The Types of Livestock Suitable For Beginner Farmers

A number of people who live in the city make a decision to leave the city life that they grew up knowing and move to the country side to start a new chapter of their lives as agriculture or livestock farmers.

Living in the country side is not as bad as some people would think. Obvious the conditions you will be living in will be different from the ones you are used to, but with time you will begin to get used to this way of living which is very refreshing because you living far away from the busy city life.

When moving to the country side you will have to get some large land especially if you want to raise various types of livestock. The land has to be fertile and have some reliable source of water. Raising livestock requires green land because livestock that is raise on green pasture is healthier than livestock raised on factory produced feed. The produce too tastes a lot better and sells for a higher price on the markets.

Raising livestock requires you to be dedicated and have time to look after your livestock. They need you to care for them by feeding and giving them enough clean water every day. You also have to build them some shelter and have a veterinarian to come check on them every once in a while.

As a beginner livestock farmer you may not know what type of livestock you can raise on your farm. Some type of livestock requires more care than others and may not be suitable for beginner farmers. But there’s no need to worry about that because below you are going to get guidelines on the type of livestock you can start raising as a beginner and how to raise them the healthy way.

Raise Chickens:

Chickens are the first type of livestock suitable for the beginner farmer, they are easy to manage, eat less food and can be slaughtered easily than most livestock. These birds can be raised to feed your family with fresh eggs and meat. But you can also raise them to sell to the ever growing market demand.

Raising chickens requires you to check on them on daily bases since you have to feed and give them clean water. They should be provided with nourishing corn and healthy organic chicken fed bought from your local farmer’s store.

One wonderful things about chickens is that they can even eat your left over’s and pests found in your garden. And as they are busy in your garden their ‘waste’ which is rich is good for fertilizing your garden or lawn.

Proper housing is also very important for your chickens. A chicken coop will offer some shelter for the birds when the temperatures are too cold or hot. It will also protect your birds from predators such as hawks, cats and dogs that can harm them. The coop should be large enough to accommodate all of your chickens. The chickens should be able to rest and lay their eggs without over crowding each other.

The inside of the chicken coop should be kept clean so to discourage the development of germs that can infect your birds. To do this you can sweep and mop the floor at list once a week, the chicken manure can be put as a heap on the side of the coop to be used as compost for your garden or lawn. And at list twice a year the entire coop should be sterilized so that it doesn’t become infested with lice.

Raise Ducks:

Besides raising chickens another type of bird you can raise are ducks. To raise ducks is not done by a lot of farmers and main reason being that they think ducks require a lot to manage than chickens. The matter of fact is ducks can be easily raised just like chickens.

Ducks can be raised for fresh eggs and meat. Their eggs contain more calcium, vitamins and iron than the ones produced by chickens. Duck meat taste great and sells at a higher price than that of chicken. Besides all these benefits they are natural adorable creatures that will be of interest to your kids.

When raising ducks you have to first make up your mind on what type of breed you want, the type you choose will be determined by your reason to raising the ducks. There are ducks that are great for egg production such as the Peking Duck. On the other hand ducks that are good for meat production are the Khaki Campbell Duck. If you thinking of simply raising them as pets then you will want to raise the Call Duck,

Ducks just like chickens consume less food than most livestock. They can be feed crumbles, pellets and non medicated duck mash. To supplement these foods you can give them vegetable greens and allow them to graze the field to eat insects, snails and worms which contain lots of nutrients. And since they have no teeth to chew the food they need enough clean water to wash the food down so make it a point to supply them with fresh water.

Shelter has to be built to house these birds. Duck shelter does not have to be fancy as a chicken coop but it should provide the same benefits such as cover from extreme weather and protection from predators. The floor of the housing should be kept dry and to do this it can be made from bamboo sticks so that the wetness can be absorbed by the bamboo. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a near by pond so the ducks can swim to enjoy and cool themselves down.

Raise Rabbits:

Another type of livestock that is suitable for a beginner farmer is rabbits. This type of livestock is easy to feed, easy to clean and breed. Some farmers think that raising this animal is tricky when in actual fact its not and can easily be done by even a beginner farmer.

Raising rabbits is quiet different from raising chickens or ducks. Rabbits eat different type of food and behave in a different way, the only thing related is that they don’t require lots of land to raise. Since they are quiet animals it’s essential that a farmer knows how to read their body language to tell if they are happy or sick. Get to know how they behave when they are sick so you can attend them and give them the right treatment.

