An accessible, practical resource for pasture-based rabbit production-complete with rabbit husbandry basics, enterprise budgets, and guidelines for growing, processing and selling rabbits commercially. In recent years, there has been talk in the food world that rabbits make more sense than chicken. In a country with a $41 billion broiler chicken industry, this might seem like a pretty bold statement, but it’s hardly unsubstantiated. And yet while media has been abuzz about the supposed super protein, very few farmers are stepping up to meet the rapidly increasing interest in sustainably raised rabbit meat. This is partly due to the lack of available resources in the field of rabbit husbandry. Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat is the first book to address the growing trend of ecological rabbit husbandry for the beginning to market-scale farmer. Inspired by Daniel Salatin, who has long been considered the pioneer in integrated rabbit farming, Nichki Carangelo proves that a viable pasture-based rabbitry is not only possible and user-friendly, it’s also profitable. In Carangelo’s approach, happy, healthy rabbits are seasonally raised outside on pasture, using a pasture and wire hybrid system that promotes natural behaviors and a diverse diet, while effectively managing the associated risks. Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat offers valuable information on how farmers can build their own rabbit enterprise from scratch and includes tips on breed selection, breeding techniques, nutrition guidelines, record keeping tools, slaughtering and butchering instructions, marketing advice, and enterprise guides to help farmers plan for profitability. This is an essential guide for anyone interested in integrating rabbits onto a diversified farm or homestead.

Want to expertly look after alpacas? Would you like a step by step guide on raising alpacas? Read through this book and you'll discover everything you need to know from... Selecting a healthy alpaca, associated costs, housing, husbandry, health and breeding, plus useful frequently asked questions. Each section is covered in detail. You'll also find a breeder's directory detailing sites across America, Canada and the UK plus a list of relevant websites. Discover everything from Which way the alpaca home should face (and why) What important things you need to know about worming What fencing is recommended and what to avoid How to recognise and more importantly how to prevent some common health problems And lots lots more...

Chickens, with their natural beauty and big personalities, are beloved for the humor and wisdom they bring to daily life. Few are better acquainted with chickens' charm than Melissa Caughey, who has introduced the appeal of owning a flock and chronicled the lives and personalities of her own backyard birds in her best-selling books. In Chicken Wisdom Frame-Ups, she delivers that charm for all to enjoy, anywhere a dose of inspiration might be needed. Sage sentiments meet delightful chicken photography on 50 individual cards, and with a pull-out table-top frame included, you can display your favorite card or easily swap it out for one that fits the mood or suits the moment. It's an all-in-one package that delivers the joy of keeping chickens -- without having to clean the coop!

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 Small-Scale Dairy includes everything you need to know in order to successfully produce nourishing, healthy, farm-fresh milk. Whether for home use, direct sale to the consumer, or sale to an artisanal cheesemaker, high-quality raw milk is a delicate, desirable product. Successful and sustainable production requires the producer to consider and tackle many details, ranging from animal care to microbiology to good hygienic practices-and, for those with commercial aspirations, business plans, market savvy, and knowledge of the regulations. Applicable to keepers of cows, goats, or sheep, The Small-Scale Dairy offers a holistic approach that explores the relationships between careful, conscientious management and the production of safe, healthy, and delicious milk. A historical overview offers readers a balanced perspective on the current regulatory environment in which raw milk lovers find themselves. Included are options for designing a well-functioning small dairy, choosing equipment, and understanding myriad processes-such as the use of low-temperature pasteurization where raw milk sales are prohibited. Whether you have a one-cow home dairy, a fifty-goat operation, or are simply a curious consumer, The Small-Scale Dairy is an accessible and invaluable resource for achieving your goals.

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.

