra effort i'm going to be 100% sure of what goes into my pigs....thay will, after all, be going into my childrens mouths.

As they say, information is power, but each to their own. I agree with you Russ that the feed companies want to have a complete hold on animal feed. With all the info flying around this site, and all the bits of knowledge that everyone shares, we should all be able to grow the majority of what we need and complement it with non GM grains etc.

God when I think of the beautifully packaged shite that is turfed out in supermarkets and sold at massively inflated prices...well it just makes my blood boil.

Morgan

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #33 on: March 08, 2009, 11:22:52 pm »
cheers Morgan,
                 it is nice to know there are others out there that feel the same....The feed companies are steering their way to what boils down to total control of the food supply . This isn't just a conspiracy theory whacko Jacko statement , but one which becomes very obvious when you look deeper into what they are doing . Grain, whether barley , wheat , oats or whatever, used to be grown on farm and either sold at market ,or fed to animal stock  . Next years seed was always kept back from the harvest, and sown at the appropriate time. This could go on for a number of years before new seed was needed. However , with GM seed ,even non GM, named varieties, the seed will not be 100% viable . This is part of the GM modification . The reason for this is you are tied into buying next years seed from the company year after year ad-infinitum, handy little thing that . In a very short time they will have the world over a barrel UNLESS people like us keep the old varieties alive. It is already ILLEGAL to sell an old variety not on the seed list . Example: I bought some Square Heads Master wheat seed . It is an old variety of wheat from the 1880's grown for use as a thatching straw (it grows to  5 feet or more tall) . I had to buy it as chicken feed from the thatcher that sold it to me , otherwise he would have been breaking the law if he had sold it as either thatching wheat seed or even as just wheat seed .This because it has fallen off the seed list.  I can only assume the reason they are doing this , is money ...I hate to think what other reasons they could have . I now grow only older varieties of whatever I grow , either grain or veg and have started to save all my own seed . The days of a guaranteed supply year on year , are sadly long gone. We now know beyond doubt , that THEY ? will not look after us , THEY ? are just looking after themselves  £££££ . That leaves it down to US to look after OURSELVES and all the other people like us . This , without doubt again , is happening on this forum already . People sharing information and knowledge with like minded others . Selling purebred/pedigree animals to each other and as time goes by no doubt grain and veg seed too, as it becomes more and more expensive to buy elsewhere, and GM seed becomes even more widespread than now. It seems more and more likely , to me , that it will be people such as on this forum, that will keep our food as it should be and as we want it ...GM free . 

cheers 


Russ

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #34 on: March 09, 2009, 07:40:41 am »
Russ you sound surprised that they are only in it for the money.  I thought it was the norm.  (For those at the top not for us smallholding types).

sausagesandcash

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • UK
    • IrishHandcraft
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #35 on: March 09, 2009, 09:09:28 am »
As the old Indian proverb goes:

Only after the last tree has
been cut down. Only after the
last fish has been caught. Only
after the last river has been
poisoned. Only then will you
realize that money cannot
be eaten.
Cree Nation Tribal Prophecy

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #36 on: March 09, 2009, 12:21:13 pm »
That is really profound.

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #37 on: March 09, 2009, 12:24:38 pm »
lol...HM ,
 I am not really 'surprised' , I know that money seems to be, the be all and end all, of a lot of western peoples lives, especially the big players (the more they get, the more they want) but what does surprise me, is the fact that now even at the stage we (the western world )have taken the world too , they still want complete control and even more money . Where do they think they are going to spend it all when the world dies of starvation and  disease ? I suppose they will at least be the richest person in the graveyard !!! (thats if there are enough people to burry them). The proverb fits perfectly SaC !!!!   To a degree it has always been this way , but in the last 20-30 years it has gone completely out of control in the UK . Yet the people that have caused the economic crisis STILL can't see what they have done. There are none so blind as those that will not see !!!!  Hey ho ...... Not much I can do about it ? I will just keep on plodding along ...just wish I had more money ....  ::) the things I could do then ???? ::) :o ;D

cheers

Russ

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #38 on: March 09, 2009, 07:10:35 pm »
Here here Russ,
I have to agree wholeheartedly with you on that one.
Money may not buy you happiness, but it makes being miserable a bit more bearable ! (so I've been told  ;))

chickens

  • Joined Jan 2008
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #39 on: March 09, 2009, 07:18:03 pm »
couldn't tell you if it makes miserable more bearable because i am too miserable  :( but seriously if i look at my lifestyle i realise how lucky we are, in the countryside, watching the lambs hopping and jumping, watching my huge old pig (who must weigh 400kilos) let a kid feed from her because her goatie mum is poorly, milking the cow, getting attacked by my gloucester old spots, slobbered on by the dogs -  i would not swap the quality of my life for any thing - some money rather than no money (our current situation) would help reduce the sleepless nights, keeps officials happy but at the end of the day I am still lucky
sorry waffled on

sausagesandcash

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • UK
    • IrishHandcraft
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #40 on: March 09, 2009, 08:48:42 pm »
A friend from Uni used always say 'Money can't buy you love....but it can buy an awful lot of s*x'

Lol
 :farmer:

wolfie

  • Joined May 2008
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #41 on: March 09, 2009, 09:05:31 pm »
RE mangold  wurzels, do you have to shred them to feed them to pigs? They had a lovely machine on Victorian Farm that did the very thing . I've fancied growing some for our pigs but knew nowt about them ( until I read Rusty's stuff -thanks)

chickens

  • Joined Jan 2008
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #42 on: March 09, 2009, 09:25:42 pm »
hi wolfie - just used to chop mine up into reasonable size chunks for the pigs - used to have to chop them much smaller for the cows

sausages and cash - that is not the reason i am so broke  ;D
actually 4 kids, millions of animals (well okay perhaps not millions) and having blown too much when I first came to france has something to do with it, although in later years after working very hard, social charges seem to be the biggest reason....

sausagesandcash

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • UK
    • IrishHandcraft
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #43 on: March 10, 2009, 12:42:56 am »
they do say that marriage is a great contraceptive! Where abouts in france r u?

Morgan :farmer:

chickens

  • Joined Jan 2008
Re: Want to grow my own pig feed
« Reply #44 on: March 10, 2009, 07:39:59 am »
Hi Morgan

We are in the department of Mayenne, beautiful countryside (although not so sure today as it is very windy and pouring and we were planning to put the polythene on the polytunnel but perhaps not...)

Have a good day


nicki

 

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