Alternative Animal Agriculture

Production
animals other than those traditionally raised usually in small scale and provides a product for a specialty market

Production
Some producers may supplement their traditional operation with alternative animals. Many specialty animal producers use the enterprise as a hobby or a part time

Rabbit Production
have been raised for food for hundreds of years. Romans produced rabbits as far back as 250 BC and used rabbit meat as a substantial part of their diet.

Rabbit Production
the Phoenicians were great sailors who did a great deal of trading They were given credit for introducing domesticated rabbits as far back as 1100 BC.

US Rabbit Production
rabbits were brought into the country around 1900 and were produced in large rabbitries in California. Since that early beginning, the industry has grown all across the country.

Rabbit Production
produced by small, part-time growers. Several large commercial operations in the US

Rabbit Production
experts estimate that between 7 and 10 million rabbits are produced each year Americans consume 10 - 13 million pounds of rabbit meat each year

Rabbit Production
some rabbit meat consumed in the US is imported from Europe France is the largest rabbit producer Rabbit production is larger in Europe

Rabbit Production
American Rabbit Breeders Assn (ARBA) registers and promotes all breeds of purebred rabbits grown in this country.

Rabbit Production
can be raised under almost any climatic condition. Facilities take up little space raised indoors in cages called hutches

Rabbit Production
usually heated in the winter and cooled in the summer to provide comfort for the animals in milder climates, the rabbit house may be insulated and not need to be heated or cooled

Rabbit Production
rabbits gain weight on relatively small amounts of feed feed efficiency for rabbits is 2.5:1 for every 2.5 pounds of feed the

Rabbit Production
rabbits can also be fed lower quality feed than some other animals demand for rabbit meat is much greater than the supply many restaurants offer dishes

Rabbit Production
USDA points out that rabbit meat is one of the most nutritious meats available high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol easily digestible and flavorful

Rabbit Production
also used as a source of fur used by scientists in research ranging from medical to product testing popular as pets

Rabbit Production
very prolific produce young 30 days after breeding raise 4 to 5 litters per year litters consist of up to 8 per litter

Rabbit Production
some breeds reach sexual maturity at five months of age

Rabbit Production
in 1859 sailors released a pair (2) of wild European rabbits in Australia In 30 years, over 20,000,000 rabbits inhabited the country

Rabbit Production
rabbits became a serious pest in both Australia and New Zealand they have no natural predators in these countries

Rabbit Production
extreme measures have been taken to control the wild rabbit population rabbits are slaughtered for meat at 8 weeks of age

Rabbit Production
offer great potential for developing countries that have ample roughage to feed animals but are short on grain can produce much needed protein on relatively inexpensive feed.

Rabbit Production
US has potential to develop the rabbit meat market consumers have trouble eating something cute and cuddly.

Llama production
native to South America belong to the same family as camels in Chile, Peru and Bolivia were raised by the ancient Incas for work animals

Llama production
well adapted to the cool, thin mountain air of the Andes mountains can adapt to most climatic conditions

Llama production
have developed into an animal industry in the US over the past 15 years estimated that there are about 20,000 llamas in the US and the number is growing

Llama production
llamas stand three to four feet high at the shoulders weigh between 250 and 400 pounds when mature can carry heavy packs for long distances

Llama production
can go longer than many animals without water can survive on low quality forage two types of fibers in their coats - long guard hairs

Llama production
short fibers that keep the animal warm fiber length may range from 310 inches

Llama production
used as pack animals in the western US for camping and hunting trips into the mountains hair is made into rope

Llama production
Alpaca - close relative to the llama is desired for its high quality wool which is made into rugs and blankets

Fish Bait Production

earthworms are grown in beds that have been built up by loose porous materials include shredded paper, shredded cardboard, garden compost, grass clippings

Fish Bait Production

straw, well decayed manure the pH of the bedding is closely monitored and kept slightly acidic ( pH 6.8)

Fish Bait Production

beds are kept moist lights are used to prevent the worms from crawling out of the beds worms are sensitive to light and only come out at night

Fish Bait Production

if the worms sense light they will stay in the bottom of the bed worms are fed vegetable scraps and cornmeal

Fish Bait Production

worms mature at about two months of age packed and marketed with about 100 worms or 25 night crawlers per container

Fish Bait Production

earthworms are also sold to gardeners because they help improve the soil create pores in the soil to improve air and water movement

Fish Bait Production

also produce castings (manure) which helps enrich the soil

Crickets
raised in wooden boxes floors are covered with sand in which the adults lay their eggs sand is covered with fine wood shavings or other shredded material

Crickets
heat lamps are used to warm the sand until the eggs hatch crickets are caged and shipped to bait outlets where they are sold to fishermen

Ostrich Production
ostriches are the largest existing bird in the world. Mature males may stand as tall as nine feet and weigh as much as 330lbs. The sheer size of the bird makes them valuable for meat, feathers and leather.

