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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Farm & working animals
The boom in trained service animal use and access has transformed
the lives of travelers with disabilities. As a result, tens of
thousands of people in the United States and Canada enjoy travel
options that were difficult or impossible just a few years ago.
Henry Kisor and Christine Goodier provide a narrative guidebook
full of essential information and salted with personal, hands-on
stories of life on the road with service dogs and miniature horses.
As the travel-savvy human companions of Trooper (Kisor's miniature
schnauzer/poodle cross) and Raylene (Goodier's black Labrador), the
authors share experiences from packing for your animal partner to
widely varying legal protections to the animal-friendly rides at
Disneyland. Chapters cover the specifics of air, rail, road, and
cruise ship travel, while appendixes offer checklists, primers on
import regulations and corporate policies, advice for emergencies,
and a route-by-route guide to finding relief walks during North
American train trips. Practical and long overdue, Traveling with
Service Animals provides any human-animal partnership with a
horizon-to-horizon handbook for exploring the world.
"That good old farming saying 'make hay while the sun shines' is
true in so many ways ... " Life on a family farm is always full of
its ups and downs, but the past year for sheep farmer Sue Andrews
has been busier than most. There's the arrival of husband Aubrey's
lively new sheepdog puppy. Then livestock sales become online
auctions just as Sue's beloved pedigree Blue Texel sheep are set to
find new homes. And now, to top it all - as lambing starts, a new
generation of young farming grandchildren decides it's time to
learn the ropes ... This is the latest 'enchanting' portrait of a
year in the life of a Cotswold sheep farmer from Amazon bestselling
author Sue Andrews (If Clouds Were Sheep, Jumping Over Clouds) -
perfect for anyone who enjoys a lively tale of the countryside
Sally Urwin and her husband Steve own High House Farm in Northumberland, which they share with Mavis the sheepdog, one very fat pony, and many, many sheep. Set in a beautiful, wild landscape and in use for generations, it's the perfect setting for Sally's - sometimes brutally - honest and charming account of farming life. From stock sales to lambing sheds, and days spent out in the fields through driving snow and hot summer days, A FARMER'S DIARY reveals the highs, lows and hard work involved in making a living from the land, through all four seasons of the year. Filled with grit and humour, newborn lambs and local characters, this is an enlightening read for anyone who has ever wondered what it's like on the other side of the fence.
Sheep have to be one of the most versatile livestock animals on the
planet. All-in-one grazing and fertilising machines, they provide
meat and milk for our tables, wool for clothing, carpets, and
insulation, skins for leather and rugs, and a whole host of other
products. If you have recently acquired sheep or are thinking of
starting a small flock, this book is for you. The Sheep Manual is a
quick-reference, up-to-date, and easy-to-read guide which helps you
choose the right breed for your land, provides essential health and
welfare information, and guides you through your first breeding and
lambing season.
The honey bee is a miracle. It is the cupid of the natural world.
It pollinates crops; making plants bear fruit and helping farmers
make money. But in this age of vast industrial agribusiness, never
before has so much been asked of such a small wonder. And never
before has its survival been so unclear - and the future of our
food supply so acutely challenged. In steps John Miller, or rather
in he bounds. Miller tasks himself with the care and safe
transportation of billions of bees. He is descended from N.E.
Miller, America's first migratory beekeeper, and trucks his hives
from crop to crop, working the North Dakotan clover in summer and
the Californian almonds in winter. He provides the crucial buzz to
farmers who are otherwise bereft of natural pollinators, and does
so for a price. But while there is steady demand for Miller's
miracle workers, especially from the multi-billion-dollar almond
industry (without bees an acre of almonds produces no more than 30
lbs of nuts; with bees, 2,000 lbs), he's faced with ever-mounting
hive losses. In addition to traditional scourges like bears, wax
moths, American foulbrood, tracheal mite, varroa mite, Africanized
bees, overturned tractor trailers, bee thieves, PPB (piss-poor
beekeeping), etc., beekeepers now lose hives in the most mysterious
of ways, when whole colonies simply fly away, abandoning their
combs, in an epidemic known as Colony Collapse Disorder. While bad
news is in constant supply, Miller forges ahead because he can't
imagine doing anything else. He copes and moves on. He works and
sometimes triumphs, all with an inspiring sense of humor. "The
Beekeeper's Lament" tells his story and that of his bees, creating
a complex, moving, and unforgettable portrait of man in the new
natural world.
