Backyard poultry to next level #backyardpoultry #eggsharing #naattukozhi

It is good to see people in India turning a lot towards organic agriculture and rapid development of the organic terrace gardens which are becoming a sustainable source of healthy fruits/vegetables.

Similarly the backyard poultry management should also reach its peak in India. The 2 major setbacks of people involved in these are

1) Ignorance : Most people in this business/hobby are not highly educated, they are people in smaller occupations or house wives. Most of them dont know how to market their product or use the online to get their cheap supplies. Also they dont get a constant supply of knowledge from their peers. These people will quit the practice once they face some hurdles.

2) Finance : These are done by people who are not living just for money. They are full of life and they are trying to connect with nature and want to be the change factor for this environment. Hence they are now pounded with intermediate merchants and online burglars.

I have given a solution below to solve the above issues. I request someone in India to take leadership on this and implement it, at least give a try. I couldn't do these as I'm living a boring abroad life.

As OTG enthusiasts conduct a seed-sharing session, please organize an egg-sharing event. There are similar events taking place in highly developed countries too. Organizing these kinds of events will lead to following advantages

1) Bring together like minded people and will encourage them to do further.
2) It will act as a good knowledge sharing session.
3) It will pave way for sharing very rare items which are of no value to world but very precious to other people in the same hobby
4) It is a place where rare items like a peacock egg or guine fowl chick can be bought or exchanged with a non profit motto.

Hope this helped

Please try and be the change factor my dear brothers and sisters.

Thanks
MT.

Manapparai Maadu Katti.... #Manapparai #Kangayam

This post is about a breed of cattle originated in south india called Manapparai Maadu. Basically this area is in the cauvery delta region and this breed is one of the breed which suits this region well and provides a great draught power.
These are very elegant creatures which is not so sleek as the halliker at the same time not so bulkier like the kangayam. It is a mid sized draught animal.
Our elders bred and raised cattle specific to that region and requirements. The requirement for this breed is to have a slim leg so that it doesn't get caught up in river sand or the marshy paddy fields. The local pastures doesn't have much of rich fodder and it is solely dependent on the locally available rice hay, cotton seeds and rarely oil cakes. Hence its difficult for these small farmers to maintain a bulkier animal like kangayam, and hence manapparai maadu is very famous here.Farmers in this region have an average of 2.5 to 5 acres and its supplied with rain and river water through out the year, this draught power is sufficient.

Average price of this bull is from Rs 30000 to Rs 50000, they have a good reputation in rekhala racing

This breed is usually pure white in colour, they are so well bred that their frame is intact and has a clear gait while pulling load or during racing.

They castrate the bull before deploying them for pulling load and they don't de-horn bulls of this breed.
The bull shown below is mature and would be 7 years old, see its horns.

To buy a manaaparai bull, the right place is to go to manapparai shandy which occurs on every wednesday in manapparai. I ve been there and its like a pushkar fair for cattle. But the traders and customers face a lot of issues due to no basic infrastructure in the shandy. One more speciality of this place is murukku and even now its made with that same authentic taste

Photo courtesy : THE HINDU

Kangayam is another cattle which is really huge and I think its the next largest breed to Ongole bull. The reason it was bred like this is, the areas around kangayam is hilly and the animal has to pull the load really strong on steep roads. Farmers in this region don't cultivate rice instead they grow millet and corn and these regions don't have proper river water supply and its totally dependent on rain and well irrigation, also they own on average more than 5 acres. Hence they need more draught power for vast ploughing and well irrigation. Another advantage is they feed cattle with millet/corn straw and co4 grass which is available in plenty in this region which supports an animal like kangayam. These bulls also have a very good reputation in the jallikattu.

Average price of a kangayam bull is Rs.50000 to Rs.1 Lakh

For more details on kangayam cattle please visit : http://www.kangayambull.com/
Picture below courtesy http://www.kangayambull.com/

Its our duty to support these breeds by adding them to our farms or monetarily the farmers who breed them.
Also we should create a centralized study material on how to rear these animals and basic skills like reining bulls, shoeing them, castrating etc. This would be useful for educated people who come to agriculture and start from scratch.

