This book describes the biological basis of reproduction in poultry and places this information in the context of poultry production. The author has collated and integrated recent information from a variety of sources in order to highlight the principles of the reproductive biology of poultry. This is achieved through a well-illustrated and tabulated text which emphasizes integration rather than comprehensive literature citations. The book begins by considering the egg, proceeds to a brief description of embryonic and chick development as they relate to poultry production, and describes the physiological processes that lead to formation of the fertile egg. It concludes with a discussion of the relationship between measurements of reproductive success that are commonly used in the poultry industry and their ability to reflect the physiological processes that contribute to successful reproduction. The book is aimed at advanced undergraduates or graduate students studying animal reproduction or agriculture, as well as scientists working in the poultry industry.

Legumes have diverse uses and roles in agriculture and environmental protection. They are particularly important in the tropics for a number of reasons. Browse or tree species are renowned for their drought resistance and their role in the prevention of desertification. All legumes can fix atmospheric nitrogen, thus reducing the cost of fertilizers to farmers who may not be able to afford them. While tropical grasses are often of poor nutritive value, both browse and pasture legumes may have a higher protein content, palatability and digestibility. This volume focuses on the use of tropical browse, pasture and grain legumes in animal nutrition. It is written by leading authorities from the UK, Australia, India and Malaysia.

As a model organism, the chick has provided valuable insights into broad issues of development in higher animals. The complex interactions between genetic, hormonal and environmental factors which occur in the developing chick provide a potent argument against unitary causal explanations for differences in behaviour. Study of the behaviour of the chick is also relevant to poultry science and the welfare of domesticated birds. This book reviews research on the development of brain and behaviour in the chick and juxtaposes this with similar work on other avian and, to a lesser extent, mammalian species. It begins by outlining the developmental stages of the chick embryo, including the effects of environmental stimulation. Behaviour and the neurochemistry of development and memory formation in the posthatching period are then discussed. The transitions that occur during the first two to three weeks of posthatching life are described, particularly in terms of changing hemispheric dominance. The final chapter examines avian cognition and some issues of welfare for the domestic chicken. The book provides a thorough review of the subject and will interest workers in animal neurophysiology and behaviour, experimental psychologists, and poultry scientists.

Contains a selection of White Papers, commissioned to better inform the exploration of cattle welfare. These are prepared by notable experts in their field, to help provide factual context around selected topics that impact cattle welfare and production systems. Covers all aspects of cattle use in an accessible style, making this a must have volume for anyone interested in cattle welfare or cattle medicine. Provides an in-depth picture of the distinctive beef and dairy cattle welfare practices and issues, covering topics such as behavior, breeding and genetic manipulation, nutrition and feeding, housing and management, health and disease, and transport and slaughter. Written by acknowledged leaders in animal science, veterinary science, philosophy and animal welfare, presenting a truly multidisciplinary perspective on cattle welfare. Includes a section on understanding and managing animal welfare in both beef and dairy cattle, discussing how cattle perceive the world, animal handling and pain mitigation, and how to assure that the cows have a reasonably good life. The Welfare of Cattle offers an accurate, detailed account of the ethical and welfare concerns related to the human use of cattle. There is currently no significant book dealing with the welfare of cows, animals often seen as archetypal paradigms of 'farm animals'. Covering both beef and dairy cattle, the expert authors provide in-depth information on the husbandry roots of traditional agriculture, the replacement of this system of stewardship by an industrial model, and the resulting welfare challenges associated with industrial agriculture: feedlots, highly industrialized dairies, and slaughterhouses killing huge numbers of animals who have been transported great distances. This important book explores in detail the ways in which people who are providing care for cattle can take their first step, or their next step, toward enhancing the welfare of these animals. An extra chapter (online only) is available in the 'Downloads' tab on the left: Dairy Nutrition, by Michael Gamroth

Livestock housing is a major determinant of animal health, welfare and productivity. This book presents the important principles and processes by which housing influences these outcomes, and shows how an understanding of these can be translated into specifications for housing designs. The emphasis is on the building as a means to an environmental end, focusing on the biological responses and welfare needs of animals in the context of commercial and economic considerations. The book provides a thorough literature review as well as practical guidance and is aimed at academics and professionals in animal production, veterinary science and agricultural engineering.

