The livestock sector is facing increasing pressure to develop more 'climate-smart' methods that can be used to prevent the onset of major diseases, whilst also monitoring the efficiency and environmental impact of livestock production. Advances in precision livestock farming provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in the development of precision livestock technologies to monitor the health and welfare of animals as well as key areas of production such as housing and feed efficiency. The collection includes chapters on monitoring key health issues such as mastitis, lameness and fertility together with areas such as milking and grazing management. Edited by a leading researcher in the field, Advances in precision livestock farming will be a standard reference for livestock scientists in universities and research centres, precision farming manufacturers, and government and private sector agencies involved in the regulation of new technologies to improve the health and welfare of livestock.

The tools you need to raise and care for beef cattle

Beef cattle farming is a business that continues to grow in the United States and around the world, and it will only grow larger as the demand for beef continues to increase. "Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies" provides you with an introduction to all aspects of raising beef cattle. Packed with expert tips from experienced farmers, it gives any level of cattle-raiser the tools needed to increase the quantity and quality of your farm's output and maintain a healthy herd.

"Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies" is the go-to resource for aspiring cattle farmers. With important information on health, handling, and breeding, and detailed coverage of equipment and supplies, it is teeming with useful information that anyone interested in raising cattle should have.Advice on which beef cattle breeds to rearThe prevention and treatment of common diseasesCaring for pregnant heifers and calving proceduresDietary specifications dependent on breedGuidance on humane managementCreating an open and safe pasture habitat

If you're an aspiring cattle farmer looking to begin raising cattle or an established raiser interested in expanding your herd, "Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies" has you covered."

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on bacterial diseases affecting pigs. The first chapter summarises recent research on the causes and epidemiology of major bacteria, viruses and parasites found in pig production, focussing on those with a particular impact on safety and global production, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella typhimurium and African swine fever virus. The second chapter discusses classical phenotypic characteristics and more advanced molecular techniques to identify and classify bacterial pathogens affecting swine health and performance. The chapter explores the different modes of transmission, as well as the commonly used measures for prevention and control, including vaccinations. The third chapter reviews the development of dysbiosis and post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets and the consequent economic losses these diseases cause for the global pig industry. The chapter considers the role of animal nutrition and dietary strategies to optimise gut function as a means of preventing dysbiosis and PWD. The final chapter assesses methods of improving gut function in pigs to optimise health and prevent pathogen colonization. The chapter discusses research on genes associated with pathogen resistance and porcine immune response and reviews the role of dietary and nutritional strategies in preventing intestinal pathogen colonisation.

This volume offers a holistic understanding of the environmental and societal challenges that affect reindeer husbandry in Fennoscandia today. Reindeer husbandry is a livelihood with a long traditional heritage and cultural importance. Like many other pastoral societies, reindeer herders are confronted with significant challenges. Covering Norway, Sweden and Finland - three countries with many differences and similarities - this volume examines how reindeer husbandry is affected by and responds to global environmental change and resource extraction in boreal and arctic social-ecological systems. Beginning with an historical overview of reindeer husbandry, the volume analyses the realities of the present from different perspectives and disciplines. Genetics, behavioural ecology of reindeer, other forms of land use, pastoralists' norms and knowledge, bio-economy and governance structures all set the stage for the complex internal and externally imposed dynamics within reindeer husbandry. In-depth analyses are devoted to particularly urgent challenges, such as land-use conflicts, climate change and predation, identified as having a high potential to shape the future pathways of the pastoral identity and productivity. These futures, with their risks and opportunities, are explored in the final section, offering a synthesis of the comparative approach between the three countries that runs as a recurring theme through the book. With its richness and depth, this volume contributes significantly to the understanding of the substantial impacts on pastoralist communities in northernmost Europe today, while highlighting viable pathways to maintaining reindeer husbandry for the future. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of both the natural and social sciences who work on natural resource management, global environmental change, pastoralism, ecology, social-ecological systems, rangeland management and Indigenous studies. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution- Non Commercial- No Derivatives 4.0 license.

