How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It - James Wesley Rawles [54]
I paid a premium price for the first dairy cow I bought because supposedly she was due to calve in less than two months. I did not ask the seller to have a veterinarian certify she was bred. She never calved and the seller would not refund the extra that I paid for a “due-to-calve” cow. We drank store-bought milk for an extra year because of this mistake.
Then there was the pair of Angora rabbits I purchased. I assumed wrongly that buying a “breeding pair” meant they would breed. I did not think to ask the breeder to demonstrate that the male had all his necessary parts. He didn’t. Again, no refund.
Temperament is another important component of purchasing livestock. Animals with bad temperaments can be difficult to work with, or downright dangerous. Don’t take the seller’s word for the temperament of the animals; insist on seeing a demonstration. Even better, arrive early, to see the animals before the seller has a chance to get the animal “ready.”
I told the seller of my second cow that I intended to show her at the fair as well as milk her. He kept expressing on the phone to me how wonderful that would be. I neglected to ask for a demonstration of her being haltered, led, or milked. He neglected to tell me she was more feral than the March Hare. The only time I was able to milk her was when she was immobilized in a squeeze chute.
As you can see, it’s important to do your homework. Find out all the questions you should ask, what parts you should inspect, and what to look out for. Insist on seeing the animals handled, haltered, led, ridden, and milked, as applicable. If the seller is able to manage the animals only with well-trained stock dogs, then how are you going to manage them? Do not let the seller’s position as president of the breed association cause you to believe he or she would not mislead you or omit information in order to make a sale. Sadly, I have found this out the hard way; “Buyer beware” should be your watch words as you purchase livestock.
The Importance of Fat
As discussed in Chapter 5, one commonly overlooked component of a survival diet is the importance of consuming fat for nutritional and digestive balance. Raising livestock is a great way to provide not only protein but also fats for your diet. Hunting game as a source of fats isn’t much of an option unless you live in bear, beaver, wild pig, or emu country. Most other wild game lacks sufficient fat. Rabbit meat is particularly low in fat. Venison by itself has quite a low fat content. Here are some of the best livestock for fats:
PIGS
A few home-raised pigs will provide your family with both meat and a source of fat. In fact, you will probably have so much that you’ll have extra available for charity or barter.
EMUS
For those readers who avoid pork, I’d recommend raising sheep or emus. Emu oil is amazing stuff. Anyone who has ever butchered an emu can tell you that there is a tremendous amount of oil stored in an adult bird.
FISH
Fish raised in ponds are another possibility. Anyone thinking of taking up aquaculture should consider raising at least one particularly oily species, such as shad, just as a source of fish oil.
COWS
If you have the room to keep one or more cow, you will have a huge source of butterfat (again, so much that you’ll have extra available for charity or barter).
GOATS
If cattle are too large for you to handle, or if you live in an area with CC&Rs that restrict them, then you might be able to raise dairy goats. They are quite easy to handle (but sometimes a challenge to fence), and they do a great job of clearing brush. While goat meat itself doesn’t have a lot of fat, it is possible, though difficult, to make butter from most goat milk. American Nubians have some of the highest-butterfat