Mad Animal Disease.....

[ilovelucy]

In Asia thousands of chickens are being culled because of the bird flu.....In England we had a mass culling of sheep a couple of years ago....In the US we are dealing with mad cow disease as well.....


hmmmm.

In Asia thousands of chickens are being culled because of the bird flu.....In England we had a mass culling of sheep a couple of years ago....In the US we are dealing with mad cow disease as well.....


hmmmm.



We can only pray for Mad Queer Disease huh? ;D

[ilovelucy]

now, now....

[JohnS]

We can only pray for Mad Queer Disease huh? ;D


There must be one already, it seems like a lot of them engage in abnormal behaviors and are afflicted with deteriorating thought processes.

[ilovelucy]

One of my pet theories is that ultimately the food supply will be controlled....we have seeds that cannot reproduce, and now worldwide cullings of animals, etc.....eventually, eating meat may be banned, for our own protection, naturally.....

hmmmmm.

[JohnS]

One of my pet theories is that ultimately the food supply will be controlled....we have seeds that cannot reproduce, and now worldwide cullings of animals, etc.....eventually, eating meat may be banned, for our own protection, naturally.....

hmmmmm.


We might have to resort to eating possum if there are any left alive. I hear that the Tennessee flying possum is a real delicacy. ;D

[wendy]

These diseases are nothing new. It becomes a problem when you mass produce animals for food and feed animal products from one species to another. There are several bad or questionable practices that could be halted which would increase the safety of our food supply without becoming an onerous burden on the manufacturers.

There are several bad or questionable practices that could be halted which would increase the safety of our food supply without becoming an onerous burden on the manufacturers.


How's about we start with "Don't feed other animals' brains and spinal cords to other animals?"

Got my vote on that one.

[wendy]

How's about we start with "Don't feed other animals' brains and spinal cords to other animals?"

Got my vote on that one.


Yep. And feed chicken waste to cows and pigs would be another.

[julianna]

Yep. And feed chicken waste to cows and pigs would be another.



Yeech now what do we eat for dinner?

[ponygurl]

The problem is with the method , or trend of farming, that the world has taken.
The small farmer basically no longer exists. To make an ample living on a farm , the farmer has to mass produce.. many many animals. As with any animal, the larger the population, the greater the chance of disease.
Chickens are " stacked" in henhouses. Disease can run rampant.
Antibiotics are injected into their feed in many cases. This produces, eventually, superstrians of bacteria , that require bigger and better antibiotics to kill off.
And we are feeding many animals meal with meat by products of their OWN species in it.
The desire for " super farming" is gonna kill the industry.

[ponygurl]

As for Mad-Woman disease.. it happens monthly and there ain't too muckin' fuch we can do about it. >:( ;D

[ilovelucy]

We might have to resort to eating possum if there are any left alive. I hear that the Tennessee flying possum is a real delicacy. ;D


Actually, during the depression and after my grandfather died young in a car accident, my grandmother made possum stew ONCE for her girls.....ONCE was enough! ;D

[ilovelucy]

As for Mad-Woman disease.. it happens monthly and there ain't too muckin' fuch we can do about it. >:( ;D


Fortunately, we haven't resorted to placing women on the menu.....

[ponygurl]

Fortunately, we haven't resorted to placing women on the menu.....

*cough cough*.. nevermind.. not the place for a dirty joke. ;D

[ilovelucy]

I was trying to put this, how shall I say, "delicately"..... :-[

[ponygurl]

I was trying to put this, how shall I say, "delicately"..... :-[

;D

[Julia]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/gifs/breaking/0116BrainSandwiches16-ON.jpg

MMmmmmmm...fried cow brains.

They say they "puff up real good" when ya fry 'em. :-X

[JohnS]

Actually, during the depression and after my grandfather died young in a car accident, my grandmother made possum stew ONCE for her girls.....ONCE was enough! ;D


Possum is a lot better dipped in batter and deep fried. Same for chitterlins, batter dipped and deep fried is best. ;D

[wendy]

MMmmmmmm...fried cow brains.

