when you think of chicken farms you probably think of chickens crammed in cages no bigger
than an A4 sheet of paper according to the food and agricultural organization in 2023 34.4 billion
chickens were raised globally most of the chickens are forced to lay eggs up to 300 per year in these
harsh conditions a world where chickens roam freely living in harmony with nature may seem
like a utopian fantasy but it's a reality in parts of China in yangshun guangong Province
mountainous regions a unique method of raising chickens has been in operation for many years
among the various Freer range breeds thriving in yangshun the yangshun chicken is renowned as one
of W Dong's eight finest breeds yangshun chickens are muscular and easily distinguishable by their
distinctive plumage featuring a blend of three shades of yellow thanks to their organic corn
diet they reach maturity after 4 to 5 months of roaming the hills and usually weigh in around 2
and 1/2 to 3 Kg apart from Yun chickens other chicken breeds capable of living of altitudes
from 800 to 1500 m above sea level are also raised in these high hills and mountains the
stark contrast between free range and C chicken farming lies in the bird's living conditions free
range chickens spend their lives roaming open Hills basking in the Sun and foraging for food
a natural existence that promotes their physical and mental wellbeing however they don't produce
many eggs usually only around 100 to 120 eggs a year and they are also smaller in size weighing
around 40 to 45 G each but all of their eggs are tastier and have a higher level of omega-3
fatty acids vitamins and minerals the more active chickens also produce a more flavorful and ferment
meat that turns bright yellow when [Music] cooked the Journey of mountain chicken farming begins
with highquality eggs from a reputable Hatchery or breeding Farm the ideal temperature for incubation
is around 99.5 de f with humidity levels ranging from 55 to 70% it takes around 21 days for the the
chicks to hatch in large scale hatching operations such as this one in mingui County hilong Province
China up to 400,000 chicks are hatched yearly you see the demand truly increased because this place
used to only hatch 70,000 chicks just 5 years ago once hatched the chickens are typically
transferred to brw to pens normally located in a windproof and well ventilated sheltered area
before welcoming the newborn chicks Farmers line the pens with 7 to 10 cm of disinfected
chaff or straw in order to revive insulation and warmth the pen measures around 3 square
m and will fit 100 chicks during the first 2 to 3 weeks chicks are unable to regulate the
body temperature effectively so continuous lighting will keep them warm enough to eat
and drink farmers will offer them clean lukewarm water mixed with chick electrolyte supplements and
6 to8 small meals per day the chicks are still very weak so farmers will keep everything clean
wash their troughs twice a day and also give them medicine as prescribed by veterinarians
as chicks grow organic food sources such as greens and forage are also provided in order to get them
used to the food on the mountain on a favorable day the chickens are released onto the hills
early in the morning where they spend almost all of their day Farmers follow and live stream them
to build an online customer base in order to increase sales the Hills where the chicken's
Rome are dotted with trees providing ample shade and opportunity for the birds to perch play and
even catch insects the diet of freerange chickens is as diverse as their surroundings and are fed
Outdoors like this in the summer Farmers hardly feed them because there is so many grasshoppers
around some farmers get creative and encourage their chickens to run more by feeding them behind
a moving car like this studies from our world in data have shown that free range chickens
experience 57 to 70% less pain and suffering compared to their caged counterparts recognizing
the benefits of Freer range practices the EU plans to ban the use of any cage by
2027 to encourage egg laying Farmers construct simple nests using bamboo wood or leaves in the
mountainous regions of tinan in northern China over 50,000 chickens roam across 200 hectares
of Hills laying their eggs in approximately 30 chicken bars built right there on the mountain
tops their bars and sleeping areas are often designed like this to save space and mimic the
mountainous terrain while most chickens prefer to lay their eggs on their nests a few may choose to
lay them under trees or just right here on the ground like this to ensure no eggs are missed
Farmers diligently check the Barns and roaming areas to collect the eggs one by one two times
a day Farmers with around 7,000 chickens can yield up to 9,400 eggs each day despite their
large numbers manual labor remains high in order to provide jobs for the locals in rural areas once
collected the eggs undergo a simple inspection and sorting process to preserve the natural protective
layer on the eggshell they are only lightly cleaned workers carefully place the eggs into
