Tony Iley looks at the development of the working dog - focusing on the Collie - before describing the pup and its early training through to being a working dog. As a shepherd who has competed at trials for many years his chapter on trials is very illuminating. He also describes what to look out for in the breeding and selection of a dog. This book will be a delight, not just to those who are interested in sheep-dog trials, but anyone who wants a better insight into the wonderful relationship between a dog and his owner.

This book provides empirical evidence from Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique and from different production systems of the importance of livestock as an asset to women and their participation in livestock and livestock product markets. It explores the issues of intra-household income management and economic benefits of livestock markets to women, focusing on how types of markets, the types of products and women's participation in markets influence their access to livestock income. The book further analyses the role of livestock ownership, especially women's ownership of livestock, in influencing household food security though increasing household dietary diversity and food adequacy. Additional issues addressed include access to resources, information and financial services to enable women more effectively to participate in livestock production and marketing, and some of the factors that influence this access. Practical strategies for increasing women's market participation and access to information and services are discussed. The book ends with recommendations on how to mainstream gender in livestock research and development if livestock are to serve as a pathway out of poverty for the poor and especially for women.

Fresh golden yolk eggs in ready supply, organic fertiliser for the vegetable garden-what's not to love about keeping backyard chickens? This handbook covers all you need to know to get started raising your very own flock of chickens. Whether you're considering getting chickens, or already have a few in the backyard, you will find answers to questions such as: what type of chicken suits your space; where to buy chickens; what to look for when buying chickens; what housing your chickens will require; what your chickens will eat and how to care for your chickens. Included are sections on chicken health, an easy reference breed list and directions on hatching chicks. Providing comprehensive and clear advice, Backyard Chickens offers not only the basics, but also a path into furthering your own interest in chickens by hatching and incubating your own.

"Within a day of receiving this book, I had consumed it... Absorbing, moving, and compulsively readable."-Lydia Davis In this affectionate, heart-warming chronicle, Rosamund Young distills a lifetime of organic farming wisdom, describing the surprising personalities of her cows and other animals At her famous Kite's Nest Farm in Worcestershire, England, the cows (as well as sheep, hens, and pigs) all roam free. They make their own choices about rearing, grazing, and housing. Left to be themselves, the cows exhibit temperaments and interests as diverse as our own. "Fat Hat" prefers men to women; "Chippy Minton" refuses to sleep with muddy legs and always reports to the barn for grooming before bed; "Jake" has a thing for sniffing the carbon monoxide fumes of the Land Rover exhaust pipe; and "Gemima" greets all humans with an angry shake of the head and is fiercely independent. An organic farmer for decades, Young has an unaffected and homely voice. Her prose brims with genuine devotion to the wellbeing of animals. Most of us never apprehend the various inner lives animals possess, least of all those that we might eat. But Young has spent countless hours observing how these creatures love, play games, and form life-long friendships. She imparts hard-won wisdom about the both moral and real-world benefits of organic farming. (If preserving the dignity of animals isn't a good enough reason for you, consider how badly factory farming stunts the growth of animals, producing unhealthy and tasteless food.) This gorgeously-illustrated book, which includes an original introduction by the legendary British playwright Alan Bennett, is the summation of a life's work, and a delightful and moving tribute to the deep richness of animal sentience.

A compelling portrayal by the veteran journalist of the lives of farming communities on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border and the surprising connections between them "Conniff brings her skills and insights to a particularly urgent project: moving beyond the polarizing politics of our current era, and taking a deeper look at how people who have been pitted against each other can forge bonds of understanding." -E.J. Dionne Jr., co-author of 100% Democracy Winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Award In the Midwest, Mexican workers have become critically important to the survival of rural areas and small towns-and to the individual farmers who rely on their work-with undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico, accounting for an estimated 80 percent of employees on the dairy farms of western Wisconsin. In Milked, former editor-in-chief of The Progressive Ruth Conniff introduces us to the migrants who worked on these dairy farms, their employers, among them white voters who helped elect Donald Trump to office in 2016, and the surprising friendships that have formed between these two groups of people. These stories offer a rich and fascinating account of how two crises-the record-breaking rate of farm bankruptcies in the Upper Midwest, and the contentious politics around immigration-are changing the landscape of rural America. A unique and fascinating exploration of rural farming communities, Milked sheds light on seismic shifts in policy on both sides of the border over recent decades, connecting issues of labor, immigration, race, food, economics, and U.S.-Mexico relations and revealing how two seemingly disparate groups of people have come to rely on each other, how they are subject to the same global economic forces, and how, ultimately, the bridges of understanding that they have built can lead us toward a more constructive politics and a better world.

