From high heels to welly boots - one woman's misadventures in becoming a farmer, raising a family and making a living from the land. Sally Urwin was living in a tiny flat in the city with a high-pressure job. She was depressed, surviving off rescue remedies and wine, and longing for a different life when she met and married farmer Steve. Returned to the rolling hills of Northumberland, a place she'd adored as a child, Sally imagined herself wafting around High House Farm in floral dresses followed by a bevy of rosy-cheeked children. The reality is quite different... Sally is usually wearing a jumper covered in sheep poo and bellowing at Mavis the collie to stop chasing Gladys the grumpy pony and her kids are moaning about being dragged outside while she is caring for a ewe who has ingested a poisonous plant after wandering into the neighbour's field. But despite the chaos of juggling motherhood with running a farm, financial hardship and dealing with poorly animals, the exhilarating freedom of rural life has helped Sally to heal her own body and mind. Lambing season might be backbreaking, but the utter joy in cradling a new-born lamb is worth all the sweat and tears. With a mix of grit, humour and the love of family, Sally shows us that it's never too late to live the life you've always dreamed of. Fans of The Yorkshire Shepherdess will love this hilarious, heartfelt and honest account that will have you howling with laughter and sobbing into your tissues in equal measure. Read what everyone is saying about What the Flock!: 'I don't know how to tell you how much I loved this book... You just CAN'T go wrong with having the author as narrator.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I don't even know where to begin!... an amazing memoir that reads like fiction... you will find yourself being sucked into stories... you will laugh and cry... I couldn't put this book down until I devoured it from start to finish... 1000/10 would read again and again.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'This book was perfect. I loved the honest and wholesome look at life the author provides. It is at sometimes funny and sometimes sad... like talking to a friend.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I don't know any animal lover that won't enjoy this book... I related to the female farmer talking about her struggles with the corporate world, and I dreamed along with her that I might be capable of farming and loving on animals all day... I cried over the losses that can come with farm life... will keep you entertained, and I'm going to keep rooting for this family to secure their farm's future.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'If Bo Peep met the Durrells, they'd happily live alongside Sally Urwin on her Northumbrian farm. An engaging and very, very funny account of a city girl who became a sheep farmer and traded in everything she thought she knew for a life where the four-legged family members rule.' Freya North 'I loved this... a joy to read... Honest and funny.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'A beautiful memoir and the way she narrates it in this audio book makes it all the more special... I felt as if I was sat at her table having a cuppa as she told me about her life. Stunning book and I will be buying copies for friends.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I really enjoyed this one... the author is a wonderful storyteller and I enjoyed her humor. I laughed out loud at the stories about Candy, the fat pony.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

With nearly every supermarket now featuring an "organic" section, the demand for organically grown meat and dairy products has risen rapidly in recent years. Small farmers have taken note, and many more beginners are considering cattle as a viable farm commodity. Getting Started with Beef & Dairy Cattle is the essential handbook for this growing audience.
Heather Smith Thomas, a lifelong cattle rancher and author of several previous books for more experienced farmers, offers a succinct layperson's guide to the basics of raising a small herd of cattle, whether for meat or dairy products. She outlines organic and natural farming methods and covers all the information needed to get started and be successful.
Getting Started with Beef & Dairy Cattle encourages new and beginning farmers to start small, and start right. Thomas explains as simply as possible the basics of selecting and raising a calf, along with feeding, shelter, and care guidelines. She also covers breeding and calving, as well as tips for managing a herd throughout the seasons. There's basic health care information for preventing disease and addressing common ailments. For those raising beef cattle, Thomas offers guidelines for butchering; for those raising dairy cattle, there are step-by-step guidelines on milking.
With a whole new generation returning to the farm who don't have a family history of farming, Getting Started with Beef & Dairy Cattleis a much-needed resource. Heather Smith Thomas has devoted her life to passing on the knowledge, understanding, and attitude necessary to become a successful farmer.

