The madness of daylight saving time ends on Sunday April 6. In Victoria clocks will be turned back by one hour at 3am — they'll go to 2am. It’s all a political game because State politicians are too gutless to end stop fiddling around with our clocks. Particularly since the advent of flexible working hours,there is no need for daylight saving time which has been shown to be detrimental to the health of some – especially children.International studies have linked circadian disruption to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and even suicide. heart attacks spike by as much as 24 per cent. A study in 2020 found that moving clocks forward one hour carries an alarming 6% increased risk of fatal traffic accidents, due to circadian scrambling and sleep deprivation. One particulr disruption for free range farms is that the hens’ egg laying body clock is set by regular daylight – so any change affects the lay rate – or the timing of laying. That, of course is not an issue for intensive producers with hen locked in sheds under controlled lighting conditions and is of no interest to selfish city dwellers.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Plans for AI to boost egg production
Academics and big egg producers are investigating the use of high tech to increase egg production. They are using smart technology like sensors and artificial intelligence , which they say will help farmers produce more eggs while keeping their chickens healthier and happier. They use words like "developing a sensor-embedded flock management system which detects health, welfare and productivity indicators using artificial intelligence to provide community-based learning to farmers and the supply chain."The project, called Flockwise, is supported by Innovate UK, a government organization that helps UK companies develop new products and services. A much simpler system would boost production by encouraging more small-scale farm businesses which maintain bird health by keeping the flocks in natural conditions rather than in overcrowded sheds.
Friday, March 21, 2025
Let avian influenza run
Robert F Kennedy junior is regarded by many as a nutcase. But sometimes he makes sense. The US Secretary of Health stated on Fox News that farmers "should consider the possibility of letting avian influenza run through their flocks so that the birds which are immune can be identified. He suggested that 'natural immunity' was better than contaminating birds with vaccines.