Cattle are one of our major domesticated animals, a higher mammal with complex mental and physical needs. The benefit of a knowledge of cattle behaviour means veterinarians and stockpeople can recognise abnormal behaviour signs for disease diagnosis and indication of an inadequate environment. This book replaces the book Cattle Behaviour, written by the same author and published by Farming Press in 1993. The text has been revised and updated and four new chapters on cattle welfare have been added. The main interest of many reading a book on behaviour is its relation to the welfare of the species, so the combination of welfare and behaviour is a logical one.

The honey bee has lived in close association with human beings for millennia. Tragically, however, humanity's once intimate connection with this unique creature has been harmed by our increasingly utilitarian and exploitative dealings with the natural world. We are now in urgent need of re-establishing a deeper relationship, not just for the sake of the bees themselves but for the whole of nature - and of course for ourselves.Lorenzen - a true master beekeeper - provides numerous insights to enable a more fruitful engagement with the living world. Offering an enrichment of the knowledge and practice of beekeeping, he discusses the origins of the honey bee, its relationship to the floral kingdom, the digestion of the bee, the treatment of bee diseases as well as appropriate beekeeping techniques. He also develops subtle spiritual concepts such as the idea of the bee colony as an 'individuality' and 'group-soul', providing new depth and wisdom to our understanding of how bees live and work.This small book, a hidden gem that has never before appeared in English, is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of the honey bee and the future of humanity.

Goats aren't just for farmers anymore. More and more people are keeping goats as pets. They're also choosing to raise them for milk and fibre and are keeping them as pack goats, and companion animals. With minimal space and housing needs, goats are a practical choice for people with small backyards who want to enjoy some of the benefits and pleasures of keeping livestock. "The Backyard Goat" is a perfect resource for anyone looking to raise a goat or two for milk, fibre, or pleasure, this book covers all the essentials of goat ownership. Readers will get to know goats in chapters discussing goat anatomy, different breeds and their histories, and how to choose the right goat for every situation. They'll learn how to play and work with goats, using clicker training to teach them how to do simple tricks, pull and drive carts, and serve as pack goats. They'll learn how to care for their goats by providing proper housing, good nutrition, and a healthy environment. And they'll find specific chapters on milking, shearing, breeding, raising newborn kids, and more.

The Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller. As seen on Channel 5's Our Yorkshire Farm. 'With its fizzing energy and celebration of nature and community, this is perfect comfort reading for uncertain times' Daily Mail ______________________________ Amanda Owen loves her traditional life on her hill farm alongside her nine children and husband Clive. And, as readers of her previous bestsellers will know, every day at Ravenseat brings surprises. In Adventures of the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda takes us from her family's desperate race to save a missing calf to finding her bra has been repurposed as a house martin's nest, and from wild swimming to the brutal winter that almost brought her to her knees. As busy as she is with her family and flock though, an exciting new project soon catches her eye . . . Ravenseat is a tenant farm and may not stay in the family, so when Amanda discovers a nearby farmhouse up for sale, she knows it is her chance to create roots for her children. The old house needs a lot of renovation and money is tight, so Amanda sets about the work herself, with some help from a travelling monk, a visiting plumber and Clive. It's fair to say things do not go according to plan! Funny, evocative and set in a remote and beautiful landscape, this book will delight anyone who has hankered after a new life in the country.

The ever-changing world of cattle farming requires farmers to be up-to-date with best-practice procedures and the latest advances in husbandry techniques. Now in its 4th edition Roger Blowey's updated version of the acclaimed A Veterinary Book for Dairy Farmers deals with newly emerging problems in cattle farming as well as covering the necessary knowledge required for maintenance and prosperity.In this practical guide to animal health and husbandry, the author highlights developments in established conditions including lameness, Johnes, BVD and mastitis. Other updates include the prevention and treatment of emerging diseases such as Schmallenberg and Blue Tongue and current issues in farming such as developments in calf rearing and increasing incidence of botulism and antimicrobial resistance.Translating the latest developments in veterinary research coupled with a long career in veterinary medicine the author provides a comprehensive and practical text for dairy farmers, stockmen, veterinary academics and students alike to navigate this changing field.