The most complete text and reference on contemporary beef cattle production available. New edition merges current production technology with management and flexible marketing. Text organization reflects the industry: cow-calf (including purebred herds), stocker or growing phase, and the feedlot or finishing phase. Explains scientific basis of beef production. Describes proven management techniques for efficient production.

A comprehensive and richly illustrated guide to keeping chickens.

Chickens kept as pets are increasingly popular, even in urban environments, as more and more people discover it is easy to keep chickens, even in a small backyard. They make excellent pets and offer the immeasurable benefit of a free and ready supply of fresh eggs.

The expert author alerts the many newcomers to chicken-keeping to the amazing variety of breeds available -- more than 100 registered pure breeds and bantams, as well as many hybrids.

This beautifully illustrated reference provides essential advice about the housing and care of chickens, as well as profiles of more than 70 of the most popular breeds, with details such as:

History and origins Weight ranges Egg characteristics Physical appearance Behavior.

The "Mini Encyclopedia of Chicken Breeds and Care" provides an unrivalled depth of practical information, and it features more than 500 specially commissioned color photographs. From the plump, cushionlike beauty of the Buff Orpington to the extravagantly ornamental bantams, readers will discover there is a chicken breed that ideally suits them.

Beef Cattle Production and Trade covers all aspects of the beef industry from paddock to plate. It is an international text with an emphasis on Australian beef production, written by experts in the field. The book begins with an overview of the historical evolution of world beef consumption and introductory chapters on carcass and meat quality, market preparation and world beef production. North America, Brazil, China, South-East Asia and Japan are discussed in separate chapters, followed by Australian beef production, including feed lotting and live export. The remaining chapters summarise R&D, emphasising the Australian experience, and look at different production systems and aspects of animal husbandry such as health, reproduction, grazing, feeding and finishing, genetics and breeding, production efficiency, environmental management and business management. The final chapter examines various case studies in northern and southern Australia, covering feed demand and supply, supplements, pasture management, heifer and weaner management, and management of internal and external parasites.

Livestock biodiversity is integral to our culture, history, environment, economy and, most importantly, our future. Thousands of livestock breeds, from relatively small genetic pools, have evolved over time to suit particular environments and farming systems. This is both the result of natural processes and of human needs for specialized livestock - as our knowledge of genetics continues to increase we achieve a greater understanding of how this biodiversity evolved.

This book offers a detailed and comprehensive overview of livestock biodiversity. It explores the history behind it, shows how livestock biodiversity can be utilized as animal genetic resources through breed development and by crossbreeding, examines the state of world livestock biodiversity today, and emphasizes the importance of conserving and developing the biodiversity of livestock.

Special consideration is given to:

- How livestock biodiversity arose and is maintained in relation to human society

- How it can be used in sustainable agricultural development

- How it can be conserved for the benefit of present and future generations

- Why conservation biologists, as well as agriculturists, should be involved in its protection

Produce your own milk, cheese, meat, fiber, fertilizer, and more Incorporating dairy goats into a diversified homestead can be the key to greater self-sufficiency. Responding to questions and concerns from readers from all over North America and beyond, this fully revised and expanded edition of Raising Goats Naturally will help readers work with nature to raise dairy goats to produce milk, cheese, meat, fertilizer, leather, fiber, and soap - all without relying on drugs or following the factory farm model. By observing your own animals closely and educating yourself about their specific needs, you can create an individualized plan for keeping them healthy and maximizing their productivity. This unique, fully-illustrated guide will teach you to help your herd thrive with: Breed-specific descriptions to help you choose the right goats for your goals and lifestyle Detailed information on housing, fencing, breeding, health, milking, and nutrition Complete recipes and instructions for making your own cheese, dairy products, and soap, as well as cooking with goat meat. Packed with personal experiences and backed up by expert veterinary advice and scientific studies, Raising Goats Naturally brings together a wealth of practical information on raising goats for the love of it and using their milk and meat to become more self-reliant.