A stunning book from Amanda Owen - shepherdess, wife, mother of
nine children, bestselling author and star of C5's Our Yorkshire
Farm - that brings her world to life in glorious colour. In
Celebrating the Seasons, Amanda shares funny and charming stories
about life with her family and their many four-legged charges and
describes their activities at Ravenseat, from lambing and shearing
to haymaking and feeding the flock in midwinter. Her gorgeous
photographs showcase the famous Swaledale landscape she writes
about, from the sweeping moors to rare wildflowers and the elusive
hares glimpsed in the field. She lives in tune with nature and
Amanda's attitude to food is the same. She believes in buying good,
seasonal ingredients when it comes to feeding her family and
includes her favourite recipes here, from wild garlic lamb with
hasselback roast potatoes to rhubarb and custard crumble cake and
Yorkshire curd tart. As inspirational as Amanda herself, this book
is a beautiful keepsake that will delight everyone who has followed
her adventures so far.
This visually appealing guide provides all the information that you
need in order to start keeping poultry. A buyer's guide shows what
features to look for in healthy poultry, and essential information
is provided on good poultry husbandry to ensure optimum welfare. A
beautifully illustrated guide to poultry breeds of the world
follows. Each breed is illustrated with a lavish photograph, and
comprehensive text describes the breed type and characteristics. A
final chapter looks at popular goose, duck and turkey breeds. If
you are interested in keeping chickens in the back yard, selling
eggs for profit, or exhibiting pure breeds, this is the perfect
book for you.* Includes a comprehensive visual directory of the
world's pure breeds or poultry, turkeys, ducks and geese,
describing the key characteristics of each. * Common everyday
questions are answered, including What is involved in keeping
poultry at home? Can chickens make suitable pets? How do I make a
poultry house? What is the financial outlay? and What breeds should
I choose? * Information is provided on poultry housing,
maintenance, feeding, security, health and hygiene.
Throughout the course of the Second World War, many millions of
animals were enlisted to serve. Though they had no choice, yet they
demonstrated loyalty, determination and bravery as they shared the
burden of war with their human companions both on active service
and on the Home Front. From the dogs trained to locate air-raid
victims buried under rubble, to the mules that carried ammunition
and supplies through the jungles of the Far East, each animal
played a crucial role in the war effort. In fact, such was their
contribution that those animals that showed exceptional gallantry
or devotion to duty were recognised officially with the
introduction of the Dickin Medal in 1943. This fascinating book
draws from first-hand accounts and contemporary sources to reveal
the wide-ranging contributions that animals made both on and off
the battlefield.
'Every essay in this book is magnificent... Mesmerizing.' New York
Times 'How we interact with animals has preoccupied philosophers,
poets, and naturalists for ages,' writes Susan Orlean. Since the
age of six, when Orlean wrote and illustrated a book called Herbert
the Near-Sighted Pigeon, she's been drawn to stories about how we
live with animals, and how they abide by us. Now, in On Animals,
she examines animal-human relationships through the compelling
tales she has written over the course of her celebrated career.