We all need to understand the story behind our food. This is the strongest and most articulate case for understanding the central importance of grazing livestock in sustainable food systems that I've read. Patrick Holden, founder and chief executive, Sustainable Food Trust With more public awareness of the connection between health and diet, food, climate and farming, Defending Beef - a modern classic on sustainable food culture - has never been more timely. As the meat industry - from small-scale ranchers and butchers to sprawling slaughterhouse operators - respond to climate threats, a pandemic and the rise of plant-based and lab-produced meats, environmental lawyer turned cattle farmer Nicolette Hahn Niman delivers a passionate argument for responsible grassfed, meat production and consumption in this updated and expanded new edition of her bestselling Defending Beef. Hahn Niman dispels popular myths about how eating beef is bad for our bodies and the planet. The impact of grazing can be either negative or positive, depending on how livestock are managed. In fact, with proper oversight, livestock can play an essential role in maintaining grassland ecosystems by performing the same functions as the natural herbivores that once roamed and grazed there.Grounded in empirical scientific data and citing examples of regenerative agriculture from around the world, she illustrates how cattle can help build carbon-sequestering soils to mitigate climate change, enhance biodiversity, prevent desertification and provide essential nutrition.

The pig played a key role in the German Democratic Republic's attempts to create a modern, industrial food system built on communist principles. By the mid-1980s, East Germany produced more pork per capita than West Germany and the UK, while also suffering the unintended consequences of manure pollution, animal disease, and rolling food shortages. The pig is a highly adaptive animal, and Thomas Fleischman uncovers three types of pig that played roles in this history: the industrial pig, remade to suit the conditions of factory farming; the wild boar, whose overpopulation was a side effect of agricultural development; and the garden pig, reflective of the regime's growing acceptance of private farming within the planned economy. Fleischman chronicles East Germany's journey from family farms to factory farms, explaining how communist principles shaped the adoption of industrial agriculture practices. More broadly, Fleischman argues that agriculture under communism came to reflect the practices of capitalist agriculture, and that the pork industry provides a clear illustration of this convergence. His analysis sheds light on the causes of the country's environmental and political collapse in 1989 and offers a warning about the high cost of cheap food in the present and future. Communist Pigs was a finalist for the Turku Book Award, European Society for Environmental History.

AS SEEN ON BBC TWO'S HIT TV-SHOW 'THIS FARMING LIFE' 'A heartwarming tale of life on the land' Alan Titchmarsh 'There's love and loss, challenge and adversity, but above all it's warm, insightful and inspiring' Helen Skelton 'Will inspire any reader to look at the countryside - and all those who work there - with newfound appreciation' Jimmy Doherty 'Uplifting, charming and beautifully written' Adam Henson Emma Gray was just twenty-three when she moved to an isolated farm in Northumberland, becoming Britain's youngest solo shepherdess. In the seasons that followed, Emma fell in love with its rolling fields, surrounding forest and sturdy farmhouse, tending her sheep and training her dogs - and even found romance. But when Emma finds herself suddenly alone again, heartbroken and recovering from a serious accident, she wonders if her isolated existence is still such a sensible idea. Even if she recovers, how could she make a proper living on Fallowlees Farm? In her heartwarming book, Emma tells the story of how she picked herself up and expanded her cattle herd, added more horses to her menagerie, and became one of the country's most successful breeders and trainers of Border Collies - unexpectedly discovering true love and lasting happiness along the way. Written with warmth and humour, My Farming Life is a joyous celebration of nature and community, and a delight for anyone who's ever dreamed of living closer to the countryside.

