Dunn's Digest: Tropical Cattle!
Farm Pics, Quote, Thought, Question
I recently returned home from a visit to a small island in the caribbean. As you might expect, I took many photos of the local cattle population of the island. (photos below)
My standout takeaway was how healthy and well-adapted these cattle are.
This is a tiny island with probably less than 200 cows. I explored the island and saw less than 40. And yet, with such a small genetic pool, these animals are genetically sound and thriving.
Aside from the small genetic pool, there are other factors that on paper should disadvantage these cattle: The climate is hot and humid. Access to medicine is very restricted. The nutritional value of the forage is generally low, with usually zero supplementation. Human intervention is infrequent.
Here’s the irony; it is precisely these limitations that has meant that the fittest and best adapted cattle survive and reproduce, thereby improving the genetic lineage.
The modern cattle breeds that humans have ‘improved’, particularly in the UK and US, have had the aptitude bred out of them, usually for the show-ring or for bragging rights or just plain ignorance.
Mark my words: we have a pandemic of ill-adapted livestock in the modern agricultural world.
We must continually look up to examples of livestock thriving in their natural environment, even if that example is across the atlantic ocean, grazing on a beach.
See more on my youtube channel: www.youtube.com/@TheBeefFedFarmer
Quote of the Week: From James Clear’s Newsletter
Philosopher and writer Friedrich Nietzsche emphasizes that your life is the accumulated record of your days:
“The history of every day. — What is the history of every day in your case? Look at your habits that constitute it: are they the product of innumerable little cowardices and lazinesses, or of your courage and inventive reason?”
Source: Die fröhliche Wissenschaft
Question:
How could you improve your average Tuesday by 1 percent?
In good health,
Harvey