This collection features four peer-reviewed literature reviews on improving piglet welfare. The first chapter reviews the main welfare challenges faced during farrowing and lactation, including the occurrence of painful husbandry procedures, such as tooth resection, tail docking and castration. The chapter also highlights various mitigation strategies that can be implemented to optimise the welfare of both sows and piglets in the farrowing environment. The second chapter addresses some of the main welfare concerns that can arise during the weaning and nursery stage as a result of separation between piglet and sow and exposure to a new environment. The chapter also summarises the most important fields of environmental, nutritional and social stress and how these experiences can be mitigated with the correct strategies. The third chapter considers the demand for improved welfare and animal handling systems from governments, non-governmental organisations and consumers. The chapter reviews recent advancements in technology that have the potential to improve animal wellbeing, profitability and performance during the weaning period. The final chapter discusses the main etiological agents acting in the period of transition from weaning, the risk factors for their introduction and diffusion within the farm and the main measures available for their control.

The science and practice of pig production has changed rapidly over recent decades; new husbandry practices, new understandings of growth, reproduction and health, new appreciations of welfare and environmental impact, new nutritional approaches, and modern reproductive and genetic techniques have all come into being, together with the emergence of new health challenges.

Now in its third edition, this long established reference book on the management, breeding, feeding, nutrition, health and welfare of pigs has been fully revised to provide clear and current information on both the practical and scientific aspects of the pig industry. With the help of a new panel of international experts and a senior editor, the overall structure now contains input from international centres across Europe and North America.

This edition includes:

Updated versions of existing chapters;

Completely revised and new sections on: Pig meat and carcass quality, Reproduction, The maintenance of health, Nutritional value of protein and amino acids in feed stuffs, Value of fats and oils in pig diets, Product marketing, Environmental management, Simulation modelling;

Input from international authorities;

Many tables, diagrams, photographs and figures.

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.

E. C. Abbott was a cowboy in the great days of the 1870's and 1880's. He came up the trail to Montana from Texas with the long-horned herds which were to stock the northern ranges; he punched cows in Montana when there wasn't a fence in the territory; and he married a daughter of Granville Stuart, the famous early-day stockman and Montana pioneer. For more than fifty years he was known to cowmen from Texas to Alberta as "Teddy Blue."

This is his story, as told to Helena Huntington Smith, who says that the book is "all Teddy Blue. My part was to keep out of the way and not mess it up by being literary.... Because the cowboy flourished in the middle of the Victorian age, which is certainly a funny paradox, no realistic picture of him was ever drawn in his own day. Here is a self-portrait by a cowboy which is full and honest." And Teddy Blue himself says, "Other old-timers have told all about stampedes and swimming rivers and what a terrible time we had, but they never put in any of the fun, and fun was at least half of it."

So here it is--the cowboy classic, with the "terrible" times and the "fun" which have entertained readers everywhere. First published in 1939, "We Pointed Them North "has been brought back into print by the University of Oklahoma Press in completely new format, with drawings by Nick Eggenhofer, and with the full, original text.

"As a nutritionist I liked this book a lot. I like the setup of the book and how it starts with the gut microbiome and works through to the different ways to manipulate the gut bacteria, including enzymes and different kinds of fibre. I think this is a great book with a lot of advanced information." Dr Darlene Bloxham, Adisseo, USA The pig production sector faces many challenges, including the need to improve feed efficiency to reduce emissions from manure, finding alternative methods to prevent the onset of diseases affecting swine, as well as ensuring that the welfare of pigs is consistent with consumer and regulatory agencies' expectations. Understanding gut microbiomes as targets for improving gut health offers a comprehensive coverage on the wealth of research on the porcine gastrointestinal tract, its key role in pig health and nutrition, as well as its implications for improving feed efficiency and growth. This collection details how optimising the gut microbiome can contribute to an overall improvement in pig health. Edited by Professor Mick Bailey and Emeritus Professor Chris Stokes, University of Bristol, UK, Understanding gut microbiomes as targets for improving gut health will be a standard reference text for pig/swine scientists in universities and research centres, pig feed manufacturers, and government and private sector agencies advising pig farmers on health and nutrition.