The second edition of Food Safety and Quality Assurance is a basic reference for veterinarians, extension specialists, and others who help food-animal producers throughout the food chain to provide a safe product to consumers. The assurance of safety and quality must start with the producer. Professionals providing specialized expertise to the producer must be familiar with modern production practices in order to identify activities that may have an adverse effect on safety and quality; must be knowledgeable about microbial and nonmicrobial agents that reduce the marketability of the product and produce disease in the consumer; and must be familiar with modern processing techniques for foods of animal origin to understand the scientific basis for the inspection procedures required by regulatory agencies. This greatly expanded edition provides this information and includes a chapter analyzing the social and political context for the development of food safety and quality assurance inspection of foods of animal origin. Also new to this edition is its examination of egg production, in addition to red meat, poultry, milk, and fish, as well as its coverage of risk assessment and safe food handling at home. The second edition goes beyond North America in scope. As economic trade barriers fall and new trading groups are forged by governments, it is becoming increasingly important to understand food issues, both regulatory and biological, from a global perspective.

Why do we find it necessary to slaughter living animals in order to enjoy their flesh? And why does this act offend our sensibilities, without necessarily making us into vegetarians? In her study of abattoirs in southwest France, Noélie Vialles brings to light a complex system of avoidances. Her analysis reveals that beyond the specific denial of the work of the abattoirs lies a whole system of symbolic representations of blood, human beings and animals, a symbolic code that determines the way in which we prepare domestic animals for the table.

This is our seventh set of Happy, Healthy Pet titles. These latest books will bring our series up to fifty-five titles and, like the others, they are books pet owners can turn to for the essential information they need to raise a healthy, happy pet. All books contain information on: c feeding c grooming c housing c health care c what to expect from the pet c basic training As our series expands and focuses on different kinds of pets, the emphasis remains on making the pet a companion. Owners of more unusual pets will particularly appreciate the expert advice in these books because professional care for exotic animals can be hard to come by. As always, the instruction on the books is from experts people who know their pets intimately but always remember what it was like to have one the first time. Happy, Healthy Pet guides are rich with professional quality color photos and are designed to be enjoyable and easy to learn from. Expert herper and author Steve Grenard details care information for a variety of lizards commonly kept as pets, including geckos, anoles, monitors and more.

In the spring of 1996, when numerous reports of bovine spongioform encephalopathy, popularly known as "mad cow disease," coincided with an outbreak of a similar neuropathological disease in humans, a panic spread across Britain, Europe, and subsequently to the United States. Described as "the biggest crisis the European Union ever had," the mad cow controversy raised important issues about the ways in which risks to the public heath are assessed, disseminated, and controlled. Was the "epidemic" merely a failure of management, the lessons of which could be incorporated into a new strategy for dealing with public anxiety? Was it an isolated case of poor decision-making in a highly volatile economic sector, or was it the kind of nightmare that could face any government responsible for public safety? And what role did the media play in exacerbating an already spiraling crisis?

Divided into four major sections-"Scientific/Historical Perspectives"; "Politics as Health"; "Understanding the Crisis"; and "Lessons and Possibilities" - Mad Cow Crisis assembles the perspectives of a range of experts on this strange and frightening phenomenon, with a view to helping us comprehend how and why such crises occur. Both a careful consideration of how we interpret risk and uncertainty and a step-by-step guide to managing public fear, this important book will interest anyone concerned with public health, communication, science, economics, and medicine.

The Sheep and Goat Handbook includes presentations made at the International Stockrnen 's School, January 2-6, 1983. The faculty members of the School who authored this third volume of the Handbook, along with books on Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, and Horses, are scholars, stockrnen, and agribusiness leaders with national and international reputations. The papers are a mixture of tried and true technology and practices with new concepts from the latest research results of experiments in all parts of the world. Relevant information and concepts from many related disciplines are included.

The Sheep and Goat Handbook includes presentations made at the International Stockmen's School, January 8-13, 1984.The faculty members of the School who authored this fourth volume of the Handbook, along with books on beef cattle, dairy cattle, and horses, are scholars, stockmen, and agribusiness leaders with national and international reputations. The papers are a mixture of technology and practice that present new concepts from the latest research results of experiments in all parts of the world. Relevant information and concepts from many related disciplines are included.

This book draws together, for the first time, the published research on the behaviour, ecology and welfare of elephants living in zoos, circuses, logging camps and other captive environments in a single comprehensive volume. It takes a multi-disciplinary approach, considering the work of zoo biologists, animal behaviour and welfare scientists, veterinarians, philosophers, zoo educators, tourism specialists, conservation biologists, lawyers and others with a professional interest in elephants. Elephants under Human Care: The Behaviour, Ecology, and Welfare of Elephants in Captivity is a valuable resource for zoo biology and animal welfare researchers. It is also useful for students and zoo professionals and managers looking for a comprehensive guide to current research on captive elephants. Although not intended as a husbandry manual, the book discusses some of the elephant welfare standards developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and their relationship to current knowledge of captive elephants.