Haemonchus Contortus and Haemonchosis - Past, Present and Future Trends, the latest in the Advances in Parasitology series first published in 1963, contains comprehensive and up-to-date reviews on all areas of interest in contemporary parasitology. The series includes medical studies of parasites of major influence, such as Plasmodium falciparum and trypanosomes. The series also contains reviews of more traditional areas, such as zoology, taxonomy, and life history, which help to shape current thinking and applications. The 2014 impact factor is 6.226.

As beef and cattle production progressed in nineteenth-century America, the cow emerged as the nation's representative food animal and earned a culturally prominent role in the literature of the day. In Cattle Country Kathryn Cornell Dolan examines the role cattle played in narratives throughout the century to show how the struggles within U.S. food culture mapped onto society's broader struggles with colonization, environmentalism, U.S. identity, ethnicity, and industrialization. Dolan examines diverse texts from Native American, African American, Mexican American, and white authors that showcase the zeitgeist of anxiety surrounding U.S. identity as cattle gradually became an industrialized food source, altering the country's culture while exacting a high cost to humans, animals, and the land. From Henry David Thoreau's descriptions of indigenous cuisines as a challenge to the rising monoculture, to Washington Irving's travel narratives that foreshadow cattle replacing American bison in the West, to Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton's use of cattle to connect race and imperialism in her work, authors' preoccupations with cattle underscored their concern for resource depletion, habitat destruction, and the wasteful overproduction of a single breed of livestock. Cattle Country offers a window into the ways authors worked to negotiate the consequences of the development of this food culture and, by excavating the history of U.S. settler colonialism through the figure of cattle, sheds new ecocritical light on nineteenth-century literature.

For more than 25 years Practical Beekeeping in New Zealand has been the bible for New Zealand beekeepers. The only comprehensive guide to keeping bees in New Zealand, it provides both amateur and professional beekeepers with details on honey bee management throughout the year, advice on handling hive products and information about many other beekeeping subjects. As well as being a guide for beekeepers, Practical Beekeeping in New Zealand appeals to those interested in apiculture and deciding whether to keep bees, while horticulturalists and farmers find it of particular interest for crop pollination. Given New Zealand's reputation in world beekeeping the book has also been keenly sought after by beekeepers overseas. Four editions of the book have been published since 1984, including comprehensive updates to include the latest information and developments, particularly on new approaches to beekeeping now the parasitic varroa mite has become established in New Zealand and changed the face of beekeeping forever. This 5th full-colour edition gives new life to an established classic.

Genetic improvement is an essential component of the management of animal genetic resources and can make important contributions to food security and rural development. Yet, the majority of developing countries have not been successful in sustaining breed development programmes. The objective of these guidelines is to help countries plan and develop effective genetic improvement programmes and to maximize the chances that such programmes will be sustained. These guidelines address Strategic Priority Area 2 of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic resources adopted in 2007, and are intended for use by policy-makers and organizations involved in livestock development.

Efficient Livestock Handling: The Practical Application of Animal Welfare and Behavioral Science brings together the science-based disciplines of animal behavior and welfare to discuss how knowledge of one area (behavior) can be used to promote the other. Emphasis is on cattle and horses, but swine, sheep, and goats are also covered. Three major areas are included and integrated into a practical approach to working with the various species. Basic behavior as it applies to handling is discussed, with differences noted between species. The connections of behavior and handling are covered, and practical applications discussed, both with a liberal use of pictures and videos to bring the concepts to life.

Understanding the processes that change the shape and composition of farm animals is fundamental to all aspects of production. Showing the progression from cell to tissue to entire animal, this comprehensive textbook provides an essential broad base for animal production, with key information on how animals grow and change in shape and composition, and factors that affect these processes. Illustrated with new photographs and focus boxes highlighting vital points, this updated third edition includes a new chapter on avian growth, an important source of protein for the expanding population. Providing a thorough yet student-friendly approach to the subject, this book continues to fill the important role of helping readers to understand how the basics of growth must be thoroughly understood if farm animals are to be used efficiently and humanely in producing food for mankind.