These stories consider a range of creatures - the household pets we
dote on, the animals we raise to end up as meat on our plates, the
creatures who could eat us for dinner, the various tamed and
untamed animals we share our planet with who are central to human
life. In her own backyard, Orlean discovers the delights of keeping
chickens. In a different backyard, in New Jersey, she meets a woman
who has twenty-three pet tigers - something none of her neighbours
knew about until one of the tigers escapes. In Iceland, the world's
most famous whale resists the efforts to set him free; in Morocco,
the world's hardest-working donkeys find respite at a special
clinic. We meet a show dog and a lost dog and a pigeon who knows
exactly how to get home. Equal parts delightful and profound,
enriched by Orlean's stylish prose and precise research, these
stories celebrate the meaningful cross-species connections that
grace our collective existence.
The Backyard Sheep is the go-to reference for anyone interested in
keeping two to a dozen sheep on a small plot of land. Even those
with no prior experience will learn how to select the right breed,
keep sheep safe and healthy, make them strong dairy and fleece
producers and bring out their personalities as pets or companion
animals. This book is filled with Sue Weaver's infectious
enthusiasm for sheep. Readers will learn that sheep are much
smarter than they get credit for and how to tell tham apart from
goats. With wit and wisdom, Weaver teaches the skills for milking,
shows how to tip a sheep to keep it still and discusses sheep
behaviour so nothing comes as a surprise to the newly initiated.
They roam our hills and wander our country lanes; graze in our
valleys and frolic in our fields. Sheep have lived happily beside
us in Ireland for some five thousand years - it's no wonder they're
an unofficial national symbol. In this book, we celebrate our
wonderful woolly friends, who not only fill our meadows, but also
our history and our hearts.
THE SUNDAY TIMES NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR The new bestseller from
the author of The Shepherd's Life 'A beautifully written story of a
family, a home and a changing landscape' Nigel Slater As a boy,
James Rebanks's grandfather taught him to work the land the old
way. Their family farm in the Lake District hills was part of an
ancient agricultural landscape: a patchwork of crops and meadows,
of pastures grazed with livestock, and hedgerows teeming with
wildlife. And yet, by the time James inherited the farm, it was
barely recognisable. The men and women had vanished from the
fields; the old stone barns had crumbled; the skies had emptied of
birds and their wind-blown song. English Pastoral is the story of
an inheritance: one that affects us all. It tells of how rural
landscapes around the world were brought close to collapse, and the
age-old rhythms of work, weather, community and wild things were
lost. And yet this elegy from the northern fells is also a song of
hope: of how, guided by the past, one farmer began to salvage a
tiny corner of England that was now his, doing his best to restore
the life that had vanished and to leave a legacy for the future.
This is a book about what it means to have love and pride in a
place, and how, against all the odds, it may still be possible to
build a new pastoral: not a utopia, but somewhere decent for us
all. 'A heartfelt book and one that dares to hope' Alan Bennett 'A
wonder of a book, fierce, tender, and beautiful' Helen Macdonald
Winner of the Wainwright Prize Winner of the Fortnum & Mason
Food Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize Shortlisted
for the Ondaatje Prize Longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize
Together, Corey and Ajax traverse the steep high country throughout
the South Island searching out kea nests. Their part in the kea
conservation effort is essential and both Ajax and Corey can
rightly be called conservation heroes. This heart-warming story
describes how Ajax was trained to be one of the very few kea
detection dogs in the world and tells of his various escapades in
the unpredictable wilds of the steep back-country, including flying
in helicopters, working in blizzards, heavy rain and dense fog,
escaping from angry wasps and sleeping out in the bitter cold. The
strong connection between Ajax and Corey has proved vital to their
survival and the important work that they do. Ajax is slowing down
now and soon his high-country days will be over.
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.
Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties,
now in its sixth edition, has a long history as a reliable and
authoritative source of key livestock breed information. Intended
as a list of livestock names and synonyms for breeds, groups, types
and varieties worldwide, the dictionary aims to include all names
found in the literature, 'defining' each breed or type with a brief
indication of identifying characteristics, uses and source of
origin. Expanded into a new edition, this established and trusted
resource: Extends coverage to include yak and camelids in addition
to the existing cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, asses and water
buffalo.Features well over 10,000 entries and cross-references on
breeds, sub-breeds, types, varieties, strains and lines of
species.Covers newly created and now-recognised local breeds
documented over the past two decades. An important updated work,
Mason's Dictionary forms a useful reference for livestock breeders
and academics interested in breeds, as well as national and
international organizations with interests in livestock.
