Gauteng Smallholder November 2016 | Page 47

leaner in the chest . Part of this physical preparation is castration . A bull that is to become an ox has its testicles removed when it is young , to make it more docile . Intact bulls are less readily used as draft animals as they are not as patient and can become aggressive when handled .
Another part of the physical preparation of a bull to become an ox begins before the animal is born . Artificial selection , also known as animal breeding , produces stronger and larger animals down through the generations . There is no such thing as a single ox breed , but dairy cattle are known to be more gentle and energetic than

IN THE KITCHEN

They ’ re eggstrordinarily good for you !

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One of the undisputed pleasures of smallholding life is the enjoyment of fresh free range eggs from the few chickens one keeps on one ' s plot and this time of year is when they ' re doing it best , because the hens have returned to full egg production . Hens need fourteen hours of light in order to lay eggs . Eggs have been described as nature ' s piece de resistance . With 6g of the highest quality protein and 14 key nutrients , eggs provide the energy needed to keep you going . They are a natural choice for a healthy , active lifestyle . Eggs are one of the few foods considered to be a complete protein , because they contain all nine essential amino acids . They are high in iron , vitamins , minerals and carotenoids . For years eggs were disapproved of because of their

LIVESTOCK

beef cattle breeds , and beef breeds are generally larger and more muscular than dairy . A farmer desiring an ox that is both exceptionally gentle and exceptionally large may crossbreed a dairy cow with a bull from a beef breed to produce such a combination of useful traits . cholesterol content . Swiss doctors , for example , spread the myth that one should consume no more than two eggs a week . However , more recently , the American Heart Association and the SA Heart & Stroke Foundation have revised their
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