Some scary stuff right here!!

[grumpy]

With all of the difficulties over my feed issues, I've been doing some research.

I found this quote on a site::::::::and it's spooky.

When I wrote this page several years ago, GMO alfalfa was still just a glint in Monsanto's eye. The use of GMO alfalfa was deregulated in the USA in 2011. I strongly recommend you avoid it at all costs - dozens of countries around the globe now refuse to import GMO alfalfa because its use results in reproductive disorders and cancers, and failure to thrive or reproduce in some species.

Where???? and When???? will this all end???? AND what guarantees do we
have that it's not already been incorporated into our rabbit feeds?

I believe our "food-chain" is in danger with all of this nonsense going on.
We can ask one question, "WHY?"
The answer's relatively simple: Big Corporate Money.

grumpy. Off my soap-box now.

 

[Schipperkesue]

Would this be the same product as "Roundup Ready" alfalfa, a crop immune to the effects of Roundup so it can be sprayed for weeds?

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

It is scary.. but it is there and it will not get any better either.. there is so many stuff going GMO... and a lot of our own food is the same. I really watch what I eat ..so I have a garden , raise most of my own meat ..so the animals are in the same vote. Soy shouldn't be feed to animals ..90% of the corn is all GMO. You cant get away from it.

 

[Homer]

Would this be the same product as "Roundup Ready" alfalfa, a crop immune to the effects of Roundup so it can be sprayed for weeds?

Yes it is, Genetically Modified Organism. Corn and Soy are the biggest in this group. IMHO it's a good reason not to feed our rabbits (or any other animal) feeds with corn/soy fillers.

 

[Zass]

So...where to buy non-GMO alfalfa? I'm sure it's in all our pellets.

I'd REALLY love an affordable organic feed company, but backwoods PA...not likely.

I'm thinking I'll eventually have to make my own mix.

 

[Miss M]

This is why I plan to try growing fodder soon, and sure hope I can do it right!

Of course, if the oats I'd be using are GMO, too...

 

[grumpy]

This is why I plan to try growing fodder soon, and sure hope I can do it right!

Of course, if the oats I'd be using are GMO, too...

This is the avenue I'm investigating deeply. I've been reading any and
everything I can get my hands on. Of course, I've read the thread on R/T
but, I'm looking at everything pro and con, I can find.

I've spent untold hours researching "Fodder-Feeding". And with the events
of the past week, it's only strengthened my resolve to learn the intricacies'
involved with growing it steadily and successfully. Once I turn that corner,
I'll never return to the dependency of someone else's frailties in making a
mistake at my expense.

I well realize the demands of labor in production of this food source. My
intent is to make it as easy and efficient as I possibly can.

grumpy.

 

[katiebear]

Please inform us of your findings,we all trust your judgement.I only have four meat breeders but I want to do what I can to keep them healthy. Here in the desert growing anything but tumble weeds is tough but if I can keep my bunns healthy I'll give it a go.
.Right now I feed Mana Pro/show and Bermuda grass hay,supplement with boss and oats. Our water is a community well,hard but tests good for chemical contamination.So far I have only lost one doe to heat and a kitt to cold.
I feel for you and your losses, I pray that you can get this figured out before long.

 

[Miss M]

I'm pretty sure fodder will work for me only if I grow it inside. It's humid here even in winter, and summers are so hot... I think all I'd grow is mold outside. I've got a spot picked out... just need to get started. Got too many other things going on right now.

I've done a lot of looking into it myself, both on and off RT. If it works, it looks like a good way to save money, as well as hopefully avoid bad pellets and GMO.

My labor would obviously be much less than yours, Grumpy!

 

[ckcs]

I love my country but hate that big business owns it. There is a wealth of information pointing to GMO's being bad and with 26 countries banning (some or all GMO's) I think it needs to be looked into more. Sadly it won't though until the evidence is so overwhelming that Politicians fear the people more than big business. The seeds that produce their own pesticides really spook me. That just can't be good to put in your body.

 

[KKRabbitry]

This is why I plan to try growing fodder soon, and sure hope I can do it right!
Of course, if the oats I'd be using are GMO, too...

Thankfully, Miss M, there are currently no GMO oats approved for use in the U.S.
The only crops in the U.S that are Genetically Modified are corn, soy, squash, zucchini, papaya, alfalfa, canola, cotton, and sugar beets.
But it is a very good reason to start developing an alternative feed source.... that list of crops could grow to include many others. Already would have if Monsanto had it's way.

The worst part, once GMO''s infiltrate a crop they are almost impossible to get away from. 85% of all corn grown in the U.S is now Genetically Modified, and 90% of soybeans.

I've been doing a lot of research on GMO's over the past year. I could tell you all kinds of scary stuff!!!!

Would this be the same product as "Roundup Ready" alfalfa, a crop immune to the effects of Roundup so it can be sprayed for weeds?