They say they "puff up real good" when ya fry 'em. :-X


I think I'll have to take a pass on that.

[ponygurl]

Cow brains and possum are probably better for us than the high fat, mega rendered , pre packaged boxed crap that sells like hot cakes in the store.

[Tiger]

Possum is a lot better dipped in batter and deep fried. Same for chitterlins, batter dipped and deep fried is best. ;D




Don't stop there! Don't you REALLY mean that nearly EVERYTHING is better when batter-dipped and deep-fried? ;D

I may be a vegetarian - but I still like my onion rings and donuts! ;)

[wendy]

Cow brains and possum are probably better for us than the high fat, mega rendered , pre packaged boxed crap that sells like hot cakes in the store.


Well, that would be a toss up.

Cow brains or twinkies? You decide. ;D

[Tiger]

Well, that would be a toss up.

Cow brains or twinkies? You decide. ;D



Man - that is a toughy.

I really had to ponder the pro's and con's before I finally settled on..


Twinkies!

[ponygurl]

Well, that would be a toss up.

Cow brains or twinkies? You decide. ;D

Yes..I see your point.
However.. in case of war, drought or some other natural disaster, and choices were limited.. say.. and we were talking long term survival.. I'd pick cowbrains cause I'd be healthier..

[ilovelucy]

I'd rather eat tree bark than cow brains....aghhhh!

[ponygurl]

We are very "conditioned" about our food. We, as a society, have learned ,(and not necessarily wrongly) to see food as a social, esthetic thing rather than merely as a means of maintaining life.
Think about the bird shit and bug guts on tree bark. ;D

[wendy]

Yes..I see your point.
However.. in case of war, drought or some other natural disaster, and choices were limited.. say.. and we were talking long term survival.. I'd pick cowbrains cause I'd be healthier..



At least cow brains have some nutritional value. The same can't be said for twinkies.

Same for chitterlins, batter dipped and deep fried is best. ;D


You have got to be kidding. :-X

At least cow brains have some nutritional value. The same can't be said for twinkies.


Twinkies would be a great survival food, they don't go bad. Roaches and twinkies will be the only things that survive a full scale nuclear attack.

[Tiger]

At least cow brains have some nutritional value. The same can't be said for twinkies.



I'm not so sure.

Have you ever noticed the faint, but distinct hint that the creamy center bears to Tide?

Twinkies could do double-duty. Fill your tummy and clean it out - all at once. ;)

I'm not so sure.

Have you ever noticed the faint, but distinct hint that the creamy center bears to Tide?

Twinkies could do double-duty. Fill your tummy and clean it out - all at once. ;)


I haven't had one in about 15 years, since I found out they won't grow mold. :-X

Radioactive Twinkies would be a good band name.

[Julia]

Twinkies would be a great survival food, they don't go bad. Roaches and twinkies will be the only things that survive a full scale nuclear attack.


They have a shelf life of 1500 years, or something. :o

Stock up on Spam & Twinkies for WWIII.

I'd rather die in the attack...

They have a shelf life of 1500 years, or something. :o

Stock up on Spam & Twinkies for WWIII.

I'd rather die in the attack...


So would I. I refuse to eat any food that does not grow mold. Did you know that if you jam a strawberry Pop-Tart in a toaster a jet of flame will shoot out of it. I don't eat those either. Powdered creamer sparks in a fire, I don't put that in my coffee.

Radioactive Twinkies would be a good band name.



I don't know, sounds like queers who glow in the dark. ;D

I don't know, sounds like queers who glow in the dark. ;D


I didn't say I'd ever use it. ;D

[kathleen]

Chickens are " stacked" in henhouses. Disease can run rampant. Antibiotics are injected into their feed in many cases. This produces, eventually, superstrians of bacteria , that require bigger and better antibiotics to kill off.


These diseases are nothing new. It becomes a problem when you mass produce animals for food and feed animal products from one species to another.

