Ask Poppy George

Article Tools

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

"Poppy George" Plitt ,graduated from college with a degree in agriculture in 1932. During the years that followed he made a good many friends and a name for himself (as a gentleman, inventor, and executive) in the field of bird and animal husbandry and care. At various points in his career, Mr. Plitt served as Director of Nutritional Research and Field Services for two of the East's larger grain mills. He is also the originator of Pride of the Valley Wild Bird Food and Kleen Kitty cat litter. Mr. Plitt now raises and trains standard bred horses and keeps a wide variety of other birds and animals on a New York farm.

"Poppy George" is now sharing his experience by giving MOTHER's readers down-to-earth advice on the care and feeding of homestead livestock. Questions should be mailed to Mr. George Plitt, Happiness Hills Farms, RD 3, Addison, N. Y. 14801.

 QUESTION: Poppy George, I've been reading about a breed of cattle called "beefalo" . . . a cross between a buffalo and a regular beef-breed female. Do you feel that these animals have potential enough to warrant an investment on my part, in spite of their expense?

 ANSWER: "Beefalo"-or "cattalo", as they're sometimes called-result from the crossing of a buffalo (bison) bull with females of domestic beef cattle breeds. In my opinion, the only advantage of this hybridization is that the offspring have a high degree of tolerance to cold and are well suited to northern climates.

On the other hand, cattalo have several drawbacks: [11 The hybrid is less efficient-per pound of gain-than a straight beef breed in utilizing digestible nutrients. [21 As the proportion of buffalo blood increases with each cross, the offspring become heavier in the front end of the carcass (from which the lower-priced cuts of meat are obtained). (Although males of the first generation of such a cross are usually sterile, cattalo unlike mules-are able to reproduce.-MOTHER.) [31 One would expect the breeding of bison bulls to domestic cows to result in a higher than normal mortality of calves at birth.

A final caution; If you decide to buy a buffalo bull in spite of these disadvantages, be sure your pasture fences are extra strong.

 QUESTION: I have an excess of goat's milk and would like to sell it for human baby formula. Can you tell me how this food compares to cow's milk?

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print