Livestock on Rifts Earth

[13eowulf]

So according to New West and Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp the Tri-Tops can be herded like cattle, even by normal people.
The descriptions also go on to state that the meat is good and plentiful, they make even tempered beasts of burden/mounts, and a single female can produce gallons of milk a day (New West specifically for the Milk). They can also be used to make MD leather, and even armour, possibly even some simple melee weapons.
(Aside: Would you say their eggs are edible as well?)

What other beasts have you come across in Rifts books that would make for great livestock of some sort?

Second question, if you could make a single breeding pair of livestock immortal, but still fertile, and keep them breeding for an endless supply of meat animals, like say sheep, for lamb (and an endless supply of wool), would that be immoral, or against good alignments?

[andyskyhawk]

Interesting... I cant see why using the breading pair would be evil, maybe slightly immoral in our day and time. However in the world of rifts people are required to do anything for survival. What you describe is an affordable and renewable source of food for a population, protecting people from starvation is a huge check mark on the list of ensuring survival for any population. Especially when day to day life is a life and death struggle for the average person. IMO a scrupulous scientist would have no problem genetically engineering some livestock to aide a community, although I am unaware of any skills that would allow such a character the means to do it.

Btw, really cool idea!

[ShadowLogan]

Fury Beetle is identified as such in Rifts Cananda, complete with ranch.

[J_cobbers]

Only immoral if the livestock is sapient and sentient, i.e. human(oid) cattle, which you might see for some monstrous/demonic beings and in Splugorth held areas like Atlantis.

Also, I did catch the Milk thing in New West and always thought it odd as I didn't think dinosaurs produced milk. Then again perhaps these are from an alternate dimension/timeline with more mammal like dinos and not straight out of the cretaceous period we know and love. Mmm dino milk yummy!

[say652]

So according to New West and Adventures in Dinosaur Swamp the Tri-Tops can be herded like cattle, even by normal people.
The descriptions also go on to state that the meat is good and plentiful, they make even tempered beasts of burden/mounts, and a single female can produce gallons of milk a day (New West specifically for the Milk). They can also be used to make MD leather, and even armour, possibly even some simple melee weapons.
(Aside: Would you say their eggs are edible as well?)

What other beasts have you come across in Rifts books that would make for great livestock of some sort?

Second question, if you could make a single breeding pair of livestock immortal, but still fertile, and keep them breeding for an endless supply of meat animals, like say sheep, for lamb (and an endless supply of wool), would that be immoral, or against good alignments?

1. I have set up Tritops Cattle Barons in my game. Because just like in the old West, in the New West Cattle is King.

2. No.

[glitterboy2098]

Could also be some other secreted fluid that is just called milk for marketing purposes.

Also, the Duckbill Honkers (hadrosaurs) are ranched for meat as well. I suspect both honkers and tritops can be used as riding mounts too.

Things like cattle is also around, it just requires more constant watching to defend.
I suspect some of the smaller Dino's in dinoswamp could be ranched as well.

Warlords of Russia has several riding animals that would make good ranch animals, like the steppe ostrich.

[Killer Cyborg]

Could also be some other secreted fluid that is just called milk for marketing purposes.

Ew!

[Killer Cyborg]

Second question, if you could make a single breeding pair of livestock immortal, but still fertile, and keep them breeding for an endless supply of meat animals, like say sheep, for lamb (and an endless supply of wool), would that be immoral, or against good alignments?

I don't see how it would be any different than any other livestock.

[dragonfett]

Second question, if you could make a single breeding pair of livestock immortal, but still fertile, and keep them breeding for an endless supply of meat animals, like say sheep, for lamb (and an endless supply of wool), would that be immoral, or against good alignments?

I don't see how it would be any different than any other livestock.

An interesting twist on this would be some creature with animal level intelligence and a fast regeneration this is getting bits and pieces of meat carved off and then allowed to fully heal before doing it all again. In my opinion (and probably a lot of other people's opinions), causing great harm to a creature, even if it can heal from it quickly, repeatedly, to "farm" meat would be very evil.

[Uber_Geek]

Second question, if you could make a single breeding pair of livestock immortal, but still fertile, and keep them breeding for an endless supply of meat animals, like say sheep, for lamb (and an endless supply of wool), would that be immoral, or against good alignments?

I don't see how it would be any different than any other livestock.

An interesting twist on this would be some creature with animal level intelligence and a fast regeneration this is getting bits and pieces of meat carved off and then allowed to fully heal before doing it all again. In my opinion (and probably a lot of other people's opinions), causing great harm to a creature, even if it can heal from it quickly, repeatedly, to "farm" meat would be very evil.

The equivalent would probably how people see veal in our day and age.

[13eowulf]

I guess the morality question to me revolves around what it would do to the breeding pair if they are constantly outliving their offspring for what would otherwise be multiple generations. Would an awareness of what is happening grow? Would if affect behaviour, or breeding ability?
I was inspired by the one Stargate SG1 episode where the one planet turns out to be farming Goa'uld for processing into medication, and the one Queen they had producing them somehow made it so that she was started producing offspring that had a flawed gene so that they were no longer of use.


Also, no thoughts on the egg edibility? Cause cattle that also lays eggs is also doing chicken duty. Though the Steppe Ostrich would also be useful for that, while in the Russia book are they also available in North America?

