This is the first volume in a series of course books for career students and exam candidates preparing for the Stage 1 exam of the British Horse Society. It includes an examination planner, in-text self-assessment questions, BHS syllabus checklist points throughout the text, and examination tips from BHS examiners including common mistakes made. This book deals with the stable management syllabus and the ridden elements of the test.

How to Not go Broke Ranching is the irreverent and sometimes humorous effort of a multi generation rancher to help people keep from making all of the mistakes that he made in fifty + years of ranching. It is drawn from real life though some names are changed or not given to protect the guilty. The vast majority of ranches in the United States, whether commercial or life style, are neither profitable nor sustainable; the author explains why this is so and what must be done to improve the situation. The changes in philosophy and in management practices required to do this are spelled out in some detail by a man who used them to turn an almost bankrupt ranch into a consistently profitable and stable operation. The book is not a how-to cookbook but rather is an attempt to get people to think of ranching, and agriculture in general, as the biological endeavors, run on sunshine and rainfall that they once were and should be again, rather than the industrial enterprises that are common today. The methods described have been proven effective by people all over the world and their results can be duplicated by anyone who is willing to think through the situation and is not afraid to be different. As the authors' father once told him, "You have two kinds of neighbors, half of them think you are crazy and the other half knows you are crazy." The management described is not yet universally accepted but it works from all standpoints: it is financially sound, ecologically sound and it is a good way to live and raise a family. Both the new, or would be, rancher just starting out and the established rancher will find information and advice in this book that can be used to make their operation more profitable, less dependent on purchased inputs and markets and a whole lot more fun.

Air quality has a direct influence on health, welfare and production performance of livestock as the high concentrations of noxious gases, dust and airborne microorganisms are likely to reduce production efficiency and the general welfare of farm animals. Long term exposure to particulates in livestock buildings might also affect the respiratory health of farm workers. Dust in animal buildings contains many biologically active substances such as bacteria, fungi, endotoxins and residues of antibiotics (as a result of veterinary treatments) that are suspected to be hazardous to human health. Furthermore, air pollutants emitted from livestock buildings can reduce air, water and soil quality and can potentially undermine the health of nearby residents. Airborne emissions include ammonia, methane, nitrous oxide, particulates like dust and microorganisms. In addition, other potentially harmful substances such as heavy metals, antibiotic residues and components of disinfectants might be also emitted from livestock building that are potentially damaging to ecosystems. In this book, key aspects of agricultural air quality, such as monitoring, managing and reducing airborne pollutants in and around livestock facilities are reviewed. Features: addressing the raising awareness of the importance of optimal health and welfare for lifestock species with contributions from international specialists and researchers providing up-to-date information for professionals involved in modern animal producti This book will be useful for farming professionals, academics, students, policy makers, business leaders, regulatory bodies and agricultural consultants.

This comprehensive book covers all aspects of sheep health, husbandry, and disease throughout the annual breeding cycle. Through extensive and detailed photographs it highlights the disease and welfare issues that can arise within the great variety of breeds and flock types. Written by two veterinary surgeons closely involved in sheep health, it takes a veterinary view of husbandry and emphasizes the importance of keeping diseases out of a flock. From practical tasks such as how to check teeth, feet, and udders, through to vaccination schedules, injection techniques, and parasite control, it covers the whole life cycle of your flock. Topics covered include routine procedures, selecting breeding stock, internal and external parasites, tupping time, pregnancy and lambing ewes, and lameness.

With minimal space and housing needs, dairy goats are a practical choice for the small or backyard dairy farmer. Dairy goats require a smaller investment than Cows and produce easily digested milk that is much in demand for making yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products.
The revised and updated fourth edition includes:
Updated information on disease diagnosis and treatmentTips on choosing pygmy breedsExpanded coverage of breeding, kidding, and raising kidsMore information on milking, dairying, and cheesemakingExpanded resource section
"This book will give answers and help novice goat owners get started. It can also be used by established goat owners wanting a reference in an easy-to-read format." -- John D. Howland, American Goat Society, Inc.