You should also feed your bunny everyday with nutritious food that can be bought from your livestock store. The feed sold from stores usually has a lot of the nutrients needed for a healthy rabbit so there’s no need to worry about feeding them a well balanced diet. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feed them some fresh green vegetables and fruits. One vegetable we all know is liked by rabbits is carrots, so make sure you have them in your menu.

Housing rabbits doesn’t require lots of land. To house rabbits you should build or buy several hutches with each rabbit occupying a single hutch. The hutch should be large enough to allow the bunny to hop around and be warm at night or winter. If the hutch is located in a well fenced area you can make some opening for the bunny to go through and play outside.

As you see becoming a livestock farmer can be easily done even if you’ve grown up in the city and are new to country living. You just have to know which type of livestock you can raise which won’t be difficult to manage. The three types of livestock discussed above can get you started in becoming a successful livestock farmer even as a complete beginner.

A Still Functioning Market Town – Guisborough

Guisborough is found in North Yorkshire and is a market town. Some researchers think that the town’s history may go as far back as the Roman occupation as there may have been military fortifications here. Some Roman artifacts have been found in the area that would support this theory. However there is not much else for proof.

Gisborough Priory was built in 1119 by Robert the Bruce. Much of the priory was destroyed when the monasteries were suppressed. Many of its stones were used to build other buildings in town, one being the Saint Nicholas Anglican church. You can still see the ruins of the east end and this is a landmark for the town.

The town was quite prosperous during the industrial revolution as it was very close to the ironstone mines. There were some major development that occurred and when the town expanded in the 1960s the two main industries were steel and chemical. Today Guisborough is considered a commuter town for Middlesborough.

The market still takes place very Saturday and Thursday. This has been the main focal point of much of the surrounding villages. It was mainly a livestock market though today you can find flowers, vegetables, fruit and clothes. The market takes place near the main shopping street of Westgate.

Just outside of town is the Guisborough forest and walkway. This walkway follows the old railway line. There are many lovely views of Roseberry Topping and is the gateway to the North York Moors Park. There is also an obelisk that can be seen which is a monument to Captain Cook.

Roseberry Topping is a particularly hill. The summit has a jagged cliff off of a half cone. After climbing to the summit you can see some spectacular views on a clear day. You may even be able to see as far as the Yorkshire Dales and Teeside.

Wholesale Markets of the World

A wholesale market is a market where goods are sold in large quantities to a retailer who will then resale them to customers.

There are many different types of wholesale markets, selling a range of items, from food such as fruit vegetables meat and fish, to books, fabrics and flowers.

Around the world some wholesale markets have become popular because of the quantities of products that they sell the quality of the goods they sell or just their historical context, which many wholesale markets are famous for.

Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo’s fish market in metropolitan Tokyo is the largest fish market in the world with over 900 wholesalers operating within the market. The inner market is where the auctions take place and is the licensed wholesale area. The outer market houses more wholesale stalls alongside retail outlets and restaurants, particularly sushi restaurants.

The market which operates daily from 3am and opens at 5am, is a popular Tokyo tourist attraction.

It deals in 2000 tons of every type of fish and seafood imaginable every day, except Sundays; and a particular favourite spectacle is the unloading of tons of frozen tuna, straight from the trawlers.

Wholesale Fabric Market, New York, USA

More of an area within the city than a market, but essentially acting on the same principle as a wholesale market, is New York’s Garment District in midtown Manhattan. This where major US fashion labels operate, designing, making and producing clothing, then wholesaling clothes and materials to industry retailers.

Biannual New York fashion week in September and February brings millions of dollars of revenue to the fashion markets, and New York itself, and is what keeps this historical district alive.

Smithfield Market, London, UK

Smithfield Market is the last surviving wholesale market in central London and was the city’s main livestock market for nearly 100 years. It is still a wholesale meat market and is housed in a Grade II listed structure designed Sir Thomas Bennett, after the original building by Victorian Architect Sir Horace Jones was destroyed by fire in the 1950’s.

The purpose of the market is strictly business with its aim to provide fresh meat to the butchers, restaurants and shops of central London for the coming day.

It starts business at 4am and is usually closed by noon, although the area has become popular as a nightlife destination in recent years so is busy 24 hours a day.

The Bloemenmarkt, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The canals of Amsterdam are home to a very unusual market called The Bloemenmarkt. The Bloemenmarkt retails wholesale and non-wholesale goods, and it is the world’s only floating flower market. There are numerous stalls selling fresh flowers, plants and gardening goods, and as it is now a major tourist attraction, it also has the usual souvenir shops and stalls.

It was founded in 1862, and is located on Singel canal between Muntplein and Koningsplein in the city’s southern canal belt.