This publication presents a comprehensive review of all the aspects of ostrich production. Part I examines in depth: origin and evolution of the ostrich; description of various species; production systems; practical aspects of management; ostrich products such as meat, skin and feathers; economics of ostrich production. Part II is a series of cases studies in southern Africa, Australia and the Near East. This manual will provide a standard text on ostrich production for students, researchers and development specialists and will also be invaluable to those already practising ostrich farming as well as those thinking of entering the industry.

In Cowed, globally recognized environmentalists Denis and Gail Boyer Hayes offer a revealing analysis of how our beneficial, centuries-old relationship with bovines has evolved into one that now endangers us. Long ago, cows provided food and labor to settlers taming the wild frontier and helped the loggers, ranchers, and farmers who shaped the country's landscape. Our society is built on the backs of bovines who indelibly stamped our culture, politics, and economics. But our national herd has doubled in size over the past hundred years to 93 million, with devastating consequences for the country's soil and water. Our love affair with dairy and hamburgers doesn't help either: eating one pound of beef produces a greater carbon footprint than burning a gallon of gasoline. Denis and Gail Hayes begin their story by tracing the co-evolution of cows and humans, starting with majestic horned aurochs, before taking us through the birth of today's feedlot farms and the threat of mad cow disease. The authors show how cattle farming today has depleted America's largest aquifer, created festering lagoons of animal waste, and drastically increased methane production. In their quest to find fresh solutions to our bovine problem, the authors take us to farms across the country from Vermont to Washington. They visit worm ranchers who compost cow waste, learn that feeding cows oregano yields surprising benefits, talk to sustainable farmers who care for their cows while contributing to their communities, and point toward a future in which we eat less, but better, beef. In a deeply researched, engagingly personal narrative, Denis and Gail Hayes provide a glimpse into what we can do now to provide a better future for cows, humans, and the world we inhabit. They show how our relationship with cows is part of the story of America itself.

The dime novel and dude ranch, the barbecue and rodeo, the suburban ranch house and the urban cowboy--all are a direct legacy of nineteenth-century cowboy life that still enlivens American popular culture. Yet at the same time, reports of environmental destruction or economic inefficiency have motivated calls for restricted livestock grazing on public lands or even for an end to ranching altogether. In "Let the Cowboy Ride, " Starrs offers a detailed and comprehensive look at one of America's most enduring institutions. Richly illustrated with more than 130 photographs and maps, the book combines the authentic detail of an insider's view (Starrs spent six years working cattle on the high desert Great Basin range) with a scholar's keen eye for objective analysis.

Presenting up-to-date information in a highly visual, reader-friendly manner, THE SCIENCE OF ANIMAL AGRICULTURE, Fifth Edition, provides a thorough introduction to basic science concepts involved in the production of agricultural animals. By combining scientific principles with practical applications, this proven resource clearly demonstrates how science and agriculture are integrally related. The text covers biological processes of agricultural animals--including reproduction, growth and development, and animal behavior--as well as concerns associated with production, such as nutrition, disease, and even the latest in animal biotechnology. The author also addresses key issues such as animal welfare, consumer concerns, and environmental considerations, offering students further insights into today's agricultural industry.