This lovable creature is on its way to being the third most popular companion animal after dogs and cats.

Despite all the efforts of development agencies, pastoral communities in Africa are no less vulnerable to drought, famine and environmental degradation than they were during the 1950s. Agencies working with pastoralists have concentrated on technical programmes to combat the threats but Julian Prior argues that their initiatives would be more sustainable if they were supported by social development which strengthened the institutional capacity of pastoral communities. Improved technologies should make a positive contribution to the security of pastoral peoples: food security, political security and the security of rights to land and water. Community development workers, for whom this book is written, have a major role to play in this process.

Students in animal science, industry personnel involved in the feeding of animals, and professionals working for feed-mixing companies will all benefit from this current, comprehensive package - a text on the economic and nutritional aspects of feed formulations that optimize nutritional content while minimizing costs. Animal Feed Formulation applies a well-tested, easy-to-use computer program called UFFDA that illustrates the principles of least-cost food formulation. Developed in a cooperative effort by the Departments of Poultry Science and Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Georgia, UFFDA is menu-driven software that has the editing capabilities of a spreadsheet program for altering the ingredient and nutrient matrix. The book begins by solving a simple ration-balancing problem, providing step-by-step instructions with the computer program that any user - even one without computer training - can readily follow. It then discusses specific feed formulation techniques in terms of their practical applications and economic implications. Included are such techniques as sensitivity analysis, parametric cost and nutrient ranging, optimum-density formulation, multi-blending, and risk analysis, among others. Applying these and other techniques using the special features of UFFDA, users can select the proper ingredients, adjust proportions among nutrients, determine which feeds might require scarce ingredients, consider the risks involved in dealing with ingredients with below-average compositions, and ultimately determine the costs and nutritional content of various feed formulations. The program can be applied to determining feed formulations for any animal, including sheep, beef and dairy cattle, swine, turkeys, broilers, catfish, and horses. Practitioners who are growing animals will be able to maximize the nutritional content of their feed while keeping costs down. Professionals working in feed-mixing companies will be able to maximize profits by offering products composed of low-cost ingredients that are also of good nutritional value. Students will gain a firm background in nutritional and economic concepts, insight into how to apply them to practical problems, and an understanding of the way good nutrition and good value can be achieved by applying the latest computer technology.

Archer B. Gilfillan was an anomaly. An Ivy League scholar with a broad knowledge of classical literature and a talent for writing, he nonetheless chose to herd sheep from 1916 to 1934 in a lonely, isolated part of the West. Out of this strange juxtaposition of expertise and experience, Gilfillan produced this classic narrative of American sheepherding.

First published in 1929, "Sheep: Life on the South Dakota Range" provides a personal, informative, and entertaining account of the western sheepherder. From blizzards to predatory wolves, from grass-crazed sheep in the springtime to penny-pinching bosses, Gilfillan misses nothing. He also volunteers his trenchant opinions on modern women, cowboys, and homesteaders--many of whom were his neighbors.
In his introduction, Richard W. Etulain, director of the Center for the American West at the University of New Mexico, describes Gilfillan's life and discusses the appeal of the wide-open West to an urban-industrial nation.

In Praise of A "The Complete Book of Foaling"

"A must read for anybody who has ever thought about breeding a mare." --Judith Forbis, Ansata Arabian Stud

"Brilliantly writtenreads like a novel, yet beautifully organized so that you can flip to a section at a moment's notice if your mare is in trouble." --"Equus"

"This book should be included in every foaling kit. In fact, it should never sit on the bookshelf in the housekeep it in the barn where you can always get to it in a hurry!" --"Modern Horse Breeding"

"Right away the illustrations set this book apart from any other in its class. Dr. Hayes's ability to teach is the other distinctionshe has a knack for explaining things in such a way that you understand and remember, and the learning process is fun. I couldn't put the book down until I had read it cover to cover." --Walter Schimanski, Masada Arabians

The Howell Equestrian Library is a distinguished collection of books on all aspects of horsemanship and horsemastership. The nearly fifty books in print offer readers in all disciplines and at all levels of competition sound instruction and guidance by some of the most celebrated riders, trainers, judges and veterinarians in the horse world today. Whether your interest is dressage, show jumping or Western riding, or whether it's breeding, grooming or health care, Howell has a book to answer your needs. Get to know all the books in the Howell Equestrian Library: many are modern-day classics and have achieved the status of authoritative references in the estimation of those who ride, train and care for horses.
The Howell Equestrian Library

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 volume, a study of a transhumant cattle-raising community in Spain, is based on the extensive fieldwork at La Nava de San Miguel, a village in the province of Avila in central Spain. It 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 analyzes the dichotomy 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.