Farming has been in John Connell's family for generations, but he
never intended to follow in his father's footsteps. Until, one
winter, he finds himself back on the farm and begins to learn the
ways of the farmer and the way of the cows. Connell records the
hypnotic rhythm of the farming day - cleaning the outhouses,
milking the herd, tending to sickly lambs, helping the cows give
birth. But alongside the routine events, there are the unforeseen
moments when things go wrong: when a calf fails to thrive, when a
sheep goes missing, when illness breaks out, when depression takes
hold, when an argument erupts and things are said that cannot be
unsaid. The Cow Book is the story of a calving season. It is also
the story of the cow itself, from its domestication and worship as
a God by the Ancient Egyptians to the modern practice of mechanized
herds, via the figure of the cowboy, the destruction of the
American buffalo, the demise of the aboriginal jackaroos and the
consequences of BSE. And, above all, it is the story of Connell's
life as a farmer, of his relationship with his birthplace of County
Longford, with the community around the family farm, with the
animals he tends, and with his father.
Award-winning author Temple Grandin is famous for her
groundbreaking approach to decoding animal behaviour. Now she
extends her expert guidance to small-scale farming operations.
Grandin's fascinating explanations of how herd animals think --
describing their senses, fears, instincts, and memories -- and how
to analyze their behaviour, will help you handle your livestock
more safely and effectively. You'll learn to become a skilled
observer of animal movement and behaviour, and detailed
illustrations will help you setup simple and efficient facilities
for managing a small herd of 3 to 25 cattle or pigs, or 5 to 100
goats or sheep.
When we consider modern American animal advocacy, we often think of
veganism, no-kill shelters, Internet campaigns against trophy
hunting, or celebrities declaring that they would "rather go naked"
than wear fur. Contemporary critics readily dismiss animal
protectionism as a modern secular movement that privileges animals
over people. Yet the movement's roots are deeply tied to the
nation's history of religious revivalism and social reform. The
Gospel of Kindness explores the broad cultural and social influence
of the American animal welfare movement at home and overseas from
the Second Great Awakening to the Second World War. Dedicated
primarily to laboring animals at its inception in an animal-powered
world, the movement eventually included virtually all areas of
human and animal interaction. Embracing animals as brethren through
biblical concepts of stewardship, a diverse coalition of temperance
groups, teachers, Protestant missionaries, religious leaders, civil
rights activists, policy makers, and anti-imperialists forged an
expansive transnational "gospel of kindness," which defined animal
mercy as a signature American value. Their interpretation of this
"gospel" extended beyond the New Testament to preach kindness as a
secular and spiritual truth. As a cultural product of antebellum
revivalism, reform, and the rights revolution of the Civil War era,
animal kindness became a barometer of free moral agency, higher
civilization, and assimilation. Yet given the cultural, economic,
racial, and ethnic diversity of the United States, its empire, and
other countries of contact, standards of kindness and cruelty were
culturally contingent and potentially controversial. Diverse
constituents defended specific animal practices, such as
cockfighting, bullfighting, songbird consumption, and kosher
slaughter, as inviolate cultural traditions that reinforced their
right to self-determination. Ultimately, American animal advocacy
became a powerful humanitarian ideal, a barometer of inclusion and
national belonging at home and abroad that endures to this day.
The updated bestselling guide to laid-back beekeeping for all,
naturally! Are you a beginner beekeeper curious about bees or a
practicing beekeeper looking for natural alternatives that work?
