From the large-tailed Karakul sheep to the floppy-eared Gloucestershire Old Spot pig, North America is home to an extraordinary array of livestock. Comprehensive, colourful, and captivating, Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs features full-colour profiles of 163 livestock breeds. Whether you're looking for a gentle domestic backyard animal or are hoping to introduce a rare heritage breed on your farm, you're sure to find an animal that's perfect for your needs. 320 pages. View More...
Whether you're raising one cow or a herd, this comprehensive guide shows you everything you need to know to successfully manage your beef cattle operation. Heather Smith Thomas stresses the importance of understanding bovine behaviour while covering breed selection, calving, feeding, housing, medical care, and humane slaughter practices. Along with in-depth information on raising grass-fed animals and dealing with toxic pasture plants, you'll also find advice on creating a viable business plan and identifying niche markets for your beef. View More...
Nutrition, environmental impact, ethics, sustainability—it seems like there's no end to the factors we must consider when we think about our food. At the center of the dietary storm is animal-based agriculture. Was your beef factory-farmed or pasture-raised? Did your chicken free range, or was it raised in a battery cage? Have you, in short, met your meat? Most efforts to unravel the complexities of the production and consumption of animal protein tend to pit meat eaters and vegetarians against each other. The Ethical Meat Handbook seeks a middle ground, arguing that by assuming full resp... View More...
Whether you want to the make most of a small plot of land or add diversity to a large farm, raising miniature livestock can be a fun and profitable experience. With expert advice on choosing a breed that suits your needs, Sue Weaver shows you how to house, feed, and care for miniature goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, horses, cattle, and llamas. You'll be inspired by profiles of successful breeders as you learn everything you need to know to keep your miniature livestock healthy and productive. View More...
Temple Grandin, one of the most influential advocate of humane livestock treatment, has spent her life developing stress-free facility designs and standards of humane management. In an environment of growing concern regarding large factory farming practices, Grandin is a voice of reason explaining the benefits of keeping animals calm through every phase of their lives - benefits that include safer working conditions, higher yields of marketable meat, better-quality meat, and, of course, more humane conditions for the animals.The first half of "Humane Livestock Handling" reviews the natural beh... View More...
Knowing how to safely and effectively lead, restrain, and otherwise handle livestock in the field and in farm facilities is critical to being a successful livestock farmer. Renowned animal behaviorist and best-selling author Temple Grandin's guide to livestock handling for small farmers includes her own unique understanding of what motivates the behaviors of cows, pigs, goats, and sheep. She explains herd dynamics, pecking order, and what species are compatible with others in the field. She also explains the distinctive fears, instincts, and memories of each species and then applies this under... View More...