Animals

It’s Time to Meet the Future of Meat

Real, Cultured, or Printed? Nowadays we’re accomplishing miracles in the laboratory. It started, of course, with successful cloning, but we’ve moved on to teasing immature stem cells into making all sorts of tissues, such as skin for burn victims, miniature versions of human organs (called organoids) to learn to treat disease, and actual functional organs for lab animals that fulfill the function of a natural organ. More interesting is something that was accomplished back in early 2015. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital grew a complete rat forelimb in a petri dish . Fingers/claws, skin, bones, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles all in the right place and functional. In theory, it could be attached to a subject and tested to see if nerve and blood vessels connections were reliable, and if the bones and connective tissue were durable. There is no reason that they shouldn’t be. Meat in a Lab Muscles, of course, are also referred to as meat, and would be fairly undifferentiated from a naturally occurring meat in texture or flavor. What would be the primary difference about meat made in a sterile laboratory? No animals would be slaughtered; there would be no parasites; there would be no fecal contamination; and, most importantly, there would be no antibiotics or growth hormones necessary. There would be no vast tracts of land necessary, dedicated for the use of our current herds of animals. There would be no concurrent crops necessary to feed all these animals as they grew to a size appropriate for the abattoir, and then the local meat market. There would be no need of veterinarian care for herds to treat diseases. It would eliminate animal suffering,because meat would not be sourced from animals at all.  In other words, by just about every popular definition, it would be completely Vegan meat. Of course there are always doubters; those who think meat is bad and artificial meat would be inadequate for some other reason.  It’s very much like people that protest Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods—it makes no sense–since everything in our diet is a GMO.  There is virtually nothing in our diet that has not been changed. Franken-Food Everybody loves corn for instance, but 8,700 years ago in Mexico it was known as teosinte, with just a few grains per stalk that would have easily fit on top of a 25¢ coin.  We crossbred many teosinte with more grains than other plants, and eventually came up with the “cob” that was dense with grain.  Yet no [...]

By |2024-02-29T08:01:41+00:00June 27th, 2017|Food, 3-D Pinting, Chicken, Corn, Environmental, Meat, Poultry|0 Comments

Pig and Hog Vaccination

Pigs and any member of the swine family need a lot of care. If you're a a pig owner, you have to be sensitive to their needs. It's not enough to have them wallow in the mud and feed when needed. While they may seem healthy at a glance, swines are susceptible to diseases too, which is why their bodies have to be prepared for any bacteria and viruses that could hit them. When this happens, one must be swift in applying treatment. There's a variety of products available for each type of illness. Yet prevention is always better than cure. Luckily, vaccination is a great way to keep your swine away from diseases. Common ones include foot and mouth disease, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea and African Swine Fever. With vaccination, there's huge chance of lesser economic and emotional loss when there are swine epidemics. Why Vaccination helps? Vaccination boosts a pig's immune system. It works by releasing antigens into the body to stimulate the immune system and help develop immunity to bacteria, microorganisms, parasites and viruses. Antigens are the protein component of infectious agents. When released to the host, the host's body becomes immunized. At this state, the body is induced to release antibodies which fight pathogens. In simple terms, the substance contained in vaccines helps your pig resist illness caused by harmful microorganisms. It reduces risk of catching and spreading a disease. Vaccination is an effective intervention done to prevent spread or decrease a pig's susceptibility to harmful viruses. Injection is considered as the most effective and widely used method of vaccine administration. The administration of the vaccine can be done before, during or after a disease strikes. In some cases, vaccination is more effective when done days before a potential threat arrives. For instance, gilts and sows have to undergo 2 vaccine shots before breeding and another at 3-4 weeks before birthing to prevent stillbirths caused by Leptospira bacteria. Factors like age, size and date of last vaccination affect this, so clearly discuss it with the experts. The injection site and dose have to be determined as well. There are 5 injection sites for pigs: Subcutaneous (under skin), Intramuscular (muscle), Intranasal, Intraperitoneal (abdominal cavity) and Intravenous (vein). Upon veterinary advice, the spots could be the most effective venues for the shots, depending on vaccine type and adjuvants. Vaccine Types Generally, there are two types of vaccines. One, there's the active vaccine and the inactive type. The active vaccine contains live pathogens, weakened, so that they [...]