Yes, yes, yes to the points both of you make.

These diseases really ARE NOT new. What is new is the increased frequency of their occurrence. Modern "mass production" farming practices are a major cause of this increase. As Pony mentioned, these animals are crammed into limited spaces to maximize profits and minimize costs. Add to that the despicable practice of feeding cows to cows (very unnatural) and can anyone really be surprised that these animals carry (and spread) many more microbes which, in turn, make us ill or worse?

The desire for " super farming" is gonna kill the industry.


Yes and no. Kill the industry as meaning the way you and I remember it as children? Yes, of course. The concept of the family farm is dying, if not already on it's deathbed. If I think about it, I may well be one of the last generations to experience that way of life. To me, the thought is really mind-blowing. :o

Will there still be food production? Of course, but in a vastly different way. As much as I admit to certain beneficial qualities of the big corporate farms (there are some), I can't see how, overall, this concept of food production will be good for us and our health. Not when you take into account the environmental costs (they are huge) and social costs.

Ask anyone living next to a huge factory farm for pigs. Would you want to have that as a neighbor? :o

[ponygurl]

Yes, yes, yes to the points both of you make.

These diseases really ARE NOT new. What is new is the increased frequency of their occurrence. Modern "mass production" farming practices are a major cause of this increase. As Pony mentioned, these animals are crammed into limited spaces to maximize profits and minimize costs. Add to that the despicable practice of feeding cows to cows (very unnatural) and can anyone really be surprised that these animals carry (and spread) many more microbes which, in turn, make us ill or worse? Yes and no. Kill the industry as meaning the way you and I remember it as children? Yes, of course. The concept of the family farm is dying, if not already on it's deathbed. If I think about it, I may well be one of the last generations to experience that way of life. To me, the thought is really mind-blowing. :o

Will there still be food production? Of course, but in a vastly different way. As much as I admit to certain beneficial qualities of the big corporate farms (there are some), I can't see how, overall, this concept of food production will be good for us and our health. Not when you take into account the environmental costs (they are huge) and social costs.

Ask anyone living next to a huge factory farm for pigs. Would you want to have that as a neighbor? :o

The most pigs we have ever had on our farm as kids was 600 sows.. plus piglets and a few boars. The smell??? PPEEEWWW.. ;D

[Julia]

Ask anyone living next to a huge factory farm for pigs. Would you want to have that as a neighbor? :o


Not just next to hog farms, either.

I lived in Charlotte, NC for 2 years and that is where my in-laws live. Anytime there is a hurricane, or heavy rains causing flooding, waste from the hog farms floods into the streets and people homes. It is a huge problem, but the hog industry is very big and powerful in NC. The state is trying to come up with ways to literally prevent the shit from flooding homes.

It was really bad last summer. Several of my bro-in-law's neighbors' homes were flooded with hog feces. Luckily, (for him) my bro-in-law's home is on a little higher ground.

Hog farms are particularly worrisome to environmental scientists for the enormous problems they cause. Recently, when hurricanes hit North Carolina with a vengeance, the monsoon rains caused dikes to burst, flooding thousands of acres with animal feces and causing incalculable health problems for both farm and non-farm residents. Residents in Charlotte, many of whom thought they were well removed from the threat of manure ponds, were rudely awakened to the enormity of the problem when it covered their doorsteps. Filth filled the streets, flooding basements. The collateral damage is still being calculated—the fouling of wells, the loss of fisheries, crops, livestock, the spread of diseases including mysterious illnesses, and not the least was a growing erosion of public confidence in farmers as good neighbors, etc. http://www.fungi.com/mycotech/farmwaste.html


YUCK!!!

[kathleen]

Not just next to hog farms, either.

I know Julia. It's a huge problem. And it's only going to get worse. One of the things that concern me the most is the fouling of the water supply. E-coli and other microbes carried in animal feces are very easily leached into the ground and into natural reservoirs. Contaminated water, especially for country folks, is an almost insurmountable problem. You cannot simply clean a water supply.