Livestock Flourished
With the shadow of the food crisis dissipating, the Fire Tribe Valley is filled not only with the aroma of rice, but also with a thriving vitality. In addition to the increasing number of grain storages and the clanging of pottery making, the livestock breeding area on the other side of the tribe is also becoming more and more prosperous and lively, becoming a stable source of meat and labor for the tribe.
Stepping into the pigpen enclosed by rough wooden fences, one is greeted by a constant stream of grunting and squealing sounds. Dozens of plump, black-haired pigs are leisurely rolling around in the Nitan, or scrambling for wild vegetables, hay, and ground rice husks that the villagers feed them.
The clansman in charge of raising the pigs, "Shidun," always wore a satisfied smile. Pointing to the plump, healthy piglets in the pen, he reported to Wang Yan, "Yan, look! These piglets were born after spring, and they've grown so big in such a short time! At this rate, in a few more months, the first few boars will be ready for slaughter!"
Wang Yan carefully observed the pigs. Thanks to the superior undomesticated genes of this era and the relatively abundant food in the tribe, these pigs grew faster than he had expected. He estimated that they would grow to 200 jin (100 kg) in about a year, far exceeding the size of many domestic pig breeds in his previous life. Moreover, their reproductive capacity was extremely strong. Sows could produce about two litters a year, with each litter containing seven or eight or even more piglets.
"Good!" Wang Yan nodded approvingly. "You've done a great job. Remember, keep two or three of the best-built and strongest boars for breeding. The other boars can be slaughtered gradually as they get fatter to provide meat for the tribe. All sows, except the old, weak, or sick, should be kept to give birth. We must make pigs the tribe's primary source of meat!"
"Don't worry, Yan! I remember everything!" Shidun patted his chest to assure them. Everyone in the tribe knew that the pigs in this pen were the future meat on their plates!
Unlike the noisy pigsty, the cattle pen was much quieter. A dozen or so cattle of varying sizes were quietly chewing their fodder. These cattle were huge, muscular, and had gentle eyes. Lately, they had been among the "busiest" members of the tribe.
Under Wang Yan's guidance, the tribe's carpenters successfully crafted a simple wooden plow. Although it was merely made of bent Yingmu with a stone or Yingmu plowshare, it produced astonishing results when pulled by strong oxen!
Wang Yan and his father, Jianshi, stood by the newly planned paddy field, watching a member of their clan ride a strong bull, pulling a wooden plow through the mud. The sharp plowshare easily broke through the hardened soil, turning it up deeply and leaving neat, moist furrows. The fragrance of the soil filled the air.
"Father, look," Wang Yan pointed to the busy man and ox, "The two of them can turn over two or three acres of paddy fields like this in a day! If we relied on manpower to dig with stone hoes and bone spades, even ten strong laborers working a day might not be able to dig up one acre!"
Jianshi's eyes burned with admiration. He had personally experienced the hardship of turning the soil with a stone hoe, and now, seeing the efficiency of an ox pulling a plow, he was overwhelmed with awe. "Good heavens! This ox... it's a real treasure!" He circled the bull, which had just stopped to rest and was panting heavily, twice, affectionately stroking its strong back. "I used to only think it had a lot of meat, but I never imagined it was so strong! From now on, if anyone tells me they want to kill an ox for meat, I'll be the first to object!"
Wang Yan smiled, "Yes, Father. Oxen are not only valuable for clearing land and turning over soil, but we can also use oxcarts to transport grain and timber, which is much less strenuous than carrying it on our backs. I plan that these dozen or so oxen, unless they die of old age or by accident, should not be slaughtered. We should do our best to let them reproduce, the more the better!"
"That's exactly right!" Jianshi agreed without hesitation. Looking at the vast land being cultivated before him, he was full of ambition. "Once this batch of rice is processed, we'll go all out to clear the land! With the help of oxen, I plan to clear at least another four or five hundred acres of paddy fields! In the fall, we'll save the plump grains we harvest for seeds, and plant them all next year!"
Besides pigs and cattle, other livestock farming is also developing well.
Inside the sheepfold, more than fifty goats were grazing on tender green grass. Several newborn lambs were hopping around, looking especially adorable.
"Sheep are easy to raise; they just need to eat grass," Wang Yan told the tribespeople in charge. "Besides keeping the two strongest rams for breeding, we can slaughter some of the others to improve their diet. But we should keep as many ewes as possible; sheep milk is a good thing, especially beneficial for the children and elderly in the tribe." Some tribespeople have already tried milking sheep and cooking it for the children, and the results have been very good; the children are noticeably stronger than before.
The deer pen was relatively independent, with about twenty deer that were quite wary and roamed within the designated woodland. They were not as easy to tame as sheep, but deer blood was a valuable medicinal material and tonic. Wang Yan instructed that the situation should be maintained as it was, allowing them to gradually adapt and reproduce.
The liveliest area is the poultry section. Hundreds of chickens and ducks are kept in separate pens. Hens cluck and occasionally you can find warm eggs in the grass nests; the ducks frolic in the specially dug Little Water, and you can also harvest a lot of duck eggs every day. Chicken and duck eggs have become an important source of protein for the tribe, and they are very popular whether they are boiled directly or mixed into wild vegetables to make soup.
In the corner of the rabbit hutch, dozens of rabbits were quickly munching on Caoye and vegetable scraps in their cages. Although they are small, they reproduce at an astonishing rate, with new baby rabbits being born almost every month, and their numbers are about to exceed one hundred.
"Although rabbit meat is scarce, they grow quickly and reproduce in large numbers, so they will become a common meat on our tables in the future." Looking at these snow-white or grayish-brown little guys, Wang Yan wondered if he could teach his people to tan rabbit skins to make lightweight fur hats or gloves.
The sight of pigs and cattle filling pens, chickens and ducks thriving, and the six domestic animals flourishing signifies that the Fire Tribe has gradually broken free from the instability of relying solely on hunting and gathering, and has begun to establish its own stable and sustainable food supply chain. The supplementation of meat, eggs, and dairy products has improved the physical condition of the tribespeople; the use of animal power, such as cattle, has greatly liberated labor and increased production efficiency.