Thinking of acquiring a horse?Studying equine breeds and traits?Or simply curious about the magnificent creatures?This book, with profiles of one hundred horse, pony, and draft breeds, is the most comprehensive field guide to horses ever published.Illustrated throughout with fine color photographs, the profiles detail the characteristics and unique aspects of each breed; they also include brief histories and explain distinctions of equine color genetics, markings and patterns, and conformation.Complete, concise, and compact, this field guide is as handy as it is informative--the perfect companion for anyone considering horses.

A comprehensive book intended for anyone maintaining bats in captivity. It comprises 44 papers by 22 contributing authors. Bats in Captivity is the only book of its kind, detailing the care of captive bats worldwide. This volume, Biological and Medical Aspects, includes a drug formulary, information on public health, anatomy and physiology, controlling reproduction, parasitology, and veterinary medicine and surgery, plus many other related subjects.

Grazing management might seem simple: just put livestock in a pasture and let them eat their fill. However, as Sarah Flack explains in The Art and Science of Grazing, the pasture/livestock relationship is incredibly complex. If a farmer doesn't pay close attention to how the animals are grazing, the resulting poorly managed grazing system can be harmful to the health of the livestock, pasture plants, and soils. Well-managed pastures can instead create healthier animals, a diverse and resilient pasture ecosystem, and other benefits. Flack delves deeply below the surface of "let the cows eat grass," demonstrating that grazing management is a sophisticated science that requires mastery of plant and animal physiology, animal behavior, and ecology. She also shows readers that applying grazing management science on a working farm is an art form that calls on grass farmers to be careful observers, excellent planners and record-keepers, skillful interpreters of their observations, and creative troubleshooters. The Art and Science of Grazing will allow farmers to gain a solid understanding of the key principles of grazing management so they can both design and manage successful grazing systems. The book's unique approach presents information first from the perspective of pasture plants, and then from the livestock perspective-helping farmers understand both plant and animal needs before setting up a grazing system. This book is an essential guide for ruminant farmers who want to be able to create grazing systems that meet the needs of their livestock, pasture plants, soils, and the larger ecosystem. The book discusses all the practical details that are critical for sustained success: how to set up a new system or improve existing systems; acreage calculations; paddock layout; fence and drinking water access; lanes and other grazing infrastructure; managing livestock movement and flow; soil fertility; seeding and reseeding pastures; and more. The author includes descriptions of real grazing systems working well on dairy, beef, goat, and sheep farms in different regions of North America. The book covers pasture requirements specific to organic farming, but will be of use to both organic and non-organic farms.

The book tells the story of the Secret Society of Horsemen who were the Original Horse Whisperers. The Societies were formed originally in Scotland about two hundred years ago but spread throughout Britain and then across to Canada, United States and Australia. The roots of the Society are obscure but many of the customs and oaths go back to pagan times. The horsemen who formed these groups exploited their membership much like a primitive trade union and tried to use their membership to improve conditions on the farm for themselves and their horses.

"Exotic Small Mammal Care and Husbandry" is a practical reference for assessing, handling, and treating small exotic animals in the veterinary clinic. Covering common species such as mice, hamsters, rabbits, and ferrets, the book focuses on nursing care, giving veterinary staff the information they need to work with these less-common patients. With information on basic anatomy, preventative care, and common diseases, "Exotic Small Mammal Care and Husbandry" provides a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of caring for small exotic mammals and communicating with owners.

