Post by WVsnowflake on Mar 5, 2008 11:44:28 GMT -6
Why You Should Care about Heritage Breeds
Heratige Geese
Dutch Belted Cow
Do brown cows give chocolate milk? Do Milking Devon cows give more healthful milk than Holsteins? There are about 600 Milking Devon cattle in the United States. That’s a very small number compared to the millions of Holstein cattle in U.S. dairies. Would you care if the Milking Devon breed would disappear forever? Here are some thoughts on why rare breeds should matter to you.
Each breed of livestock has unique traits, though they may not be as productive as breeds that industrial agriculture depends most heavily on. “The productive life of a Holstein cow is between three and four years,” according to the Holstein association. But many heritage breeds, such as Dutch Belted cows, are often productive into their teen years. Dutch Belted cows are efficient milk producers on a grass-based diet with little additional grain. And grass-fed cattle produce milk with important health benefits to humans
www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Why-You-Should-Care-About-Heritage-Breeds.aspx
Heratige Geese Dutch Belted CowDo brown cows give chocolate milk? Do Milking Devon cows give more healthful milk than Holsteins? There are about 600 Milking Devon cattle in the United States. That’s a very small number compared to the millions of Holstein cattle in U.S. dairies. Would you care if the Milking Devon breed would disappear forever? Here are some thoughts on why rare breeds should matter to you.
Each breed of livestock has unique traits, though they may not be as productive as breeds that industrial agriculture depends most heavily on. “The productive life of a Holstein cow is between three and four years,” according to the Holstein association. But many heritage breeds, such as Dutch Belted cows, are often productive into their teen years. Dutch Belted cows are efficient milk producers on a grass-based diet with little additional grain. And grass-fed cattle produce milk with important health benefits to humans
www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Why-You-Should-Care-About-Heritage-Breeds.aspx