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.

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on ensuring animal welfare during transport and slaughter. The first chapter examines the impact of transport on beef and dairy cattle, as well as the effects of transport on carcass quality issues, such as bruising and dark cutting beef. It details how conditions can be optimised to ensure the welfare needs of the animal are met during all stages of transport. The second chapter reviews the legislation and codes of practice surrounding the transport and slaughter of cows to be culled as a result of disease or the development of health conditions such as lameness. The third chapter considers the effects of transport, handling and slaughter practices on pigs as well as physiological effects on carcass and meat quality. The fourth chapter explores current approaches used to stun poultry before slaughter, including electrical stunning and controlled atmosphere stunning. The chapter reviews the associated risks and benefits of each approach to overall bird health and welfare. The final chapter reviews the main welfare issues associated with management of sheep once they leave the farm, including transport by road and sea, use of holding facilities as well as handling and stunning of sheep at abattoirs.

Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda, Second Edition, provides the most up-to-date research, data, and conservation solutions for the red pandas, Ailurus species. Since the publication of the previous edition in 2010, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) updated the threat level of red pandas, and they are now considered to be endangered. This latest edition is updated to provide an in-depth look at the scientific and conservation-based issues urgently facing the red panda today. Led by one of the world's leading authorities and advocates for red panda conservation, this new edition includes data from the Population and Habitat Viability (PHVA) workshops conducted in three of the species' range states, Nepal, China, and India; these workshops utilized firsthand information on the decrease of red panda populations due to factors including deforestation, illegal pet trade, human population growth, and climate change. This book also includes updated information from the first edition on reproduction, anatomy, veterinary care, zoo management, and fossil history.

"...this book covers a range of algal phyla, specialised algal bioprocessing and application topics that make it very interesting for a broad audience. Each chapter covers a theme in such a way that can easily be read by a non-specialist but, as the authors incorporate recent published papers, the book will also be interesting for experts...I also recommend the book for entrepreneurs and technical staff working in different algal-based operations." (Journal of Phycology) As the global demand for meat increases due to population and economic growth, more pressure has been placed on the animal feed sector to support sustainable livestock production, whilst also ensuring the nutritional value and palatability of feed. With traditional sources of protein, including oilseeds and distiller grains, considered as major contributors to climate change, there is growing interest in establishing alternative, more 'climate-smart' sources of protein, such as seaweed and other forms of microalgae that can supplement livestock diets. Seaweed and microalgae as alternative sources of protein summarises current advances in utilising macroalgae and microalgae as alternative sources of proteins. The collection reviews processes of protein formation in macroalgae and microalgae, macroalgae farming and processing as well as microalgae bioprocessing. Chapters also discuss the practical application of seaweed as an alternative protein source in ruminant, pig, poultry and fish diets. Edited by Professor Xin Gen Lei, Cornell University, USA, Seaweed and microalgae as alternative sources of protein will be a standard reference for researchers from universities or other research centres involved in macroalgae/microalgae production and livestock nutrition, companies involved in the manufacture or supply of animal feed or livestock nutrition services, government and other agencies regulating the animal feed sector, as well as farmers interested in furthering their knowledge on recent developments in the animal feed/livestock nutrition sector.

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on decision support systems (DSS) in agriculture. The first chapter provides a review of DSS in agriculture, whilst addressing the key questions surrounding their use for farm soil and crop management. The different aspects of agricultural DSS design, implementation and operation are also discussed. The second chapter assesses the role of DSS for pest monitoring and management through information technology such as, remote sensing, GIS, spectral indices, image-based diagnostics, and phenology-based degree day models. The third chapter discusses the potential of implementing DSS within the growing mechanisation in greenhouses. It examines differences in development and application of deterministic explanatory and data-based models for real-time control and DSS. The fourth chapter explores the key issues associated with deploying DSS in precision agriculture, whilst also considering their human and social aspects. The chapter also considers how future research on DSS can be moulded to improve productivity in a precision agriculture setting. The final chapter outlines the importance of a participatory approach in DSS development, whilst also offering examples of climate-based DSS for crop and land management, pest and disease management, and livestock (dairy) management.

