Successfully raise grass-fed cattle and enjoy the benefits of great-tasting beef and a financially stable enterprise. In this comprehensive guide, Julius Ruechel covers every aspect of raising healthy and thriving grass-fed cattle, offering advice on herd selection, pasture management, medical care, necessary equipment, winter grazing, slaughtering procedures, and more. With tips on creating a viable business plan and identifying niche markets for your beef, Ruechel provides everything you need to know to develop a profitable and environmentally sustainable grass-fed cattle operation.
More than 1,000 cattle breeds from around the globe are cataloged in this monumental bovine reference. Each breed, including species found only in prehistory, is provided with a detailed physical description and a watercolor drawn to scale. Cattle are also classified into groups and subgroups according to geographical distribution, historical background, and physical features. Charts indicating breed lineage and records of crossbreeding, maps clearly depicting the location and distribution of authentic and derived breeds, and additional color photographs all round out this unprecedented resource.
Small cattle breeds are manageable to control and care for and perfect for lifestyle blocks and small farms. They can be bred commercially for beef but their docile temperaments and small size also make them especially suitable for hobby farms. As more people have turned to the country for a 'tree change', interest in these breeds has grown tremendously. In this new edition of her popular book Small Cattle for Small Farms, award-winning cattle breeder Margo Hayes provides practical and easy-to-understand information for people interested in keeping small cattle for a range of reasons. The book assumes no prior experience with cattle and covers all the basics to help you set up an enjoyable and viable small farm, including: types of cattle and production systems available, how to select your stock, explanations of equipment required and basic cattle husbandry. It contains simple explanatory diagrams and photographs to make new concepts clear. With new and expanded sections on small cattle breeds, genetics and breeding systems, this second edition competently addresses questions asked by those entering small farming for the first time while providing a solid reference for those already in the industry. Detailed guidelines for raising healthy cattle through good nutrition, land management and herd monitoring are provided, in addition to tips for showing and marketing your cattle and up-to-date government requirements for land and stockowners.
Hobby Farms Beef Cattle: Keeping a Small-Scale Herd for Pleasure and Profit, written by Ann Larkin Hansen, serves as an excellent introduction to raising cows for food or simply to graze while mowing and fertilizing the pasture. This colorful guide offers experienced hobby farmers and beginners all of the essential information necessary to purchase and maintain a small herd of beef cattle. While managing her own hobby farm in Wisconsin, Hansen shares her expertise in all things farm and has authored numerous books such as Making Hay, The Organic Farming Manual, and Finding Good Farmland. In this comprehensive book, Hansen corrals the hobby farmer into the world of cowboys and cowgirls: she begins, “Beef cattle are as much at home on the hobby farm as they are on the range.” This colorful primer begins with the basics, from biological traits and breeds to behavior and life cycle, and describes exactly what’s required for a hobby farmer to maintain a herd of cattle—the four F’s—fencing, feed, fields, and facilities. Given the expense involved in the purchase and maintenance of beef cattle, all hobby farmers will welcome Hansen’s sound and sensible advice on buying the right cattle, whether steer calves for meat or breeding stock for building up a herd. The buying chapter helps farmers focus on what to look for when selecting cattle; how cows, heifers, and bulls are priced; where to purchase; and how to get cattle to your farm. The feeding and nutrition of cattle is a complicated topic, and Hansen breaks it down into the three basic components that every keeper needs to understand: pasture, hay, and grain. With directness and clarity, she explains the ins and outs of grazing, selecting ideal foodstuffs, using salt and minerals, and maintaining good weight on the herd. The reader can rely on her expert advice to learn the fundamentals of handling cattle, including herding, loading, and transporting cattle, as well as keeping beef cattle healthy through preventive methods, vaccinations, parasite control and veterinary assistance. For hobby farmers planning to breed their livestock, Beef Cattle includes a chapter on pairing cows and heifers, the actual breeding, artificial insemination, the care of pregnant cows, calving, caring for the young, and weaning calves. The final chapter of the book “Marketing and Processing Your Cattle” is geared toward hobby farmers looking to get beef processed, grade meat, and sell the final product. Sidebars of fun trivia, stories from farmers, and useful advice appear throughout the handbook. A glossary of over 100 terms; an appendix of health issues; a resource section of useful websites, books, and periodicals; and a detailed index complete the book.
Millions of people, from nature lovers to collectors of cow memorabilia, are enamored of cows, yet few have any inkling of the fascinating history of, arguably, the animal most crucial to the survival and advancement of human civilization. Our close relationship with cows goes back eight thousand years, to the revolutionary advent of domestication in Mesopotamia and the Indus River valley. Since then, humans have relied on cows for milk, meat, and muscle. M. R. Montgomery's own keen interest in cows began on his cousin's Montana cattle ranch. He traces their history from the formidable, long-extinct Auroch-the 6,000-pound ancestor of all cattle on Earth-to the ancient cattle roads and drives in England, to the selective mixing practiced by British cattlemen well before Charles Darwin or Gregor Mendel. He charts the origin of breeds and relates the path by which the Aberdeen-Angus has today become the "king of cows." With a sympathetic eye for detail, born of his own experience, he chronicles the day-to-day life of cattle and their keepers- from encouraging good mothering skills to rooting out genetic disease in a herd. After experiencing Montgomery's bovine fascination, even cow lovers will have new appreciation for the objects of their affection.
Keeping records during breeding and calving seasons is what makes difference in your business. This logbook and record keeping will help you to tracking how much each cow produces and what cows to keep and what to sell as well as following up with the health of your herd. It also includes Cow Gestation Chart to make you more prepared during the calving season. It also has a dedicated section for livestock inventory. In addition to, expenses and income reports that will assist you in the calculations of profits and documenting your calving business growth for each season. Specifications Size 8 inches by 10 inches (less than A4) suitable for carrying and storing in the truck and specious enough to write in it. Cover Printed softcover glossy finishing and Paperback binding so that it easily carried and stored as well as easily cleaned if dirt falls on it. Pages count: 120 pages (60 sheets) divided into five sections. 1. Inventory sheets for the start of the year and the end of the year 2. Breeding and Calving log with Cow Gestation Chart. Breeding sheets has tables to document: Calving Season, Date Sire Turned In, Date Sire Removed, Length of Breeding Season, Start Calving, End Calving, Cows Exposed, Cows Pregnant, Expected Due Date, Actual Due Date, Cows Open, Abortions, Died At Birth, Died Between Birth & Weaning, Calves Weaned. Calving log sheets has tables to document: Calf ID, Dame ID, Sire ID, Date of Birth, Sex, Calving Ease, Calve vigor, Birth weight, Calf nursed, Weaning date, Weaning weight, Cow BCS, Notes 3. Individual Cow Records to document (if applicable) ID, Type (Heifer/Cow/Steer/Sire), Description, Purpose (meat/Milk/Other), Cow's Dam ID & Breed, Cow's Sire ID & Breed, Date of birth, Weaning weight Date & year of logging, Cow age, Cow weight, Body condition score, Purchase Date, Purchase Price, Date of sale or removal, Reason, Sale weight, Sale price 4. Medical log to document medical issues, Treatment given and any comments. 5. Expenses & Income log sheets to write the dates, items, category and expenses as well as total expenses for each category and overall expenses. The income log sheets have place to document sales and various income sources as well as total income and profit calculations. Keep track of your calving business by the help of this logbook. Scroll up and Buy your copy.