Yes, and it makes no sense. Here is the reasoning: "If we spray these plants with roundup, they will DIE. So let's genetically modify them to resist this chemical, so we can spray them with even more roundup, and it won't KILL them." Now we are eating vegetables with so much toxic chemicals on them they should be dead. :x
There is another strain of corn called "BT corn", genetically altered to express a protein from the toxin "Bacillus Thuringienses". So it's basically producing it's own pesticide. If a bug eats it, the bug DIES. If we eat it, well........... :x

Monsanto is not a company to be trusted. They were one of the major companies that concocted and distributed Agent Orange during the Vietnam War! Yikes.
GMOs could be a repeat of that situation.

It is scary.. but it is there and it will not get any better either.. there is so many stuff going GMO... and a lot of our own food is the same. I really watch what I eat ..so I have a garden , raise most of my own meat ..so the animals are in the same vote. Soy shouldn't be feed to animals ..90% of the corn is all GMO. You cant get away from it.

Don't lose hope so quickly. We will probably have to contend with GMO corn/soybeans for a long time since they are already integrated into our food system. But there is a growing retaliation against GMOs, thanks largely to grass-roots consumer awareness campaigns.
Our food system is hanging the balance right now. But consumers are rising up and saying NO, we don't want genetically altered food, we don't want synthetic growth hormones in our milk, (rBGH....yep, Monsanto makes that too), we don't want food drenched in chemicals, we don't want anti-biotic laced meat, etc, etc.
In response there are a growing number of small farmers who are striving to provide GMO-free, natural, organic, food.

The citizen's of America still have a voice, and if we can align the majority in favor or against a certain issue we have a battering ram that can break through even Big Corporate Money, and Big Government.
If that isn't true, that we don't live in a free country.

The good news is when I look around I see a growing number of people who are against GMOs. So there is hope.

Wow, that was kind of a rant, wasn't it?

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

The citizen's of America still have a voice, and if we can align the majority in favor or against a certain issue we have a battering ram that can break through even Big Corporate Money and Big Government.

If that isn't true, then we don't live in a free country.

Sadly, KK, we don't live in a free country. It costs a lot of money to buy politicians.

 

[michaels4gardens]

The citizen's of America still have a voice, and if we can align the majority in favor or against a certain issue we have a battering ram that can break through even Big Corporate Money and Big Government.

If that isn't true, then we don't live in a free country.

Sadly, KK, we don't live in a free country. It costs a lot of money to buy politicians.

that about sums it up-for the US- and if you think you live in a free country, and still have "rights" just read the "patriot act" <br /><br /> -- Sat Apr 05, 2014 6:08 am -- <br /><br />

I love my country but hate that big business owns it. There is a wealth of information pointing to GMO's being bad and with 26 countries banning (some or all GMO's) I think it needs to be looked into more. Sadly it won't though until the evidence is so overwhelming that Politicians fear the people more than big business. The seeds that produce their own pesticides really spook me. That just can't be good to put in your body.

another thing I "fear" about GMO is the fact that it is a cancer that spreds, the wind blows the pollen from the crops down the road, right through our good old varieties, and corrupts them.-- so-- I save my own seed, -- but --I have no idea if I still have non-GMO any more or not -- and the "Farm Advisors" see no problem with this at all. {they say - I am wasting their time}

 

[Schipperkesue]

Even if you choose non GMO grain, there there is no guarantee it will be glyphosate free. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Round Up. It is also used before grain harvests to desiccate the fields evenly and improve the quality of grain as well as to suppress mold that maybe brought on by moist, unripe grain.

 

[michaels4gardens]

Even if you choose non GMO grain, there there is no guarantee it will be glyphosate free. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Round Up. It is also used before grain harvests to desiccate the fields evenly and improve the quality of grain as well as to suppress mold that maybe brought on by moist, unripe grain.

one of the "good things"-- is that now round up is expensive and grain profits are down-- so less people are buying Round-up-- I have even seen more people burning the fields [like it used to be], and more turning the soil in the fall -- I wonder-- is it cheeper to disc or spray round-up??
and-- around here-- people are becoming aware of the negetive aspects of round-up. -- but-- we have no large farmers anymore, if someone has a hundred acres in production, it is now-- "a large farm" most of the ground is pasture or alfalfa, and people are looking for sources for "ranger" [variety] alfalfa seed, as it lasted a lot longer , and was a lot more hardy, then the new GMO varieties.

 

[TwoAcreDream]

American farmers confront 'big data' revolution

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/29/am ... evolution/

Farmers from across the nation gathered in Washington this month for what has become an annual trek to seek action on the most important matters in American agriculture, such as immigration reform and water regulations.

But this time, a new, more shadowy issue also emerged: growing unease about how the largest seed companies are gathering vast amount of data from sensors on tractors, combines and other farm equipment.