Ostrich Production
the leather is of exceptional quality in that it is very soft, durable texture. The plumage of the male is quite attractive and is used in decorating and clothing.

Ostrich Production
eggs are currently too valuable to use for any purpose other than brooding the potential exists for eggs to be used as a food source. One egg equals the content of

Ostrich Production
raised to a limited extent in the U.S. Because of their low numbers, they are quite expensive to buy. Allows people to make a good profit by selling young ostriches to people to raise

Ostrich Production
the birds have to be kept within a high fence and require protection from cold weather. Sand must be provided for the females to build their nests and lay their eggs.

Ostrich Production
the adults are hardy and resistant to disease, but the chicks are susceptible and are therefore watched under close supervision.

Ostrich Production
one drawback to raising ostriches is that the animal can be quite dangerous. They defend themselves by flailing their legs and kicking.

Ostrich Production
their toenails are sharp and can severely injure or even kill a person they attack. Extreme caution has to be taken in the daily feeding and care of the birds.

Laboratory Animal Prod.

Lab animals are used by scientists for conducting experiments for things such as: food, medicines, and cosmetics considerable controversy over the use of animals for experimentation

Laboratory Animal Prod.

No one can deny the benefits that humans have brought about through animal research animals are raised under strict conditions

Laboratory Animal Prod.

The animals have no genetic defects harbor no disease organisms tainted animals would cause a well designed experiment to have skewed results

Honey bees
classified as an insect because of insect like characteristics also classified as an important agricultural animal

Honey bees
many crops would not survive without the help from bees most ag animals rely on bees to pollinate the plants that they eat

Honey bees
bees assist pollination by scattering pollen from one plant to the next as they gather nectar and pollen most insects work on flowers and go from one type of flower to another

Honey bees
bees work a particular kind of flower for a period of time this process ensures that blossoms are thoroughly pollinated

Honey bees
fruit growers hire beekeepers to bring in truckloads of bees in the spring when the trees are blooming bees are kept in wooden boxes called hives

Honey bees
each hive is a separate colony of bees beekeepers can move the hives around to different orchards for a small fee.

Honey bees
in addition, the beekeeper harvests hundreds of pounds of honey each year bees produce and store honey for food during the winter honey is made from nectar the

Honey bees
different flowers produce different nectar makes different colors and flavors of honey bees store honey in six sided cells joined together to create

Honey bees
the cells are made from wax the bees produce beekeepers help bees get started by placing foundations comb frames on which they build the rest of the comb

Honey bees
the frames are hung into boxes called supers beekeeper needs to keep enough space between the supers so the bees dont fuse them together

Honey bees
this is usually about 3/8 inch enough space for two bees to work back to back

Honey bees
beekeeper must pry the supers apart in order to remove them bees fuse them together with propoils - a sticky substance from tree sap

Honey bees
honey is harvested by extracting it from the cells without damaging them empty frames are put back into the super the super is put back into the

Honey bees
bees fill the frames again harvested honey is processed, packaged and sold

Types of bees
within a colony there are three types of bees queen drones workers

Queen
exists to lay eggs for the hive she lays thousands of eggs in her lifetime other bees feed and care for her

Queen
she is recognized as queen because she is larger and slender kept in the lower part of the hive called the brood chamber

Queen
entrances are large enough for the workers to pass through but too small for the queen to pass through prevents the queen from laying eggs in the comb - honey

Queen
lays eggs in larger cells called brood cells eggs hatch into larvae and are fed by the worker bees larvae develop into pupae and then into adults

Drones
are male bees whose specific purpose is to mate with the queen when the new queen emerges she goes on a maiden flight during the flight she mates with

Drones
drones are then removed from the hive by worker bees are not allowed to winter in the hive in spring, new drones will hatch

Workers
sterile females some collect nectar and pollen some care for the queen some scout the area for pollen some serve as guard bees at the service entrance

Workers
serve short six week lives so continual reproducing is done by the queen and drones

Queen
can be produced commercially in small hives called nukes

New Queens
when a hive becomes crowded bees produce a special large cell called a queen cell larva in this cell is fed a special substance called royal jelly

New Queens
when the new queen emerges the old queen will leave with a portion of the bees called a swarm and form a new colony

Africanized bees
nicknamed the killer bee aggressive nature scientists from Brazil imported the killer bee to cross with regular bees

Africanized bees
the idea was to produce a hybrid of honey bee that would be more productive will invade a bee colony kill the queen and replace her with their own queen

Africanized bees
her eggs will hatch into African bees adapted to tropical climates do not thrive in temperate climates