Nattu Kozhi Kuzhambu - Country Chicken Curry :)... #vedakozhi #muttaikozhi

Whenever I go to my grandma's house, I wait for this day of the week. My grandma makes delicious nattu kozhi curry which tastes awesome and its considered to have medicinal values.
Usually its Thursday evening when the little girl comes from the near by village to our home to sell this hen. They don't sell hen on Friday as they have had these as their family bread providers for generations. They feel when they sell or handout the hens on friday, their good charm also goes away. Hence its usually Thursday evenings or Saturday early morning when we get these hens for our feast.
These hens are not of any specific breeds they have been bred and kept in these villages for ages and sold out to the towns. They are not from any poultry institute or any hatcheries. They are super tasty and very healthy. They are not from hatchery and they are one among the fittest of the clutch.
The hens coming from hatcheries don't go strong after live prey (basically they lack hunting skills) hence they wont be tasty. The naturally hatched country chicken which flies after each wigglers around the garden is the one which will taste authentic. If you see the picture below this hen doesn't look so large or fleshy and that's exactly what we want.

Also, we prefer veda kozhi. The qualities of this vedaikozhi are as listed below
1) It should be a HEN (Roosters are not preferred as it has less medicinal values and we cook that when we need more meat during occasions or when guests arrive)
2) It should be very healthy and not have any kind of sickness or disabilities and should be bought when its alive.
3) These chick should have started to lay eggs for the first time of their life. Usually we get the chick after it has laid its first egg.
4) If you get karinkozhi its even more special but as for me, I didn't have that luck during this vacation. For more details on karinkozhi see my previous post in this blog or search for "Kadaknath"

When there is no hen available which had laid the first egg, my grand ma sees the bunch of chicken in the farm and selects the perfect hen which is about to lay the first egg in 4 - 5 days. Its her experience.
This kind of hens will have the eggs piled up in its ovary and it can be seen as shown below. We call this as the "Muttai Kudal" the egg intestine. We cook this along with the gravy and eat it. It is one of the tastiest thing you will ever eat in your lifetime :)...

The hen will be slaughtered on Saturday morning. We do halal method meaning we cut its throat and leave all the blood out and then dip the hen in hot water and remove its feathers and cut it to pieces. In certain other parts people squeeze the hen's throat to kill it and show it in fire to clean it. This method clots the blood inside the body of the hen and gives a different flavor. Usually we don't follow this method as blood has lot of germs.

Then the chicken is cooked with onions, herbs, spices, ginger, garlic, black pepper and only sesame oil is used and its cooked only in clay pot. Note : Don't add coconut now. By the time this is happening we are done with our oil bath. Then my grandma takes the gravy and adds more sesame oil to it and gives the soup to drink. Believe me it relives all your body pain, cold, fever and gives you a new strength. Then she adds coconut milk to the remaining gravy with meat and then its served with rice on banana leaf. Its a rich experience which not only quenches the taste of your tongue but also your spirit.

I know this is a ritual followed in most of the houses in Tamilnadu. Lets keep it up and see to that our next generation also get this experience.

I will try to post the exact recipe for this in my next post.

Bubbly Backyard poultry - #Nattu Kozhi

People are now very enthusiastic about poultry. Some of them are depending on their tiny flock for fresh eggs daily for their family or a constant supply of healthy organic meat. The country chicken keeping is very easy if you spend some time and have minimal space requirements. The more profitable way of farming nowadays is to get a week old chick of a good breed from hatchery and grow them as organic as we could and then sell them at 4 - 5 months. Breeds like Kadaknath are even more costly than the normal ones and very healthy.

Poultry is also now a fancy factor to our farm houses and home gardens. Geese, Silkie hens , Indian runners are very dynamic birds and they add beauty to our garden. Its fun watching them going around us and making that peculiar noise.

In Indian subcontinent, there are fanciers who are after Aseel chicken, these are game fowls used for rooster fights. There are organized tournaments and historical lineage for these birds. I believe these are the most costliest in the chicken breeds available. It vary from $50 up to $2000 (1 Lakh Rupee). These birds enjoy being in human companionship as they were selective breed and they work well with people. Also these birds are used as guardian for the flock. They usually fight away predatory birds or stray dogs.

Keeping a good poultry flock is the best way to control pests. Turkey, geese, guinea fowls, Muscovy ducks are the top ranking pest controllers.