--- WITH A FOREWORD BY DR. PHIL MCGRAW --- Designer Dogs is the shocking exposure of the dangers of continuing to make our dogs tinier or funnier looking, more "Instagram worthy," and presents startling new revelations on why this threatens French bulldogs, pit bulls, and other favorite breeds with extinction. Ever heard of a labradoodle, a goldendoodle, or a puggle? How about a cockapoo, a pomsky, or a spoodle? You or a friend have certainly been enticed by a "hypoallergenic dog" or smiled at a "teacup." These are not dog breeds that nature created; these are the results of the forced mating or genetic engineering of different breeds, or inbreeding, and popularized by social media and celebrities. In Designer Dogs, Madeline Bernstein, one of the country's most respected animal welfare crusaders, reveals the obsession with new types of dogs-engineering puppies that keep getting smaller or sillier looking-and the horrifying health consequences of this on those we claim as our best friends. She also provides extraordinary revelations on how this has led to a world of "disposable pets"-puppies and adult dogs abandoned when their medical expenses become too costly and added to the 6.5 million animals entering shelters each year, or put on the street-and informed insight into what's ahead: made-to-order puppies; hybrid animals; shorter life spans for dogs; and even the extinction of breeds like French bulldogs, pit bulls, King Charles spaniels, mastiffs, Skye terriers, bloodhounds, and more. And Bernstein calls out those responsible for the savagery, both domestic puppy mills and backyard breeders, and also an international dog trafficking ring that she's been on the front line exposing. Bernstein's game-changing and unforgettable book is destined to cause outrage and save lives in the process.

The space, setup, and equipment required to raise and process poultry are minimal when compared to other types of livestock, which is part of what makes chickens such an appealing choice for small-scale meat producers. Expert butcher and teacher Adam Danforth covers the entire slaughtering and butchering process in this photographic guide specifically geared toward backyard chicken keepers and small-farm operations invested in raising meat responsibly. With step-by-step photos, detailed instructions, and chapters dedicated to necessary tools and equipment, essential food safety measures, how to prepare for slaughter and process the birds quickly and humanely, how to break down the carcasses into cuts, and how to package and freeze the cuts to ensure freshness, this comprehensive handbook gives poultry raisers the information they need to make the most of their meat.

This fully updated and comprehensive book covers how to acquire a healthy flock, routine procedures to keep them healthy, common diseases, how to identify problems, how to deal with them, and when to consult the vet. Written by two qualified Veterinary Surgeons, each with extensive experience of running their own flocks, the clear, easy-to-follow style will enable the book to be used by all sheep keepers, from novices or amateurs with small flocks, to those with larger or pedigree flocks.

Raising a pig is easy to do, even in a small space like a suburban backyard. In just five months, a 30-pound shoat will become a 250-pound hog and provide you with 100 pounds of pork, including tenderloin, ham, ribs, bacon, sausage, and more. For anyone who wants to raise a pig for meat in a backyard or on a small farm, this comprehensive guide explains exactly how to do it, humanely and safely. Livestock expert Sue Weaver covers everything from selecting a breed with great flavor and bringing your shoat home to feeding, housing, fencing, health care, and humane processing.

Contains a selection of White Papers, commissioned to better inform the exploration of cattle welfare. These are prepared by notable experts in their field, to help provide factual context around selected topics that impact cattle welfare and production systems. Covers all aspects of cattle use in an accessible style, making this a must have volume for anyone interested in cattle welfare or cattle medicine. Provides an in-depth picture of the distinctive beef and dairy cattle welfare practices and issues, covering topics such as behavior, breeding and genetic manipulation, nutrition and feeding, housing and management, health and disease, and transport and slaughter. Written by acknowledged leaders in animal science, veterinary science, philosophy and animal welfare, presenting a truly multidisciplinary perspective on cattle welfare. Includes a section on understanding and managing animal welfare in both beef and dairy cattle, discussing how cattle perceive the world, animal handling and pain mitigation, and how to assure that the cows have a reasonably good life. The Welfare of Cattle offers an accurate, detailed account of the ethical and welfare concerns related to the human use of cattle. There is currently no significant book dealing with the welfare of cows, animals often seen as archetypal paradigms of 'farm animals'. Covering both beef and dairy cattle, the expert authors provide in-depth information on the husbandry roots of traditional agriculture, the replacement of this system of stewardship by an industrial model, and the resulting welfare challenges associated with industrial agriculture: feedlots, highly industrialized dairies, and slaughterhouses killing huge numbers of animals who have been transported great distances. This important book explores in detail the ways in which people who are providing care for cattle can take their first step, or their next step, toward enhancing the welfare of these animals. An extra chapter (online only) is available in the 'Downloads' tab on the left: Dairy Nutrition, by Michael Gamroth