[Blue_Lion]

I guess the morality question to me revolves around what it would do to the breeding pair if they are constantly outliving their offspring for what would otherwise be multiple generations. Would an awareness of what is happening grow? Would if affect behaviour, or breeding ability?
I was inspired by the one Stargate SG1 episode where the one planet turns out to be farming Goa'uld for processing into medication, and the one Queen they had producing them somehow made it so that she was started producing offspring that had a flawed gene so that they were no longer of use.


Also, no thoughts on the egg edibility? Cause cattle that also lays eggs is also doing chicken duty. Thought the Steppe Ostrich would also be useful for that, while in the Russia book are they also available in North America?

There are Ostrich farms in the US now so their could be.

[taalismn]

Could also be some other secreted fluid that is just called milk for marketing purposes.

Ew!

"Don't ask where breakfast came from...just eat it..."
-Common phrase on Rifts Earth.

[glitterboy2098]

the real source of Blue milk?

[Nox Equites]

They mention that the Dinos in Rifts might just be alien lifeforms rather than actual time displaced critters. This might explain the lack of feathers on raptors.

[taalismn]

An interesting twist on this would be some creature with animal level intelligence and a fast regeneration this is getting bits and pieces of meat carved off and then allowed to fully heal before doing it all again. In my opinion (and probably a lot of other people's opinions), causing great harm to a creature, even if it can heal from it quickly, repeatedly, to "farm" meat would be very evil.

Reminds me of the joke with the farmer with the three-legged steer. The steer that follows the farmer everywhere he goes, fetches his lunchpail,carries him home at the end of the day, drives wild animals away from him, even pulls the farmer out from under an overturned tractor...The three legs? "Yah don't eat a useful critter like that all at once!"

[glitterboy2098]

Second question, if you could make a single breeding pair of livestock immortal, but still fertile, and keep them breeding for an endless supply of meat animals, like say sheep, for lamb (and an endless supply of wool), would that be immoral, or against good alignments?

I don't see how it would be any different than any other livestock.

An interesting twist on this would be some creature with animal level intelligence and a fast regeneration this is getting bits and pieces of meat carved off and then allowed to fully heal before doing it all again. In my opinion (and probably a lot of other people's opinions), causing great harm to a creature, even if it can heal from it quickly, repeatedly, to "farm" meat would be very evil.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0326.html

[GhostKnight]

What about some GMO from Lone Star? Cows that make real chocolate milk?

[Nox Equites]

What about some GMO from Lone Star? Cows that make real chocolate milk?

They would rather make breeds that are just very disease resistant and produce high meat yields. They also aren't trying to be too obvious in their use of GMOs. Though a lot of that can just be disguised under propaganda.

[dragonfett]

Second question, if you could make a single breeding pair of livestock immortal, but still fertile, and keep them breeding for an endless supply of meat animals, like say sheep, for lamb (and an endless supply of wool), would that be immoral, or against good alignments?

I don't see how it would be any different than any other livestock.

An interesting twist on this would be some creature with animal level intelligence and a fast regeneration this is getting bits and pieces of meat carved off and then allowed to fully heal before doing it all again. In my opinion (and probably a lot of other people's opinions), causing great harm to a creature, even if it can heal from it quickly, repeatedly, to "farm" meat would be very evil.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0326.html

Lol!

[J_cobbers]

What about some GMO from Lone Star? Cows that make real chocolate milk?

They would rather make breeds that are just very disease resistant and produce high meat yields. They also aren't trying to be too obvious in their use of GMOs. Though a lot of that can just be disguised under propaganda.

I don't think the average CS citizen cares or are concerned about GMO's; dogboys are GMOs and look how great they are! All the CS citizenry care about is that the government has provided them food and safety through the marvel of human technology! When the genetic wizards of Lone Star create better crops and livestock, that's only a good thing! That's the bread of the CS's bread and circuses mentality for keeping the population happy, loyal and obedient.

[Nox Equites]

What about some GMO from Lone Star? Cows that make real chocolate milk?

They would rather make breeds that are just very disease resistant and produce high meat yields. They also aren't trying to be too obvious in their use of GMOs. Though a lot of that can just be disguised under propaganda.

I don't think the average CS citizen cares or are concerned about GMO's; dogboys are GMOs and look how great they are! All the CS citizenry care about is that the government has provided them food and safety through the marvel of human technology! When the genetic wizards of Lone Star create better crops and livestock, that's only a good thing! That's the bread of the CS's bread and circuses mentality for keeping the population happy, loyal and obedient.

As per original print of Lonestar they were not advertising GMO crops being used because they don't want other communities stealing the seed stock. Never mind that they leave their breadbasket open to devastation by any grumpy warlock with a grudge.

[Axelmania]

This is an impressive milk supply, but when it comes to giant pets I'm always curious just how much food they would need to consume to keep them going.

I realize much of Rifts is vast wilderness and MDC creatures might have more flexible diets than normal, but if you're going for exponential max-milk breeding growth, a wall will always get it.

I imagine triceratops are vegetarians so you can't use "Stone to Flesh" on a field of boulders to feed them like I might try for a Boschala to disincline them from eating Burbites.

Although I'm still not entirely clear if Boschala consume for the flesh or the PPE or both... guessing stone to flesh would have 0 PPE and may not profile full nutrition like it might if you were feeding boulders to your cat.