cardboard or plastic trays ensuring that they are well protected during Transportation these trays
are then loaded onto trucks and delivered to local markets and pre-ordered customers large-scale
freerange egg producers often have their own on-site packing facilities capable of packaging
up to 74,000 eggs from all the nearby Farms these fresh highquality eggs are then distributed to the
supermarket and retail outlets where consumers are willing to pay a premium price typically $3 to $4
per dozen cage eggs May cost as little as $125 to $2 per [Music] dozen when weather conditions are
unfavorable such as extreme heat or cold the chickens are brought indoors to ensure their
comfort and well-being is maintained while indoors large barns still provide them with enough room
to stretch their legs perch on platforms and interact with each other a typical free range
chicken Barn can comfortably house around 600 chickens some Farmers prepare fresh feed daily
combining locally grown ingredients from their Hills with feed pellets and of course regular
clean water is a m for these active chickens the location of Freer range Farms is carefully chosen
to minimize the risk of predation however in some cases natural Predators such as Hawks
and foxes May pose a threat to protect their chickens Farmers remove bushes and predators
potential hiding places around the barn they also build sturdy fences and regularly check the
surrounding areas for signs of Predator activity and if predators are caught they will be sold or
eaten the exact weight at Harvest varies depending on the breed but free range chickens typically
weigh between 1.8 and 2.4 kg while lighter than their caged raised counterparts freerange chickens
have more muscle mass and less fat chickens are selectively caught on the hills and transported
to the local slaughter house in large scale operations on this Farm chickens are harvested
in batches and transported to facilities on cool days to minimize stress and heat shock with
a capacity to process up to 15,000 chickens per hour these facilities ensure a smooth and timely
operation chickens are stunned either using gas or electrified water baths to render them unconscious
the chickens are then bled pass through a hot water bath at around 55° C which loosens their
feathers which are then removed using an automated feather removal machine the legs and internal
organs are then removed and packaged separately the carcasses undergo multiple washing stages
to ensure thorough cleaning and sanitation many processing plants offer whole chickens packaged
with their internal organs these whole chickens are typically sold at around $923 per kilog for
those who prefer convenience chickens can also be cut into various parts and packaged in trays
these preut portions offer consumers a quick and easy way to to prepare chicken [Music]
meals black ash cheese humbo fog and yogurt with 11 live probiotics these are all world
famous American goat milk products creamy and easy to digest goat milk has long been
made into many Specialties of this country and although goat meat is twice as expensive
as beef demand for goat meat meat in the US has nearly tripled in just two decades this
is simply because it's delicious but super lowfat compared to other meats in the typical
American diet though the US is the largest importer of goats making a profit from goat
farming here isn't easy many livestock were killed by Coyotes in the past and today their
range is expanding at twice the rate of other carnivore in North America so how do American
farmers solve this problem and how do they raise more than 2.5 million goats to meet this booming
Market if you've ever visited a goat farm you might be impressed by how friendly they are
like little dogs but not all goats are like that male goats or bucks are rather aggressive and
domineering so farmers usually separate them from the herd except in the fall from late
August to early January the goat breeding season female goats or Nannies are pregnant for about 5
months when their pelvic ligaments loosen up Farmers know they are about to go into
active labor with the farmer's dedicated care the newborn baby goats and Mama goat
can finally relax goats have a high twinning rate but according to studies the average mortality
rate for kids is 10 to 18% an antibody Rich colostrum which nanni secretes only in the first
36 hours after birth is an essential nutrient to reduce this rate the risk of death for nannies is
also High a few hours after giving birth Farmers must ensure that the placenta has been delivered
completely otherwise it can cause septicemia meaning blood poisoning and even death after
about 8 weeks of bottle feeding the kids are castrated to prevent inbreeding now they gain
at least about 0.3 lb per day but breast milk can no longer provide enough essential nutrients for
this growth rate so far have to take them out to pasture so that nannies can wean
them unlike in the past modern Dairy goat breeds are crossbreed to produce more milk so their diet
also requires more grains to provide enough energy protein and calcium just like other dairy animals