By |2019-03-15T16:44:34+00:00August 2nd, 2015|Pigs, Animals, Vaccinations, Viral Diseases|0 Comments

Top Pig Diseases Caused By Viruses

There are many viral diseases that can hit pigs. The severity of their effect varies from country to country, from farm to farm. However, knowing what each disease looks like when it affects your pigs may help you contain them to reduce the losses that it would have caused. Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Foot-and-mouth disease would show in how pigs suddenly reduce their food consumption and how they would look depressed. It also comes with fevers reaching about 40.5º C. Piglets affected by the condition usually experience cardiac failure and die. Vesicles of up to 30mm would appear later, and are often found near the coronets and appear a little on the lips and nose. The disease can be transmitted through direct and indirect contact with infected pigs. The virus can spread by saliva, aerosol, blood, nasal discharge, feces, urine, semen, meat or bones of the infected animals, and infected animal by-products. FMD cannot be treated, so the affected pigs should be destroyed. This can be prevented by routine vaccination, although this will only last for six months. Farmers should be cautious of the symptoms to prevent the spread before it gets worse. FMD is highly infectious and can spread rapidly throughout the population of animals, even reaching long distances, depending on the wind. This makes it harder and more costly to control. African Swine Fever This often affects domestic pigs. Its common symptoms include blotching of skin, fever, and the hemorrhaging of internal organs, lymph nodes, and gastrointestinal tract. The virus can spread through direct contact with the infected pigs and fomites, tick bites, ingestion of contaminated uncooked pig by-products, and contact with wild carrier and domestic pigs. The carcass of the affected animals is condemned. All of the herd hit by ASF would become ill and most of them would die. There is no treatment available, which is why some countries infected by the ASF often resort to a slaughter policy to completely eradicate the virus and contain its spread. Affected animals should be kept away from the unexposed animals as a preventive measure. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) This is a highly contagious viral disease among pigs, which has recently affected virus states in the US. It was first diagnosed in the country in May 2013. This causes severe diarrhea and dehydration among pigs. of animals, even reaching long distances, depending on the wind. This makes it harder and more costly to control. African Swine Fever This often affects domestic pigs. Its common symptoms include blotching [...]

By |2019-03-24T21:18:49+00:00May 31st, 2014|Pigs, Viral Diseases|0 Comments

Types of Domestic Pigs

Domestic Pigs: How They Evolved, How They Live? Swine, or domesticated pigs and hogs are omnivorous animals that are generally commercially raised for pork meat and leather. In the United States, a “pig” is a young swine weighing less than 120 pounds while a “hog” is a more mature one which weighs more than 120 pounds. The swine belongs to the same family as wild boars wart hogs, bush pigs and babyrusas. Their common characteristics include a stout, stocky torso, short legs with four hoofed toes each, a long head, short pointed ears, small eyes and a distinctive snout, tipped with of a round cartilaginous disk and terminal nostrils which allows them to move their nose as they sniff their way along the ground while foraging for food. Most breeds of domestic pigs and hogs have sparse hair covering their skin. They are sociable and smart animals and, like dogs, can be taught and trained to perform a variety of tricks and tasks. Dwarf breeds, like the pot-bellied pigs, can make excellent house pets. According to the National Pork Board, most swine bred for consumption are the offspring of a combination of one of five dark breed boars bred to one of three white breed sows. This is because the dark breed boars enhance the meat quality of their offspring while the white breed females are used for their ability to produce many piglets as well as for their maternal instincts which allow more piglets to survive. There are many combinations of breeds and genetic lines used to influence the characteristics each producer looks for with regard to meat quality, farming method and the hog market. The most popular commercial breeds in the United States are the Berkshire, the Chester White, the Duroc the Hampshire, the Landrace, the Poland China, the Spotted Pig and the Yorkshire. Aside from the commercially farmed swine, there are the so-called “heritage breeds.” These are breeds which come from bloodlines that goes back hundreds of years when livestock was raised on open-pasture farms. Unveiling the Unique Qualities of Exceptional Domesticated Pigs The quality of their pork have certain desirable characteristics, including the rich taste of their meat, the distinct marbling, the bacon flavors and creamy fat. Heritage breeds, unfortunately, are generally not suited for commercial farming. There are thirteen known heritage breeds in the United States. They are: the Choctaw, the Gloucastershire Old Spot, the Guinea Hog, the Hereford, the Iberian, the Lacombe, the Large Black, the Large White, the Mangalitsa or [...]

