"Overall, this new Burleigh Dodds text, Ensuring Safety and Quality in the Production of Beef, is a breath of fresh air. It covers a mountain of factors that can contribute to beef demand. It assembles a truly remarkable set of authors; scientists that have spent a career on their specific topics. This text is a "must read"!! Meat Science Consumer expectations of sensory and nutritional quality have never been higher. Drawing on an international range of expertise, this book reviews research in understanding and improving the quality of beef. Part 1 reviews how breeding and growth affect carcass composition. Part 2 discusses aspects of husbandry affecting meat quality such as nutrition, metabolic modifiers and handling of cattle. The book then goes on to discuss factors affecting flavor, color and tenderness, as well as grading, packaging and methods for measuring sensory quality. Ensuring safety and quality in the production of beef Volume 2: Quality will be a standard reference for animal and food scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in beef production. It is accompanied by Volume 1 which reviews safety issues in beef production.

For animal breeders coat color genetics is one of the fundamental elements of breeding, along with health and conformation. Breeders need to know about coat color for showing purposes and where the fibre is used in industry, for example sheep and alpaca wool. Breeding for coat color is complicated because many dominant and recessive traits interact to produce the base coat color. Alleles for these occur in pairs, so that the phenotype, or visual appearance, does not always reflect the underlying genotype. Practical Color Genetics for Livestock Breeders is a guide for breeders on the biology behind coat color in large animals directing breeders on how to implement breeding strategies to achieve desired results.

During the last two decades, major advances have been made in mammalian genetics. New methods in molecular and cytogenetics, and in biotechnology have been developed. Many of these have been applied to investigating the genetics of sheep and to improving the production of wool, meat and milk. This book is a comprehensive reference work on sheep genetics. All relevant topics have been included, from fundamental genetic structure to the genetics of various production and other traits, to transgenic sheep and genetic conservation. Chapters have been specially commissioned for the volume and written by internationally recognized experts from Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand. The book will be invaluable to advanced students and research workers in animal genetics, breeding and biotechnology.

A lively, engaging introduction to the history of goats in Britain, and the recent renaissance of goat-related products. Ever wondered why a goat's eyes have rectangular pupils? Or what happened to Thor's goats each day after they finished pulling his thunderous chariot? Do goat's milk, cheese and meat represent more ethical food choices than cow and sheep products, and if so, can goat farming play an important role in humankind's future? Whether you're an aspiring smallholder, cheese fanatic or simply want to know more about our caprine companions, this guide introduces the fascinating history and folklore of goats and examines the development of goatkeeping in Britain, shedding light on one of our most intelligent, curious and mischievous domestic animals. It also explains the origins and features of the sixteen British goat breeds and the qualities of their products, and even has a few craft and recipe ideas for you to try.

In Masterminding Nature, Margaret Derry examines the evolution of modern animal breeding from the invention of improved breeding methodologies in eighteenth-century England to the application of molecular genetics in the 1980s and 1990s. A clear and concise introduction to the science and practice of artificial selection, Derry's book puts the history of breeding in its scientific, commercial, and social context.

Masterminding Nature explains why animal breeders continued to use eighteenth-century techniques well into the twentieth century, why the chicken industry was the first to use genetics in its breeding programs, and why it was the dairy cattle industry that embraced quantitative genetics and artificial insemination in the 1970s, as well as answering many other questions. Following the story right up to the present, the book concludes with an insightful analysis of today's complex relationships between biology, industry, and ethics.

Better validation of indigenous domestic animal genetic resources is becoming more important with regard to the potential of livestock for poverty alleviation and income generation. To improve indigenous breeds for sustainable income and employment generation, the methods to be employed are the same as developed in systematic breeding programs, be it for cross-breeding or selective breeding within a specific breed. This book systematically introduces the reader to the breed improvement theory and illustrates the theory with practical examples and case studies. The book is addressed to animal science teachers, to undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as to decision makers in the state and central livestock departments.