their milk flavor is what they eat that's why Redwood Hill Farm in California the first US us
goat dairy to be Humane certified grows its own feed for over 300 Dairy goats this has helped
them preserve the delicious milk flavor which is free from antibiotics and harmful hormones
for the past 56 years California has the most goat farms in the United States and so besides
Redwood Hill Farm there is also Cypress Grove Dairy with a herd of up to 14 00 Dairy goats
traditional hand milking is impossible with this large number of goats so they have switched to
a modern milking system called pit parlor the first thing other Farms usually do is disinfect
the goat's UTS with iodine but at this Farm they play jazz music they've tried different
types of music but this is the only type that the goats enjoy and don't startle when they
milked this soft milking tube gently squeezes and releases similar to how baby goats suckle
the milking process only takes a few minutes while they are nibbling on food and may not even realize
they are being milked each year this Farm harvests about 6,000 gallons of goat milk the freshly
harvested milk is then cooled and transported to Cypress Grove's renowned creamy facility over
the past four decades tons of cheese have been produced here and shipped across the country but
humbal fog stands out in the international cheese market as America's first soft ripen
cheese goats were first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent about 11,000 years ago but
it wasn't until the 17th century that they were brought to America by Spanish
and English explorers they are very good at adapting to different terrains and climates
with their browsing habit this means they prefer to eat tall plants over short ones
unlike other livestock therefore traditional American farmers often apply this multi-species
grazing model to both save feed costs and improve the quality of the pasture
today it is still practiced by many large and long-standing Farms such as white oak
pasture in Georgia with a large herd like this farmers have to rotate pastures every
3 days because they eat so quickly this also helps reduce the risk of worm infestation in
goats but this Freedom also comes with a major risk coyote ities you know goats have very good
eyesight so they can go outside at night on their own but this is also when coyotes go hunting they
often Target kids or even lone adult goats separated from the herd hence adequate fencing
is always the first thing us Farmers carefully install when raising goats but as the number of
goats killed by Coyotes decreases the goats themselves become the troublemakers they are
intelligent animals and constantly learn how to break fences and escape from pens to stop them
many US Farmers have started using electric fencing this will give the goats a mild shock
only from 4.5 to 9 Vols which serves more as a psychological deterent than physical harm
while this may increase the electricity bill solar panels have helped reduce costs on large
https://youtu.be/lFuymrZxUsc?si=ZXmmj4MOZgfeYWjr
Farms aiming for sustainability besides daily work Farmers also have to do many other jobs
on the farm to ensure the best development of the goat herd such as building shelters from the rain
and cold so they don't get sick trim their Hooves regularly so they don't get sore feet or hoof rot
but that's not all us go goat Farmers still have to do a rather controversial job which is hunting
coyotes and more than 67 coyotes can be found in one night on this Farm in 2015 83,000 goats died
under the sharp teeth and lightning fast reflexes of coyotes this number accounts for a whopping 65%
of the total goats that died that year according to National Geographic the US kills over 476,000
coyotes each year but still can't control their numbers this animal is thriving in 49 out of
50 states and also gradually heading toward the Western us so in addition to hunting guard dogs
such as Anatolian Shepherds or great purries are also professionally trained by Farmers to
protect the farm they do this job very well many farms also keep donkeys and llas because they are
naturally alert know how to defend themselves when in danger and are loyal to the goat herd
these protective measures have ensured that these meat goats grow up healthy when they
are about 8 to 9 months old and weigh 60 to 80 lb they will be sent to a Humane slaughter house
here they are stunned and quickly bled to minimize stress some processing plants may use
scolding and dehairing methods to improve carcass hygiene after removing organs and cleaning the
carcasses are graded and inspected based on fat and muscle content then they are chilled
to prevent bacterial growth finally they can be cut into pieces packaged and distributed to the
market and consumers in 2022 the US exported $1.47 million of goat meat and imported $128
million mainly from Australia therefore there is still a great demand for goat meat in the
country and that's how the goat farming industry in the US has developed sustainably over the years
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