Pigs are everywhere in United States history. They cleared frontiers and built cities (notably Cincinnati, once known as Porkopolis), served as an early form of welfare, and were at the center of two nineteenth-century "pig wars." American pork fed the hemisphere; lard literally greased the wheels of capitalism. J. L. Anderson has written an ambitious history of pigs and pig products from the Columbian exchange to the present, emphasizing critical stories of production, consumption, and waste in American history. He examines different cultural assumptions about pigs to provide a window into the nation's regional, racial, and class fault lines, and maps where pigs are (and are not) to reveal a deep history of the American landscape. A contribution to American history, food studies, agricultural history, and animal studies, Capitalist Pigs is an accessible, deeply researched, and often surprising portrait of one of the planet's most consequential interspecies relationships.

This is a modern pioneer story strongly evocative of the undaunted spirit that shaped Western Canada.

The South African government has prioritized a reduction of poverty and increased food security in rural parts of South Africa through agrarian transformation. As the bearers and beneficiaries of rural development initiatives, smallholder farmers, including those keeping livestock, loom large in this arena. Likewise, on international development agendas steered by bodies such as the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), smallholders are prioritized as the engines of national economies. This book, based on a pilot study of two livestock keeping communities along the Mpumalanga-Limpopo border, explores smallholder households in order to paint a picture of the challenges faced by smallholder livestock farmers, the practices and knowledge of primary animal healthcare (PAHC) among these farmers, relationships between the state and the smallholders, gendered issues, and the relationship between poor socioeconomic conditions and the keeping of livestock. This book opens up a variety of research and policy questions that encourage further exploration and study.

Born to Farm sheds light upon the enormous changes that have taken place in farming over the past 90 years, as seen through the eyes of one of the participants. It is an absorbing and fascinating autobiography; the author's enthusiasm and quest for knowledge, his ingenuity and practical skills, have enabled him to keep abreast of changes in the wider world while building up the family farming enterprise in Suffolk. The author's early memories of the 1930s and of his school days, evoke a bygone era in the countryside and on the farm. Lifelong learning is a theme which runs through the book. Opportunities for learning and travel through the Young Farmers' Club, for example, are described with humour and give an insight into farming both in the UK and the USA during the 1950s. Back on Red House Farm, David Black deals with everyday challenges as he progresses from dogsbody to decision-maker. Problem-solving is part of a farmer's life and no aspect of the business escapes his steady hand and scrutiny. Gradually, the huge variety of crops grown is streamlined but not before we've learned about harnessing horses and draining the land, about virus-free strawberry plants and fields of tulips and peonies, of cocksfoot and fescue. Pigs are an important aspect of the family business and the evolution of suitable feed mixes, pig housing, breeding and outdoor rearing, integrated with cereal production and milling on the farm, makes compelling reading. Changes to field sizes and to farm buildings and the provision of housing for farm workers are all covered, with many interesting anecdotes. The value of sharing knowledge and of co-operation with other farmers - both formally and informally - is made apparent. The author is full of admiration for the contributions of others, but modest about his own considerable achievements. Hard work, encouragement of others, and a 'can do' attitude summarise his approach. Family life is explored and glimpses into village life provide an interesting social history of the period. Working alongside family members has its own rewards and challenges and the journey has begun along the path to secure a way forward for future generations.

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.

More and more people are deciding to raise small animals for meat. This is the book that shows exactly how to handle the slaughter and butchering of small livestock in a humane and sustainable way. With step-by-step photographs of the farm to table process, it is destined to be the bible on the topic. It begins with general information about food safety, freezing and packaging, tools and equipment, butchering methods, and pre-slaughter conditions before moving into the specifics of slaughtering and butchering each type of smaller animal - chicken and other poultry, rabbits, sheep, pigs, and goats. It includes detailed descriptions of specialty cuts and how to make them.