By |2024-01-13T00:30:37+00:00May 8th, 2014|Animals, Hogs, Pigs|0 Comments

Pigs as House Pets

Pigs are smart, sociable, playful animals. They even have personality. Like dogs they can be trained to do tricks, wear a leash, use a litter box, respond to their individual names when called. But will they make good house pets? That depends on how large your house is and on how much time and attention you are willing to set aside in the care of your pet pig. Those cute, cuddly miniature pigs, micro pigs, pocket pigs or teacup pigs sold as pets in most regular pet shops won’t always remain small. Even Paris Hilton’s famous teacup pig, which she bought in 2009, is now over a hundred pounds big. So if you plan on keeping one indoors, make sure you have enough space in the house. Since pigs by nature are territorial, it is best to give your pet a room of its own, with a pile of blankets it can nest on. Also, it is important to give your pet pig easy access to the outside. Pigs are instinctively compelled to forage about for food and their metabolism require them to get frequent mud baths. If your pet pig can’t get outdoor when it needs to, chances are it just might do some serious damage to your house and belongings. It can overturn appliances and furnitures, bite through your carpet and make a mess out of your bathroom. If you do decide to keep a pig as a house pet, it is important that you frequently clean, sanitize and disinfect your home and everything inside it to prevent parasites from breeding. Pigs are omnivorous and will eat almost anything they can find or are given. Unfortunately, they are also prone to getting very obese easily, which in turn can lead to other health issues. So if you want to keep your pet pig fit and trim, you should probably just give it a regular diet of the commercial feed that are sold at the pet shop. These branded specially-formulated mini pig feed are high in fiber but low on calories. You can also supplement your pig’s diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, corn and celery. Of course, you should give your pet pig free access to clean drinking water at all times. Your pet pig’s food and water dispensers should always be cleaned thoroughly after every use. You should bring your pet pig to a veterinarian for check-ups and vaccination regularly. A healthy pet mini or teacup pig can [...]

By |2019-04-14T00:40:09+00:00April 9th, 2014|House Pet Pigs, Pigs|0 Comments

Types of Domestic Sheep

Sheep are small ruminants closely related to the goat that are raised mainly for their wool as well as for food. Worldwide, there are over a thousand breeds of sheep according to the Food & Agriculture Organization. In the USA, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) has identified 47 unique breeds of domestic sheep. The ASI has further categorized these domestic breeds into six types, namely the ‘meat breeds,’ the ‘fine wool breeds,’ the ‘long wool breeds,’ the ‘dual purpose breeds,’ the ‘hair breeds,’ and the ‘minor breeds.’ Most sheep and lambs in American farms and ranches are of the meat breed variety which are raised primarily for the production of meat, or of the dual-purpose kind which are kept for both meat and wool production. There are 11 meat breeds of sheep under the ASI classification, namely the Cheviot, the Dorset, the Hampshire, the Montadale, the North Country Cheviot, the Oxford, the Shropshire, the Southdown, the Suffolk, the Texel and the Tunis. On the other hand there are 8 dual purpose breeds, namely the American Miniature Brecknock, the Columbia, the Corriedale, the East Friesian, the Finnsheep, the Panama, the Polypay, and the Targhee. Sheep meat is either ‘mutton,’ if it comes from mature sheep, or ‘lamb,’ if it is from sheep not older than one year. Sheep grow both hair and wool fibers although hair breeds have more hair fibers than woolly fibers. They also tend to shed their coats annually and usually do not require shearing, crutching, or docking. There are 7 hair breeds and they are the Barbados Blackbelly and American Blackbelly, the California Reds, the Dorper, the Katahdin, the Romanov, the Royal White Sheep, and the St. Croix. There are two general types of hair sheep in the United State: "improved" and "unimproved". The unimproved breeds tend to be indigenous sheep breeds that have adapted well to the local environment in which they evolved like the Barbados Blackbelly and the St. Croix.  The improved hair breeds on the other hand are crosses between regular hair breeds and wooled meat breeds. Examples include the Dorper, the Katahdin and the Royal White Sheep. Fine wool sheep produce wool fibers with a very small fiber diameter, usually 20 microns or less. There are 5 fine wool breeds in the USA, namely the American Cormo, the Booroola Merino, the Debouillet, the Delaine-Merino, and the Rambouillet. In comparison, long wool sheep produce long-stapled wool with a large fiber diameter, usually greater than 30 microns. There are 7 long wool breeds [...]

By |2017-07-03T02:09:51+00:00February 7th, 2014|Sheep, Wool|1 Comment
Go to Top