In an extraordinary exposition, Lorenzen - an expert beekeeper and student of contemporary spiritual science - describes the `Logos mysteries', based at the ancient temple of Artemis in Ephesus, where priestesses were known as `Melissas' (`honeybees') and the sacrificial priests were called `Essenes' (or `bee-kings'). These cultic mysteries, he says, bore remarkable parallels to the workings of a bee colony - specifically in the relationship between the queen and worker bees to the spiritual `group-soul' of the bees. Lorenzen commences his unique study with a discussion of flowers and insects, exploring their common origins. He then describes the beginnings of the honeybee, its connection with the fig wasp, and the subsequent controlled transformation of the latter that took place in pre-historic mystery-centres. Breeding the honeybee from the fig wasp - a sacred deed performed at consecrated sanctuaries - was part of the `Fig-tree mysteries'. The initiates behind this task developed the ability to commune with the bees' group-soul and to work consciously on the mutual development of the hive and humanity. This concise but rich work features an illuminating foreword by Heidi Herrmann of the Natural Beekeeping Trust as well as a lucid introduction by translator Paul King that explains the anthroposophical concepts employed by Lorenzen in his text.

A system for regenerating land, storing carbon, and creating climate resilience The concept of silvopasture challenges our notions of both modern agriculture and land use. For centuries, European settlers of North America have engaged in practices that separate the field from the forest, and even the food from the animal. Silvopasture systems integrate trees, animals, and forages in a whole-system approach that offers a number of benefits to the farmer and the environment. Such a system not only offers the promise of ecological regeneration of the land, but also an economical livelihood and even the ability to farm extensively while buffering the effects of a changing climate: increased rainfall, longer droughts, and more intense storm events. Silvopasture, however, involves more than just allowing animals into the woodlot. It is intentional, steeped in careful observation skills and flexible to the dynamics of such a complex ecology. It requires a farmer who understands grassland ecology, forestry, and animal husbandry. The farmer needn't be an expert in all of these disciplines, but familiar enough with them to make decisions on a wide variety of time scales. A silvopasture system will inevitably look different from year to year, and careful design coupled with creativity and visioning for the future are all part of the equation. In this book, farmer Steve Gabriel offers examples of diverse current systems that include: A black locust plantation for fence posts coupled with summer grazing pastures for cattle in central New York; Oxen and pigs used to clear forested land in New Hampshire to create space for new market gardens and orchards; Turkeys used for controlling pests and fertilization on a cider orchard and asparagus farm in New York; and Sheep that graze the understory of hybrid chestnut and hickory trees at a nut nursery in Minnesota. All of these examples share common goals, components, and philosophies. The systems may take several years to establish, but the long-term benefits include healthier animals and soils, greater yields, and the capacity to sequester atmospheric carbon better than forests or grasslands alone. For all these reasons and more, Silvopasture offers farmers an innovative and ecological alternative to conventional grazing practice.

As textbooks go, this is one of the few that I may actually choose to read in a spare moment, not just when madly researching what could possibly be the problem when I get called to a goat farm. It contains interesting information on the background of goat farming, goat behaviour, nutrition and husbandry in the introductory section... This hardback, logically presented book will live on a handy shelf to be used on a regular basis. - Pam Brown, mixed practice vet at Alnorthumbria Vets, Wooler, in Veterinary Record, 27 April 2019 Key features: Covers both goat medicine and surgery Covers basic anatomy, commons breeds and husbandry Includes new and emerging diseases Goats are one of the most widely kept domestic animals globally, mainly as a result of the relative ease with which they can be kept and the obvious benefits provided to those who keep them. Goat Medicine and Surgery describes the key diseases that can have an impact on goat health and welfare worldwide, providing information on diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, management and control. Covers basic anatomy, common breeds and husbandry. Divided into chapters covering each body system Offers the common differential diagnoses, followed by the specific diagnosis and recommended treatments Covers a wide range of disorders, including new and emerging diseases Modern goat keeping gives us a full spectrum of activity from nomadic tribes moving with their animals, to the range-keeping in Australia, to units fattening goat kids for meat and to intensive goat dairy production systems. Alongside these production systems are those in which goats are kept in small numbers as a hobby, as pets and at public attractions. This book deals with the diseases and challenges impacting all kinds of goats and their owners. It will be invaluable to veterinarians in practice and training, animal scientists and agricultural advisors, as well as scientists interested in animal welfare.

