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> Getting calories from meat is inefficient You're taking the model of an industrialized first-world nation with 300 million+ people and applying it to a tiny

> Getting calories from meat is inefficient You're taking the model of an industrialized first-world nation with 300 million+ people and applying it to a tiny space colony. Calling that apples vs. oranges would be an understatement. If you disagree, tell me this: How many 30,000 lb. John Deere combines do you think will be sent with the first settlers?

Kim_Bruning 14y ago
The model is the same everywhere. We canna break the laws of (bio)physics, Jim.
bunderbunder 14y ago
No, it really is inefficient. A huge portion of the materials livestock consume get converted into heat and waste products. And don't forget space - these would be domed colonies, so space would be absolutely critical. Here on earth humans have devised a way to raise food animals in a way that's (somewhat) reasonably efficient in terms of land used. But that method depends critically on armies of 30,000 lb. John Deere combines in order to produce sufficient quantities of feed crop without an enormous human labor input.
DanBC 14y ago
Using the model of 'small holding' - 5 acres per person style. Goats provide: Meat Milk Leather Bone Manure Farts Goat blood Useless baby boy goats They eat. They eat far more calories than you'll ever get from them. Someone has to look after them, and that person also needs to eat. Someone needs to grow the food for the goats, and for the goatherds, and that person needs to eat. For a goat to produce milk it (like most mammals) needs a child to feed. Thus, you need at least one male goat for breeding. But male goats don't give milk. And they stink. And billy goats are just plain mean. So this stud-goat, stinky, mean, lazy thing, also needs food and care. And the birthing goat needs some attention. And if it's a male it's useless, so someone has to kill it. All that time and effort, and all you get is goat meat and goat milk. Maybe some will think it's worth it, but other people would prefer using all that time and energy on a wider range of food. > tell me this: How many 30,000 lb. John Deere combines do you think will be sent with the first settlers? You have it backwards: Massive industrial farming makes things many times more, not less, efficient.
- jlgreco 14y ago
  It seems to me that you could just feed your goat the parts of the plants that you can't really eat yourself. All the green crap from soybean plants for instance. If that is worth it probably depends on how much goat milk is worth to you, how much the green crap is worth to you otherwise as compost, and how much goat crap is worth to you as fertilizer. I don't think it would be worth it, but it wouldn't terribly surprise me if I were wrong.

Kim_Bruning 14y ago

The model is the same everywhere. We canna break the laws of (bio)physics, Jim.

bunderbunder 14y ago

No, it really is inefficient. A huge portion of the materials livestock consume get converted into heat and waste products. And don't forget space - these would be domed colonies, so space would be absolutely critical. Here on earth humans have devised a way to raise food animals in a way that's (somewhat) reasonably efficient in terms of land used. But that method depends critically on armies of 30,000 lb. John Deere combines in order to produce sufficient quantities of feed crop without an enormous human labor input.

DanBC 14y ago

Using the model of 'small holding' - 5 acres per person style. Goats provide: Meat Milk Leather Bone Manure Farts Goat blood Useless baby boy goats They eat. They eat far more calories than you'll ever get from them. Someone has to look after them, and that person also needs to eat. Someone needs to grow the food for the goats, and for the goatherds, and that person needs to eat. For a goat to produce milk it (like most mammals) needs a child to feed. Thus, you need at least one male goat for breeding. But male goats don't give milk. And they stink. And billy goats are just plain mean. So this stud-goat, stinky, mean, lazy thing, also needs food and care. And the birthing goat needs some attention. And if it's a male it's useless, so someone has to kill it. All that time and effort, and all you get is goat meat and goat milk. Maybe some will think it's worth it, but other people would prefer using all that time and energy on a wider range of food. > tell me this: How many 30,000 lb. John Deere combines do you think will be sent with the first settlers? You have it backwards: Massive industrial farming makes things many times more, not less, efficient.

jlgreco 14y ago
It seems to me that you could just feed your goat the parts of the plants that you can't really eat yourself. All the green crap from soybean plants for instance. If that is worth it probably depends on how much goat milk is worth to you, how much the green crap is worth to you otherwise as compost, and how much goat crap is worth to you as fertilizer. I don't think it would be worth it, but it wouldn't terribly surprise me if I were wrong.