| Is Covid just the beginning? 11:30 - Jul 3 with 1449 views | Catullus |
What are we seeing across the world? Is Covid a one off or just the start of our problems. There has been a new virus dscovered in pigs that may mutate and be transferable to humans and now this in Botswana,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-53273361
They worry it could be neurolgical and capable of being transferable in the future. That's before we get into the disaster this is for the elephant population. |  |
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| Is Covid just the beginning? on 11:33 - Jul 3 with 1445 views | A_Fans_Dad |
No, it is not the beginning, it has been going on for millions of years and will continue to do so.
What we don't need is anyone giving nature a helping hand. | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 11:41 - Jul 3 with 1435 views | Professor |
AFD is right on this. As long as we have recorded history there have been plagues on humans, other animals and plants. They come, we adapt and/or control them. Pathogens are constantly evolving and new threats are always with us. Our activity has a major influence on emergence. There are countless examples from HIV, to Ebola, to Nippah Virus, Mareks Disease even to Salmonella in eggs where our practices have led to a new disease or new form of disease. Antimicrobial resistance is the real worry for me. | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 12:37 - Jul 3 with 1382 views | Joe_bradshaw |
It seems to me that the desire for the cheapest possible food has resulted in very poor animal husbandry around the world including the UK.
Almost all the food scares are about meat or eggs. Vegetarianism is looking more and more attractive these days. If you can afford it and value your health source your meat carefully. |  |
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| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:15 - Jul 3 with 1354 views | Professor |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 12:37 - Jul 3 by Joe_bradshaw |
It seems to me that the desire for the cheapest possible food has resulted in very poor animal husbandry around the world including the UK.
Almost all the food scares are about meat or eggs. Vegetarianism is looking more and more attractive these days. If you can afford it and value your health source your meat carefully. |
Well we could go to US standards. We are better than most, but could easily do more for a small financial increase | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:18 - Jul 3 with 1351 views | Kerouac |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 12:37 - Jul 3 by Joe_bradshaw |
It seems to me that the desire for the cheapest possible food has resulted in very poor animal husbandry around the world including the UK.
Almost all the food scares are about meat or eggs. Vegetarianism is looking more and more attractive these days. If you can afford it and value your health source your meat carefully. |
The UK has some of the highest standards in the World. |  |
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| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:33 - Jul 3 with 1340 views | Joe_bradshaw |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:18 - Jul 3 by Kerouac |
The UK has some of the highest standards in the World. |
Far from perfect as numerous health scares have showed. Complacency is not a good characteristic. | |
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| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:40 - Jul 3 with 1335 views | Scotia |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 12:37 - Jul 3 by Joe_bradshaw |
It seems to me that the desire for the cheapest possible food has resulted in very poor animal husbandry around the world including the UK.
Almost all the food scares are about meat or eggs. Vegetarianism is looking more and more attractive these days. If you can afford it and value your health source your meat carefully. |
That is absolutley the case - although our standards may be better than a lot of the world we could do a lot to improve them.
A lot of my work at the moment is around so called "free range" poultry units, which in reality are anything but free range. I now only eat eggs from farms I know operate to a good standard of animal welfare.
Wherever possible I try to only eat meat and fish from sustainable sources too, it is a bit more expensive but worth it. | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:48 - Jul 3 with 1328 views | Joe_bradshaw |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:15 - Jul 3 by Professor |
Well we could go to US standards. We are better than most, but could easily do more for a small financial increase |
It's looking likely that the government will be importing US standards as part of a trade deal. Of course, it's consumer choice when we buy our produce but for many people the price is all that matters. Should it be the government's duty to protect its citizens from poor standards or is it up to the consumer to do its homework? | |
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| Is Covid just the beginning? on 14:04 - Jul 3 with 1304 views | controversial_jack |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:48 - Jul 3 by Joe_bradshaw |
It's looking likely that the government will be importing US standards as part of a trade deal. Of course, it's consumer choice when we buy our produce but for many people the price is all that matters. Should it be the government's duty to protect its citizens from poor standards or is it up to the consumer to do its homework? |
I can't remember the last time i bought any US produce, and long will it continue | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 14:09 - Jul 3 with 1297 views | Professor |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:40 - Jul 3 by Scotia |
That is absolutley the case - although our standards may be better than a lot of the world we could do a lot to improve them.