Then this book is for you! In the second edition of the bestselling
beekeeping guide Keeping Bees with a Smile, Fedor Lazutin, one of
Europe's most successful natural beekeepers, shares the
bee-friendly approach to apiculture that is fun, healthful,
rewarding, and accessible to all. This new edition includes dozens
of color photographs, new hive management techniques, and an
updated version of "Lazutin hive" plans. Additional coverage
includes: Keeping bees naturally without interfering in their lives
Starting an apiary for free by attracting local bee swarms Building
low-maintenance hives that mimic how bees live in nature Keeping
colonies healthy and strong without any drugs, sugar, or gimmickry
Helping bees to overwinter successfully even in harsh climates
Enhancing local nectar plant resources Producing truly natural
honey without robbing the bees Reversing the global bee decline...
right in your backyard! Keeping Bees with a Smile is an invaluable
resource for apiculture beginners and professionals alike, complete
with plans for making bee-friendly, well-insulated horizontal hives
with extra-deep frames, plus other fascinating beekeeping advice
you won't find anywhere else.
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 the 1970s, scientists claimed that farm animal breeding was
finally evolving from an art into a science. In their view, the
switch to scientific breeding was as inevitable as the ongoing
process of agricultural modernization. However, the art-to-science
scenario is too simplistic to do justice to the complex dynamic
that characterized the transformation of the field. The livestock
breeds that take centre stage in this book - dairy cattle,
chickens, pigs, sheep, and horses - were products of the twentieth
century. The methods used by breeders to improve their animals,
however, were much older. Tracing the history of practical
stockbreeding, the role of Mendelism in scientific breeding, and
the emergence of quantitative genetics, Beauty or Statistics shows
that the story of the scientific modernization of livestock
breeding can be more fruitfully analysed from the perspective of
changing cultures of breeding, taking practical, commercial,
normative, and aesthetic considerations into account.
Farmers and fanciers keep an astonishing variety of poultry breeds
in North America. These birds provide meat and eggs to nourish us
and feathers to keep us warm. Their quirky personalities and
charming good looks make them barnyard favorites. They inspire
passionate devotion from show breeders and provide a living for
farmers.
Presented here, breed by breed, are more than 120 barnyard fowl --
from chickens and turkeys to emus and pheasants. For each animal,
readers will find stunning color photography, a brief history, and
a detailed description. The identifying characteristics included
for each breed are: class (standard and bantam); size (for cocks
and hens); appearance of comb, wattles, and earlobes; color
(everything from black-breasted red to silver laced); place of
origin; conservation status; and special qualities (including
longevity, size and quantity of eggs, quality of meat, and other
relevant uses). Author Carol Ekarius provides enough information to
satisfy both the dedicated browser and the serious farmer weighing
the pros and cons of multiple breeds.
In 2005, "Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North
America" celebrated horses in a coffee-table reference that
captivated enthusiasts of all ages. Now farmers, breeders, backyard
chicken keepers, and unabashed poultry fanatics will have a
definitive guide of their own. If it's poultry -- fair or fowl --
it's in this book.
You don’t have to be an animal rights activist to take an
interest in how we treat other creatures. All of us, with few
exceptions, use animals in some way: for food, research, recreation
and companionship. In Britain we eat around a billion chickens
every year, while 60% of all mammals on Earth, by biomass, are now
livestock. In 2020, approximately 2.88 million scientific
procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great
Britain. Because all this happens in our name, as consumers and
citizens we have a duty to understand, to care and to exert some
influence over how animals are used. But because such use is
ingrained in our daily lives and largely happens behind closed
doors, we are barely aware of it. The animals deserve better.
Understanding the inconsistencies in our attitudes, in the law and
in what is deemed acceptable practice is an important first step.
This timely and incisive book makes compelling reading for anyone
who has an interest in animals, whether wild or domestic,
free-living or captive, people intrigued about how their food is
produced, and those keen to make informed and intelligent
decisions.
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