Finally, the purpose of this blog is to convey one message. To get quality eggs and meat the poultry or livestock not only need good food but also a stress free life. As birds and animals are highly stressed we are eating eggs and meat that tastes like shit. As the  animals are free range and enjoy a nature like habitat the good fat of the animal settles evenly in their body producing high quality meat and eggs. If we follow this approach there are chances that we become best meat producers in world ecologically.

The website below markets toys and games for fowls. Please check and try something similar with your animals to get bubbly meat.

https://www.fowlplayproducts.com/

Do you remember the Ginger candy... :)

I think this post looks like the previous one but cant ignore to write.
It was also part of our culture. When we eat a lot especially non-veg we take some facilators which is also organic and healthy.
The tamil name of this is inji-marappa means ginger candy.
The golden small cubes, it tastes hot and sweet with the sharp aroma of ginger.
It is really good in improving digestion.
You can see this being sold during bus/train stations in India, this is because the tiresome travel and stress pauses our digestion. When you buy this for 25paise or 50 paise or 1 Rupee and eat it, you will get a burp and sleep well in the remaining course of travel. Its really a poor man's paradise. I ask my mom to buy 2 more and eat it when I go home.

Photo copied from : Premascook.com

But nowadays people nomore buy this organic herbal candy and they are after the useless diary caramel candies.

I went to an organic store in USA and surprised to see this. Its called the organic crystallized ginger candy. This is nothing but the same inji-marappa :)
This is sold for 6$ per pound, approximately 1kg = 600 Rupees.. :)

We are eating junk candies sold by american companies in India, whereas people in america are paying in dollars for the simple and powerful techniques which our elders taught us.
Its a disgrace for our elders.

Each and every bit of our culture is being patented by american business people and sold across. Why don't we open our eyes at-least now.

Everyone knows the importance of digestion, why no one from India has stood up to create quality ginger candies which every Indian would benefit and export the same to other countries boosting our economy ?

We are busy importing hersheys :) to become sick and cause disgrace our traditional knowledge.. :)...

Nut trail mix alias kadalai urundai

I used to run around the house in search of a 50 paise coin or escort any guest who comes to my home till the street corner so they would flip me a 1 rupee coin in to my hands so lavishly. The joy is unforgettable. My friends and myself even envied the glittering coin on a dead body's forehead called as Nethi Kasu :)..

This was before 15 years :)..

     

Ok, why do we need this coin for ? nothing but to go and buy a groundnut candy(Kadalai mittai). Its a candy usually in the size of a brussel sprout. It is made from ground nuts roasted till it becomes golden brown and cane jaggery sauce melt is poured on it and usually made in to small  bal like candies. These are made from indian groundnuts and cane jaggery and no other nonsense ingredients.

It gives a great aroma when you eat and it increases digestion. Usually we have a handful when going to play in ground or visit our farms, whenever we are tired we munch on it and move forward our journey.

I never thought there would be a day when this will go out of my sight. It was always a part and identity of our tradition and one fine day its nearing extinction.

This is again because of the ignorance of my dear dravidian people, they under estimated the power of these candies

1) Kadalai mittai - Groundnut bar
2) Pottukadalai urundai - Channa dhal candy

3) Pori urundai - Rice crisps candy

Due to our attraction on western culture we started to avoid eating these. It was a part of our functions and people distributed them and even they made these at home. Nowadays these are being replaced by cocoa and caramel candies. Lots and lots of small cottage industries which provided us these small packets of joy are now being crushed on by candy giants. We not only crushed those poor people involved in this domestic snack industry but also our culture. Our next generation is not going to get the joy of eating kadalai mittai.

I still see some in shops now, but its not as authentic as usual. These are machine pressed and commercially prepared and definitely of no use to poor but the rich and the middle men involved in the business.

One more thing which makes me sad is that these nutrition rich candies are now modified as nutrition bars and diet bars and sold in costco with an US patent for an unimaginable price. Its cost is 50 paise * 600 now :)... meaning atleast $6 a pack.The same idiotic people who helped eradicate my beloved indigenious candies by promoting caramel are buying these nutty bars for maintainig their waist at a higher cost not to themselves but to the dravidian community also.

Indeed they are eating diet bars because of the obesity caused by the corn syrup and caramel and other ingredients in the modern day candies.

Instead people could have supported the native kadalai mittai&sibblings and stayed healthy supporting a small family which was making a life out of it and also could have saved our culture.