Temple Grandin, North America's most influential advocate of humane livestock treatment, has spent her life developing stress-free facility designs and standards of humane management. In an environment of growing concern regarding large factory-farming practices, Grandin is a voice of reason explaining the benefits of keeping animals calm through every phase of their lives -- benefits that include safer working conditions, higher yields of marketable meat, better-quality meat, and, of course, more humane conditions for the animals.
The first half of "Humane Livestock Handling" reviews the natural behavior and temperament of cattle. Working with the animals' natural instincts, Grandin describes low-stress methods for moving cattle on pastures, paddocks, and feedlot pens. Slow, controlled movement reduces stress and fear, resulting in calmer, healthier cattle. They eat better, are less likely to become sick, and do not run into fences and gates, injuring themselves and bruising the meat. Calm cattle are also far less likely to injure the humans working with them.
The second half of the book is packed with construction plans, diagrams and detailed designs for putting Grandin's ideas into practice. Featuring plans for everything from gate latches to chutes, corrals, and sorting pens for full-scale facilities, there are designs that can be used in both large and small operations. In fact, half of the cattle in North America are already handled in systems designed by Grandin, and the demand for humanely processed meat continues to grow.
Temple Grandin's systems are quickly becoming the industry-wide standard. No livestock operation, small or large, can afford to ignore "Humane Livestock Handling."

"I love your ideas, but I only have a few acres. How do I do this at my scale?" Success with domestic livestock does not require large land bases. Joel Salatin and his family's Polyface Farm in Virginia lead the world in animal-friendly and ecologically authentic, commercial, pasture-based livestock production. In Polyface Micro he adapts the ideas and protocols to small holdings (including apartments)! Homesteaders can increase production, enjoy healthy animals, and create aesthetically and aromatically pleasant livestock systems. Whether you're a new or seasoned homesteader, you'll find tips and inspiration as Joel coaches you toward success and abundance.

In the past sheep-rearing was the main means of existence for most Bedouin. Today it is developing in a new direction. For some it is as important as ever, for others it has become only a subsidiary source of income and a safeguard against economic instability. This volume looks at the effects social, political and economic change has had upon the traditional livelihood of the Negev Bedouin. The author considers how, despite all the problems encountered - such as the expropriation of land by the authorities and the demolition of authorized dwellings - sheep-rearing is still considered to be essential and worthwhile for almost all households. Co-operation between the owners of flocks, shepherds, food suppliers and government officials is essential in the determination of grazing areas and pastoral arrangements. These varied interest groups ensure that sheep-rearing continues to occupy an important place in the Bedouin's cultural identity and the flock remains a unifying factor for the Bedouin family and Israeli society.

This is the first study of a transhumant cattle-raising community in Spain. Transhumance is the seasonal moving of livestock to another region. This book shows the social and economic factors upon which the continued vitality of this mountain village is based: the use of communal summer pastures; the transhumant groups which walk the cattle to the winter pastures over the mountains; and the system of taking turns for many tasks within the village. The book analyses the sharp divisions between the more rigid organization of life within the village, and the organization of life outside the village in the transhumant group which goes to the winter pastures in Extramadura.

The Healthy Donkey provides a fascinating background to the history of this iconic animal and introduces potential owners to everything they need to know about donkey guardianship, with useful information about diet, bedding and grooming. Those already familiar with donkeys will also find invaluable information about addressing behavioural issues using patience, kindness and bodywork using the Tellington TTouch techniques - a non-invasive system of touch and massage designed to bring about calmness, trust and confidence. Case studies show how these techniques can be used to address a variety of problems.

