EnviroLink Forum

Your ducks kill rats!?? Thems some heavy-duty ducks!

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With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

Here's a 'side' thought on the horses:

Recall now; in most "modern" countries, tractors have replaced horses. The colonists in my story would have to walk right over that trend to be 'greenest'(IMO).

But could that last? I can see either feast or famine pushing some farmers(Years down the line, perhaps) to switcg to tractors and once some do; do the rest have to change to keep up?

It's a perplexing riddle!

_________________
With friends like Guido, you will not have enemies for long.

“Intellect is invisible to the man who has none”
Arthur Schopenhauer

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein

I've been thinking it over and maybe Animallover was right about ostriches.
They have benefits the colonists can use.

Snakes as garden your garden patrol but you can't milk them. Well you can milk them ,but I don't think you will be drinking the liquid. Geese are good weeders but you can't milk them either unless you consider yolk the drink of your choice.

How about Buffalox as your work horse. Cross between a Buffalo & a Texas long horn. You will already have a neck and yoke provided for pulling heavy loads tilling ground and providing organic fertilizer. Question is ,what kinda wife would you need to get the fields plowed. Tug Boat Annie Available??

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I use red, not because of anger but to define my posts to catch rebuttals latter and it makes the quote feature redundent for me. The rest of you pick your own color.

Life is a time capsule we strive to fill with precious memories.

I've never heard of buffalox. But I read a small bit about the cattalo. I heard they didn't fare too well, though.

You HEARD wrong???

http://tinyurl.com/2m8pjd

http://www.ababeefalo.org/abi4.htm

Unlike some other hybrid species, Beefalo are usually not sterile.

A mule is a hybrid species which results from the cross-breeding of a horse and a donkey. Nearly all mules are unable to produce offspring. They are sterile.

Although Beefalo is also classified as a hybrid species, they are not sterile like mules. Today, ranchers and farmers wishing to raise Beefalo will find a large number of fertile males and females to choose from to start their Beefalo herds. If you breed a male Beefalo with a female Beefalo, the calf will definitely be a Beefalo.


Virtually any other breed of domestic cattle can be used to create Beefalo.

It's a well-established principle that the cross-breeding of two or more breeds of domestic cattle will usually result in calves with genetic strengths and improved hybrid vigor. Many of today's composite cattle breeds are the result of cross-breeding programs which have combined three or more breeds of domestic cattle.

A Beefalo can have up to 3/8 Bison genetics. The other 5/8 of the genetic makeup can come from virtually any of the domestic breeds of cattle (Angus, Limousin, Hereford, etc.) or from any of the newer composite breeds (Beefmaster, Santa Gertrudis, etc.). The breeding can be accomplished by natural service, by artificial insemination, or by using newer reproductive techniques like embryo transfer.

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I use red, not because of anger but to define my posts to catch rebuttals latter and it makes the quote feature redundent for me. The rest of you pick your own color.

Life is a time capsule we strive to fill with precious memories.

The plot thickens!
I'm learning more about 'farm' animals then I ever thought I'd need, LOL!

This could be a square-off between the ostriches and Buffalox.

Ostriches seem to turn feed into usable meat better the bufx
And they produce eggs.

Buffalox may be more adaptable to rough conditions.
And(I suspect) it'll be easier to find people who have raised them, rather then ostriches.

Gotta think it over. These match-ups really make ya think!

A question:

Between ostriches and buffalox; I wonder which would take up more space?
(That would be important in their transportation)

Will 2000 pounds of ostriches take up more volume then 2000 pounds of bullalox?

I vote for the ostriches.... The taste YUMMY, you'll have feathers for bed stuffing, and BIG eggs. One ton of BABY ostriches would certainly take up more space, but you'd also have a higher number of organisms with which to begin your colonization, which is critical in ensuring their survival.

Our ducks ate the CRAP out of our yard slugs. Ew. I hate slugs.

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It's often a man's mouth broke his nose...

I'm leaning to the ostriches.

So:

Goats: 3/4 nannies, 1/4 billies
Horse: Canadians, I think.
Rabbits: I wonder how many you'd have to have. Good feed-to-food ratio though.
Ostriches: wonder if it's possible to herd these with dogs?

fresh water fish: I'm still pondering types, though.
We want duribility, good feed-to-food ratio and (if possible) quick reproduction.

Pigs are iffy, current standing, anyway.

More common poultry's been meantioned a few times.

Which of these seems most suited?

chickens
Ducks
turkeys
pheasant
guinea fowl

Note: What of sheep? Wool is a mighty hard product to pass up!