 

[michaels4gardens]

With all of the difficulties over my feed issues, I've been doing some research.

I found this quote on a site::::::::and it's spooky.

When I wrote this page several years ago, GMO alfalfa was still just a glint in Monsanto's eye. The use of GMO alfalfa was deregulated in the USA in 2011. I strongly recommend you avoid it at all costs - dozens of countries around the globe now refuse to import GMO alfalfa because its use results in reproductive disorders and cancers, and failure to thrive or reproduce in some species.

Where???? and When???? will this all end???? AND what guarantees do we
have that it's not already been incorporated into our rabbit feeds?

I believe our "food-chain" is in danger with all of this nonsense going on.
We can ask one question, "WHY?"
The answer's relatively simple: Big Corporate Money.

grumpy. Off my soap-box now.

I have read research pappers that report the same effect in people [some species -above-]who work the fields, arround "round-up" type chemicals and round-up ready crops. --but --since they are mostly "migrant labor" the US doesn't much care.

 

[Miss M]

This is why I plan to try growing fodder soon, and sure hope I can do it right!
Of course, if the oats I'd be using are GMO, too...

Thankfully, Miss M, there are currently no GMO oats approved for use in the U.S.
The only crops in the U.S that are Genetically Modified are corn, soy, squash, zucchini, papaya, alfalfa, canola, cotton, and sugar beets.

Glad to hear that about oats! But... zucchini? :shock: GM zucchini? Why?

 

[Comet007]

So...where to buy non-GMO alfalfa? I'm sure it's in all our pellets.

I'd REALLY love an affordable organic feed company, but backwoods PA...not likely.

I'm thinking I'll eventually have to make my own mix.

Check out Modesto Mills in California. I'm really pleased with it, and it has an impressive ingredients list. Their prices if you buy direct (even just one bag) are really low, so even with the cost of shipping it would only cost me $3 more a bag to buy it direct. Fortunately I do have a somewhat local source - though I wonder if the hour or so round trip drive is worth the savings! Anyway, if you're willing to pay for organic pellets, you might be surprised at how little a difference the shipping cost makes. <br /><br /> -- Thu Apr 10, 2014 9:52 pm -- <br /><br />

This is why I plan to try growing fodder soon, and sure hope I can do it right!
Of course, if the oats I'd be using are GMO, too...

Thankfully, Miss M, there are currently no GMO oats approved for use in the U.S.
The only crops in the U.S that are Genetically Modified are corn, soy, squash, zucchini, papaya, alfalfa, canola, cotton, and sugar beets.
But it is a very good reason to start developing an alternative feed source.... that list of crops could grow to include many others. Already would have if Monsanto had it's way.

The worst part, once GMO''s infiltrate a crop they are almost impossible to get away from. 85% of all corn grown in the U.S is now Genetically Modified, and 90% of soybeans.

I've been doing a lot of research on GMO's over the past year. I could tell you all kinds of scary stuff!!!!

Actually, there are over 60 (from this old article) - currently some 85% of all processed foods you buy in stores have some GMO ingredients in them, plus Google about wheat farmers who's crops have been contaminated by GMO pollen, costing the industry hundreds of millions because European countries won't allow importation of GMO products, also, Google about China right now, also looking at banning GMO imports

The following info is from an article that is 8 YEARS old! so I'm not sure what's new since then - from http://www.organicconsumers.org:

GM crops currently on the Market in the United States
More than sixty genetically modified crops have been approved for US food and feed supplies:

Corn (20 varieties)

Oilseed Rape/Canola (11 varieties)

Cotton (11 varieties)

Tomato (6 varieties)

Potato (4 varieties)

Soybean (3 varieties)

Sugar Beet (3 varieties)

Squash (2 varieties)

Cantaloupe

Rice

Flax

Raddicchio

Papaya

Alfalfa

Wheat

At the end of the report they also state that there are several other things in the pipeline, including wheat, plums, salmon
A variety of GM fruits and vegetables are being field-tested, including: apple, banana,
blueberry, carrot, cranberry, eggplant, grape, grapefruit, lettuce, onion, pea, pepper, persimmon,
pineapple, plum, potato, squash, strawberry, sweet potato, tomato, and watermelon.
(SOURCE: Seed World)

Also, anyone who's concerned about this should be aware that some yahoo from Kansas has just presented a bill barring all states from passing any GMO labeling laws. 24 states are currently actively working on initiatives to require labeling - and some mouthpiece in Washington DC who's been bought wants the individual states to not be allowed to pass laws voted in BY THE PEOPLE.

Even if we start growing fodder or other natural feed, the only 100% sure way to avoid grains that have been tainted with GMO's is to buy organic or from someone who tests their yields.

 

[michaels4gardens]

A quick look at the US Congress and their noticible lack of action these last few years-- tells us that they will do nothing about anything-- they are either bought or bought and threatened.