HIS book is not intended as an exhaustive review T of facts. Its aim is rather the presentation of a bio logical approach to the phenomena of social behaviour. This type of approach was revived by Lorenz's pioneer studies. It is characterized by emphasis on the need for renewed and careful observation of the huge variety of social phenomena occurring in nature; by emphasis on a balanced study of the three main biological problems function, causation, evolution; by emphasis on an appro priate sequence of description, qualitative analysis, quanti tative analysis; and finally by emphasis on the need for continuous re-synthesis. The character of this approach, combined with the limitations of space, have determined this book's contents. Limits of space led to the omission of a great deal of de scrip tion. Thus, Deegener's voluminous work on fhe multitude of types of animal aggregations has not been discussed. Also, the highly specialized 'states' of social insects have not been treated in detail, since there are excellent books dealing exclusively with them."

Nutritional Management of Hospitalized Small Animals offers veterinarians, veterinary students and technicians a comprehensive reference to the latest information relating to the principles and practice of nutritional support in small animals that require hospitalization. Represents the definitive resource for small animal veterinarians in providing optimal nutritional support for their patients during hospitalization Discusses and demonstrates the most up-to-date techniques available for successfully implementing nutritional support for hospitalized small animal patients Provides step-by-step pictorial instructions on how to implement the most appropriate techniques for particular patients Reveals expected outcomes and possible complications along with strategies to minimize risk of complications

The best-selling animal advocate Temple Grandin offers the most exciting exploration of how animals feel since The Hidden Life of Dogs.
In her groundbreaking and best-selling book Animals in Translation, Temple Grandin drew on her own experience with autism as well as her distinguished career as an animal scientist to deliver extraordinary insights into how animals think, act, and feel. Now she builds on those insights to show us how to give our animals the best and happiest life--on their terms, not ours.
It's usually easy to pinpoint the cause of physical pain in animals, but to know what is causing them emotional distress is much harder. rawing on the latest research and her own work, Grandin identifies the core emotional needs of animals. Then she explains how to fulfill them for dogs and cats, horses, farm animals, and zoo animals.Whether it's how to make the healthiest environment for the dog you must leave alone most of the day, how to keep pigs from being bored, or how to know if the lion pacing in the zoo is miserable or just exercising, Grandin teaches us to challenge our assumptions about animal contentment and honor our bond with our fellow creatures.
Animals Make Us Human is the culmination of almost thirty years of research, experimentation, and experience.
This is essential reading for anyone who's ever owned, cared for, or simply cared about an animal.

There is increasing interest in the biology of domestic animals ranging from genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, nutritional physiology, and systems biology. This book touches on all of these, with a particular focus on topics such as domestic animals as comparative models to humans, molecular regulation of growth, metabolic efficiency, reproduction, and the impact of stress on growth and development. The book concludes with a discussion on the current and future directions for researchers.

Since 1944, the National Research Council has published 10 editions of the Nutrient Requirements of Swine. This reference has guided nutritionists and other professionals in academia and the swine and feed industries in developing and implementing nutritional and feeding programs for swine. The swine industry has undergone considerable changes since the tenth edition was published in 1998 and some of the requirements and recommendations set forth at that time are no longer relevant or appropriate. The eleventh revised edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Swine builds on the previous editions published by the National Research Council. A great deal of new research has been published during the last 15 years and there is a large amount of new information for many nutrients. In addition to a thorough and current evaluation of the literature on the energy and nutrient requirements of swine in all stages of life, this volume includes information about feed ingredients from the biofuels industry and other new ingredients, requirements for digestible phosphorus and concentrations of it in feed ingredients, a review of the effects of feed additives and feed processing, and strategies to increase nutrient retention and thus reduce fecal and urinary excretions that could contribute to environmental pollution. The tables of feed ingredient composition are significantly updated. Nutrient Requirements of Swine represents a comprehensive review of the most recent information available on swine nutrition and ingredient composition that will allow efficient, profitable, and environmentally conscious swine production. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary