Animals on the farm

Agriculture began in the Neolithic period, when hunter-gatherers gradually settled down. After initially cultivating crops, they soon began raising livestock. Wild sheep and bezoar goats were the first animals, later joined by pigs, cattle, and horses.

Scientists suspect that farmers initially captured young animals that were easier to accustom to living with humans. Their taming also led to their domestication. This meant that in captivity they reproduced not according to the rules of natural selection, but rather according to artificial selection controlled by humans.

As a consequence of this influence on the organism, physiological and morphological changes occurred, which became genetically fixed over time and formed the basis for targeted breeding. The resulting range of variation in animals can also be seen in the diverse breeds found on farms today.

For example, cows differ in their coats or in that some produce more milk and others – like Charolais or Limousin – more meat. In addition to old cattle breeds, such as the Grey Alpine or the Murboden, modern breeding results have also emerged, including Simmental and Brown Swiss cattle. Another characteristic of specially bred livestock can be their good adaptation to their natural environment. Examples include Highland cattle, the Scottish Galloway, and Aberdeen Angus.

Of course, the other animals on the farm are also characterized by different breed traits, but also by different types within a breed. For example, among horses there are Thoroughbreds, draft horses, and warmbloods, whose classification depends on their temperament and build and has nothing to do with their body temperature, which is 38 degrees Celsius for all of them.

Thoroughbreds are a breed developed solely to improve the animals' speed for use in horse racing. Therefore, thoroughbred stallions or mares are not intended for agricultural purposes.

Warmbloods, on the other hand, are horses that originated from a cross between local breeds and Thoroughbreds and are suitable for both riding and draft work. Coldbloods, characterized by their heavy build and calm temperament, are ideal for strenuous tasks such as hauling timber.

When the first settled farmers began to tame and domesticate animals, it brought them many advantages. They could improve the quality of the soil with the animals' manure and feed themselves with meat in case of crop failure. Furthermore, the draft and plowing animals made the arduous task of cultivating the fields much easier.

With the onset of industrialization, life on the farm, initially geared towards self-sufficiency, changed dramatically. Machines like tractors took over the work of draft animals, inventions such as milking systems for cows relieved farmers and ensured higher yields, and the proportion of the population that needed to be fed steadily increased. The consequence of this development was a continuous expansion of agricultural operations, which from the mid-1950s onwards expanded massively and ultimately led to factory farming on an unprecedented scale.

But not all farmers followed this trend of large agricultural industries, some of which didn't hesitate to resort to scandalous methods like the use of antibiotics to increase profits. A look at the alpine region of Austria around Lake Wolfgang, for example, shows a different, positive side of agricultural production, as it is home to numerous small farms committed to regionally rooted, environmentally conscious, and natural farming practices.

A prime example of this is the organic sheep farming at the FISCHERGUT farm. Located at an altitude of 540 meters in Radau, a district of St. Wolfgang, which, along with other towns like Bad Ischl, is a popular holiday destination in the Salzkammergut region. The high quality and authenticity of FISCHERGUT's products are evidenced not only by numerous quality seals such as the "Austria Bio Garantie" and the "Gutes vom Bauernhof" label, but also by their high demand in the surrounding area and beyond. And, of course, no genetic engineering is used on this exemplary, ecologically managed farm.

For 30 years, the guiding principle of the FISCHERGUT farm has been the "low grow" principle, meaning species-appropriate animal husbandry that consciously avoids artificial growth acceleration and instead relies on natural rearing without any chemicals. The farm's sheep thus remain on unfertilized pastures almost all year round, feeding exclusively on fresh grasses and plants, and only come into the barn in winter when ice and snow cover the feeding areas. Even during the colder months, the animals are fed exclusively with organically processed hay from the farm itself.

To run an organic farm in a way that truly deserves the name requires not only a great deal of dedication from the farmers but also sound knowledge in the areas of ecology, nutrition, and animal behavior. A visit to such a farm should therefore be particularly interesting for city dwellers, as they can not only enjoy unspoiled natural surroundings but also learn a great deal from the knowledgeable and hospitable farmers.

For example, they clarify the true background of a headline from last year that caused quite a stir among tourists, claiming that "killer cows" were terrorizing hikers in Austria. In reality, these are not "evil" creatures that, as reported, attack tourists without provocation, but rather animals in a pasture protecting their young. At the same time, farm visitors receive guidance on how to behave prudently in such potentially dangerous situations. One piece of advice is to avoid looking the agitated cattle directly in the eyes. They should also not startle them and under no circumstances should they attempt to pet the calves.

In today's modern age of technological advancement and urbanization, where the harmony between humans and nature is increasingly strained, it is certainly beneficial for children and young people to experience life on a farm that treats the environment responsibly. Witnessing the birth of a lamb at the FISCHERGUT farm in Wolfgangthal demonstrates that such a farm offers not only work and much to learn, but also joyful highlights. This is exemplified by the opportunity to marvel at this miracle of nature between December and March, when the ewes, which only give birth once a year, deliver their lambs.

So why not spend a holiday on an organic farm like FISCHERGUT, regardless of the seasons, because each has its own charm to enrich heart, senses and soul?