A much needed examination of contemporary approaches to animal healing in South Africa, and the role of local knowledge. Understanding local knowledge has become a central academic project among those interested in Africa and developing countries. In South Africa, land reform is gathering pace and African people hold an increasing proportion of thelivestock in the country. Animal health has become a central issue for rural development. Yet African veterinary medical knowledge remains largely unrecorded. This book seeks to fill that gap. It captures for the first time the diversity, as well as the limits, of a major sphere of local knowledge. Beinart and Brown argue that African approaches to animal health rest largely in environmental and nutritional explanations. They explore the widespread use of plants as well as biomedicines for healing. While rural populations remain concerned about supernatural threats, and many men think that women can harm their cattle, the authors challenge current ideas on the modernisation of witchcraft. They examine more ambient forms of supernatural danger expressed in little-known concepts such as mohato and umkhondo. They take the reader into the homesteads and kraals of rural black South Africans and engage with a key rural concern - vividly reporting the ideas of livestock owners. This is groundbreaking research which will have important implications for analyses of local knowledge more generally as well as effectivestate interventions and animal treatments in South Africa. William Beinart is Rhodes Professor of Race Relations, African Studies Centre, University of Oxford; Karen Brown is an ESRC Research Fellow at the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, University of Oxford. Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Swaziland): Wits University Press

Every cattle farmer -- from the keeper of a family milk cow to the rancher overseeing a large herd -- will gain confidence and control by becoming more knowledgeable about calving. Healthy pregnancies, safe births, and thriving calves are critical to every cattle operation, and in remote farm locations, the veterinarian is not always readily available. Even if the vet is nearby, the farm's finances will be healthier if the farmer can oversee most of the calving process.
Heather Smith Thomas, an expert on livestock with decades of firsthand experience, covers every routine situation likely to arise before, during, and after calving. And when the calving process is out of the ordinary, Thomas guides the farmer through pregnancy problems, difficult deliveries, recognizing when to call in a vet, and postpartum complications. Her thorough coverage of what to expect in every situation gives farmers the knowledge they need to care personally for their cows.
The second half of the book is dedicated to ensuring that every calf gets off to a healthy start. Thomas helps farmers work with cows reluctant to nurse, substitute mothers, and frail calves. A complete chapter on calfhood illnesses explains warning signs and offers tips on prevention and treatment.
As people return to farming in growing numbers, the demand for safe, humane livestock knowledge continues to increase. Farmers will turn to this reliable volume again and again as they welcome each new calf.

One of the great classics of Scottish history, The Drove Roads of Scotland interweaves folklore, social comment and economic history in a fascinating account of Scotland's droving trade and the routes by which cattle and sheep were brought from every corner of the land to markets in central Scotland. In pastoral Scotland, the breeding and movement of livestock were fundamental to the lives of the people. The story of the drove roads takes the reader on an engrossing tour of Scottish history, from the lawless cattle driving by reivers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the legitimate movement of stock which developed after the Union of the Crowns, by which time the large-scale movement of stock to established markets had become an important part of Scotland's economy, and a vital aspect of commercial life in the Empire.

The demand for quality milk products is increasing throughout the world. Food patterns are changing from eating plant protein to animal protein due to increasing incomes around the world, and the production of milk and milk products is expanding with leaps and bounds. This book presents an array of recent developments and emerging topics in the processing and manufacturing of milk and dairy products. The volume also devotes a special section on alternative energy sources for dairy production along with solutions for energy conservation. With contributions for leading scientists and researchers in the field of dairy science and technology, this valuable compendium covers innovative techniques in dairy engineering processing methods and their applications in dairy industry energy use in dairy engineering: sources, conservation, and requirements In line with the modern industrial trends, new processes and corresponding new equipment are reviewed. The volume also looks at the development of highly sensitive measuring and control devices have made it possible to incorporate automatic operation with high degree of mechanization to meet the huge demand of quality milk and milk products. Processing Technologies for Milk and Milk Products: Methods, Applications, and Energy Usage will be a valuable resource for those in those involved in the research and production of milk and milk products.

