Re: Wild kettle and oxen

From: Marcus Gustavsson (mof_at_cd.chalmers.se)
Date: 02/09/05 

Date: 9 Feb 2005 01:33:54 GMT

In sci.archaeology Dylan Sung <dylanwhs.tsktsktsk@pacific.net.hk> wrote:
>>
>> If you look at some of the 'torps', small cottages rather
>> than farms. It wasn't unusual for the cows to walk alone around in the
>> woods
>> close by during summertime. In Bohuslän they up to 70 years ago did it the
>> same way close to sea as Ivar Bardson told about in his book, they rowed
>> cows with calfs and older cows out to islands in the archipelago and there
>> they were left by themselves only to be looked after now and then.
>> Actually
>> the cows lived on their own most of the summertime.

> Irrelevant. The summer time experience of these cattle does not say anything
> about the how the cattle in the torps survive in winter, and so you've not
> made any connection to those living conditions of wild cattle in winter in
> the Hudson bay area in the 1750's.

I know something about their living conditions in Scandinavia.

First, it is a good idea to have animals on islands. Your cattle will not be
eaten by carnivores, and you don't have to put up a lot of fences. Farmers in
Sweden do this even today.

If we look at Viking age farms from Götaland, they had cow-houses or stalls
in a long house for something like 10 or 18 cows. So, even though the animals
are hardy, and Götaland has climate that is far gentler than that of Hudson
bay, they would have been indoors in the winter.

It is true that northern animals are hardier. And if you think of it, this is
nothing strange. The main difference between present day cattle and horses
and those that were used back then, is, I believe, that the animals are able
to extract nourishment from quite lousy food.

If we look at historical farms from the northern Sweden, the farmers still
had quite a task to find enough food for their animals. There were never
enough oats and hay. They found extra food by harvesting plants growing in
lakes. Another important source was leaves; they harvested cart loads of
leaves. For power food, some horses were also given herring to eat.

I don't know if the farmers had to process the food in order for the animals
to be able to eat it, but I know that they did. They used to boil some kind
of mash out of different goodies.

The animals that Ross Clark describe were of course not super Viking animals,
even so I think that old norse species would have had a hard time to survive.

Marcus

Relevant Pages

  • NAIS and the possible effect on horses
    ... They are including livestock sold directly from small farms to the end ... The government is implementing huge ... They are including animals that are not in the food supply such as pets ...
    (rec.equestrian)
  • Re: The Future of Agriculture and the Importance of Developing Our Skills and Knowledge Base
    ... Read that first and then write about raising animals ... Power Steer ... cows are far more common here than developments catering to people. ... solar-powered system for producing food on land too ...
    (rec.gardens)
  • Re: NAIS and the possible effect on horses
    ... The large farms won't have to microchip every animal as it will have an ID ... many any animals are to be monitored. ... your horse would be at risk for destruction by the government. ... If you buy locally from the source you know exactly where your food ...
    (rec.equestrian)
  • Panel explores link between antibiotic use on animal farms and human health
    ... Panel explores link between antibiotic use on animal farms and human ... Panelists at last week’s forum on the use of antibiotics in food ... routinely added to the feed of animals raised for human consumption, ... For animals raised for food that means reducing toxins released into ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
  • Re: OT: More Animal Abuse Stuff
    ... and one of my colleagues raises a couple cows at a time and ... then has them slaughtered for meat. ... they follow him around hoping he has food, ... treated one way, and "food" animals another. ...
    (rec.motorcycles)