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Where Our Farm Animals Come From

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Most domesticated animals, such as dogs, cattle, horses, sheep, etc., are quite unlike their wild forebears. But in the last few centuries, there are notable exceptions that include animals recently “farmed,” such as catfish and even alligators which are now raised for their leather with little or no thought to directing their breeding to make them more docile.

We also breed some animals, such as the California condor, expressly to return them to the wild. And as long as 400 years ago, there were attempts to preserve, in their native states, species of wild cattle and horses from which today’s domesticated stocks are descended. Unfortunately, these attempts failed.

Otherwise, consciously or unconsciously, humans have directed the evolution of animals and plants they have domesticated in ways that have made them considerably different from their wild kin.

Animals were probably first bred to ensure their future offspring were more docile, less apt to roam off, and more productive. For example, sheep with the most desirable wool or the meatier bodies were bred to ensure future generations would be similar.

 

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What's sad, at least to me, is the amount of species we developed over the centuries that were hardy and healthy. Then suddenly they fell to the wayside in the push for faster production and higher demand. 

Turkeys are a good example. A large percentage, hell, probably all you see sold in stores are those white monstrosities bred to grow freakishly fast and large. So much that they require artificial insemination to breed them. Not to mention how susceptible they are to disease. Meanwhile, there's heritage varieties that can get the job done on their own when it comes to reproduction and are resistant to many illnesses. But they grow at a slower rate, so they fell out of favor. 

If you want to see how many endangered species of livestock there are, I recommend a visit to The Livestock Conservancy website. Some of those animals are absolutely gorgeous. 

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Enjoyed this post! I was amazed to see that several of the chicken breeds I raised in my flock as a teen are either threatened or recovering. Sad to learn what's happened to alot of the traditional breeds of many livestock, not just chickens, but glad that those chicken breeds are recovering. My dad had an old book on chicken breeds and care thereof from his 4-H days as a teen in NJ and he won judging contests at the local fair, netting a trip to the Boston chicken show in the latter 1940s. Sadly, the book has been lost over the years.

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