Bees make honey; we all know that. But what happens between the bee buzzing around our garden, and the sticky knife in the jar, is a mystery to most of us. How many bee-hours does it take to make just one jar of honey? What do the honeybees' waggling dances really mean? Why do bees swarm? What is a 'house bee'? From exploring their life cycle and development, to revealing their societies and behaviour, expert biodynamic beekeeper Michael Weiler answers these questions and many more. Combining poetic observations with scientific detail, The Secrets of Bees uncovers the incredible world of these remarkable insects.

PLAY AND LEARN: learn about bees and biodiversity as you play this family strategy game for age 6+, based on traditional Mancala SCREEN-FREE FUN for two players aged 6 and up SOMETHING TO TREASURE: this is a quality product made to last, with bespoke illustration and sleek and stylish packaging EXPLORE THE ENTIRE SERIES: this game is one of our nature games, others include Bird Bingo, I Saw It First! Ocean, and many more Buzz the bees to the flowers to collect pollen and then back to the hive to make honey for feeding and growing your very own bee colony. The player with the largest colony wins! Based on the ancient gameplay of mancala, Beehive Mancala is a fun strategy game for adults and children aged 6+. Includes facts on the bees and flowers featured, plus details on the honey-making process and the importance of bees from the beekeeper at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London, UK.

Honey has the sweetest associations. Put a dab on your tongue and let its smooth sugars dissolve into a long hit of flavour and energy. It makes you think of summer days when bees buzz between flowers in the sunshine.

Made from nectar concentrated down to a sweet stickiness by tens of thousands of bees working together in the hive, honey can be found all over the world. Caribbean jerk, Spanish tapas, French sauces, British biscuits and Turkish cakes all gleam with the sweet stuff. It can take no more than a spoonful of honey to bring its deep flavour to a dish. As a marinade it enhances meat and poultry, and works particularly well with nuts and fruits, cream and cheese, and herbs and spices.

Join award-winning author Hattie Ellis in the kitchen as she shares over 80 recipes covering meals throughout the day, snacks, sweets, puddings, sauces and drinks.

From Honeyed Chicken and Aubergine Biryani and Honey Sauce Vierge to Honey, Apple and Rosemary Jelly and Sicilian Honey Balls (Sfingi), Hattie explores different flavours and varieties of honey from around the world.

Spoonfuls of Honey also explains what to consider when buying and storing honey, gives tips on its use in your cooking, examines the benefits to your health and includes the role bees and honey play in nature.

Chapters include: What is Honey?; A-Z of honey; A-Z of honeybees; Honey in the kitchen; How to buy and store honey; How to taste honey; Honey and health; Honey and the natural world; Around the world in 90 pots. Recipe chapters include: Breakfast and brunch; lunch and supper; Snacks, sides and sauces; Teatime baking; Puddings; Preserves, Sweets and drinks

Lessons, stories, and reflections from the Goat Midwife There is nothing about goat care that creates more anticipation, excitement, frustration, and fear than birthing goats. What can you expect with a goat pregnancy? What do you do if things go wrong when goats give birth? What happens when you have a challenging newborn kid? Seasoned goat farmer Deborah Niemann, author of Raising Goats Naturally, answers these questions and more by distilling the stories and experiences from over 600 goat pregnancies and births. Coverage includes: The differences between normal goat pregnancies Necessary C-sections Incidents that may turn deadly serious. For both new and experienced goat owners, Goats Giving Birth illuminates the joy, the sadness, and everything in between when birthing pregnant goats, giving you the confidence to handle a large spectrum of goat pregnancies and help birth happy thriving kids.

The pig is one of the earliest domesticated animals and plays an integral part in a number of peasant economies in the tropics, for example in Oceania and Southeast Asia. In several African countries and others such as Thailand, increasingly intensive pig production has played a significant role in the overall economic growth and the feeding of an expanding urgan population. Furthermore, although in some circumstances pigs do compete with humans for food resources, they are also very versatile at utilizing byproducts and wastes that are not suitable for human consumption. There is therefore considerable potential for developing pig production in the tropics, and this book provides an accessible guide to the subject for students, farmers and advisory workers. It is translated from an original French edition compiled by the Institut d'Elevage et de Medecine Veterinaire des Pays Tropicaux."