With growing concern from consumers and regulatory agencies about the welfare of farmed animals such as pigs, the livestock sector must assess how animal welfare can be improved whilst ensuring livestock production remains economically and environmentally sustainable. Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of pigs is a comprehensive review of key research in this important area. This collection reviews genetic and developmental factors affecting pig behaviour and current welfare issues at different production stages, as well as specific issues such as tail biting and castration. The book concludes with an assessment of ways to measure welfare, including techniques to monitor pig behaviour. With its distinguished editor and international team of expert authors, Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of pigs will be a standard text for university researchers in pig/swine and veterinary science as well as ethology. It will also be a key reference for government and other agencies involved in regulating and monitoring farm animal welfare, as well as farmers and companies involved in pig production.

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on the environmental impact of livestock production. The first chapter discusses life cycle assessment (LCA) and its role in evaluating the environmental footprint of farming systems. The chapter also explores how the practical trade-off between feasibility and scientific rigour should be addressed in the field of ruminant production systems. The second chapter explores some of the many facets of livestock's contributions to climate change and the difficulties involved in quantifying them, with a closer look into the contribution of livestock methane emissions to changing atmospheric methane concentrations over the last few decades. The third chapter presents a review of the environmental sustainability impacts of swine production, focused at the farm level because the majority of environmental impacts occur by this stage of the supply chain. The fourth chapter considers the potential strategies that can be implemented to improve the environmental performance of intensive poultry systems. The final chapter examines how LCA can be used as a tool to quantify multiple resource use and environmental impacts. The chapter details how potentially harmful emissions can be assessed and measured at each stage in the life cycle of sheep products.

As Britain industrialized in the early nineteenth century, animal breeders faced the need to convert livestock into products while maintaining the distinctive character of their breeds. Thus they transformed cattle and sheep adapted to regional environments into bulky, quick-fattening beasts. Exploring the environmental and economic ramifications of imperial expansion on colonial environments and production practices, Rebecca J. H. Woods traces how global physiological and ecological diversity eroded under the technological, economic, and cultural system that grew up around the production of livestock by the British Empire. Attending to the relationship between type and place and what it means to call a particular breed of livestock ""native,"" Woods highlights the inherent tension between consumer expectations in the metropole and the ecological reality at the periphery. Based on extensive archival work in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia, this study illuminates the connections between the biological consequences and the politics of imperialism. In tracing both the national origins and imperial expansion of British breeds, Woods uncovers the processes that laid the foundation for our livestock industry today.

The magnitude of the food-waste disposal problem cannot be understated. Utilisation of food waste is of concern to the food processing industry, consumers, environmentalists, and regulators of handling and disposal systems. Food waste is not consistent in quality, is usually high in moisture content, and is only available locally. This book focuses on the challenges of utilising both wet and/or processed food waste. The regulatory environment relating to food waste, the perspective of the end-users, and practical use as animal feed is also discussed. One of the goals of this publication, other than to give a clear explanation of the subject of food waste and its uses as animal feed, is to stimulate a need for research.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has a long history of coordinating isotope aided research projects for improving animal productivity in developing countries. These projects have focused on enhancing the efficiency of animal production through better use of locally available feed resources and those that do not compete with human food. As a part of these efforts, the Joint Division has been actively involved in developing and simplifying approaches for measuring microbial protein supply to ruminant livestock. The contribution of microbial protein in meeting the overall requirement for protein in ruminants is significant, but understanding the contribution of microbial protein to the nutrition of ruminant livestock has been hampered by the lack of simple and accurate methods for measuring microbial protein production in vivo. A Consultants' Meeting was held in 1995 in Vienna to explore the feasibility of using nuclear and related techniques to develop and validate new approaches for measuring microbial protein supply in ruminant animals. Based on the available information, the consultants considered that the purine derivative excretion method, which is non-invasive and both simple to use and inexpensive compared with other available methods, had the potential for use in developing countries. However, development of models for various animal species and breeds and their validation were required before this technique could be advocated for use.