A lot of my work at the moment is around so called "free range" poultry units, which in reality are anything but free range. I now only eat eggs from farms I know operate to a good standard of animal welfare.
Wherever possible I try to only eat meat and fish from sustainable sources too, it is a bit more expensive but worth it. |
which is great if you can afford to do this. 'Free Range' is somehow mistaken as a mark of some hidden quality.
What do you do to be involved with the free rangers? | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 14:51 - Jul 3 with 1260 views | Professor |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 13:18 - Jul 3 by Kerouac |
The UK has some of the highest standards in the World. |
This is correct. Japan and perhaps Fennoscandanavian countries are higher. UK, Germany and Netherlands pretty much on a par. Rest of EU is a little lower. US is appalling for a developed country | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 14:58 - Jul 3 with 1258 views | Scotia |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 14:09 - Jul 3 by Professor |
which is great if you can afford to do this. 'Free Range' is somehow mistaken as a mark of some hidden quality.
What do you do to be involved with the free rangers? |
Absolutely it is expensive. I don't want to sound like a hipster as I'm anything but, but I'm practically a flexitarian now and only eat meat and fish occasionally. The Mrs is a vegetarian so it's not too hard.
I advise on environmental impacts of development - and as I'm sure you can imagine 10's of thousands hens in a relatively small area have a pretty significant impact. | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 15:02 - Jul 3 with 1252 views | Professor |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 14:58 - Jul 3 by Scotia |
Absolutely it is expensive. I don't want to sound like a hipster as I'm anything but, but I'm practically a flexitarian now and only eat meat and fish occasionally. The Mrs is a vegetarian so it's not too hard.
I advise on environmental impacts of development - and as I'm sure you can imagine 10's of thousands hens in a relatively small area have a pretty significant impact. |
I don't need to imagine-been on a few farms.
Do you get much call on broilers-although housed the impact of 100k bird plus farms must be substantial? | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 15:28 - Jul 3 with 1234 views | Scotia |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 15:02 - Jul 3 by Professor |
I don't need to imagine-been on a few farms.
Do you get much call on broilers-although housed the impact of 100k bird plus farms must be substantial? |
Yes I do. Egg and broiler units are everywhere in Mid Wales at the moment - and expanding both North and South.
Broiler units do have a more significant impact than egg units but they tend to be more tightly regulated. The major impact is to air quality, as they fatten the birds up very quickly for the table and have a high turnover of flock. The more they are fed the more manure they produce and therefore the more atmospheric ammonia. They also tend to be far larger, as you say, often 100k birds whereas many free range egg units are no larger than 35K to avoid more stringent regulation.
Horrible places. | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 16:40 - Jul 3 with 1199 views | Professor |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 15:28 - Jul 3 by Scotia |
Yes I do. Egg and broiler units are everywhere in Mid Wales at the moment - and expanding both North and South.
Broiler units do have a more significant impact than egg units but they tend to be more tightly regulated. The major impact is to air quality, as they fatten the birds up very quickly for the table and have a high turnover of flock. The more they are fed the more manure they produce and therefore the more atmospheric ammonia. They also tend to be far larger, as you say, often 100k birds whereas many free range egg units are no larger than 35K to avoid more stringent regulation.
Horrible places. |
Not been to a processing plant then!
Now that's horrible.
If you want any information on poultry disease or gut health just message
We also have a free android app (really meant for developing countries) with some disease basics
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.ac.liverpool.pocketguideforpoul | | | |
| Is Covid just the beginning? on 20:51 - Jul 3 with 1123 views | Scotia |
Cheers. I'll definitely download the app.
One of the biggest issues at the moment is trying to establish how often the birds actually get outside. From a welfare point of view the farmers try to say they spend hours outside each day, but that obvs means more manure over the ranging area , which contradicts what they would claim as ammonia emissions.
I used to have to go to an abattoir in Llanybydder. I didn't see the business end but it was horrible. Also went to a pet food factory in Llangadog and made the mistake of looking in an industrial bin, I'll never forget what I saw. | | | |
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