This interesting visual resource, written by three experts from the Livestock Conservancy, explains why conserving heritage breeds is important and shows readers how they can successfully raise—and benefit from—these breeds.
"These were the best hogs I've ever seen," said seventy-five year old Cohen Archer. He grew up with the amiable black Guinea Hogs in Washington County, Georgia. Cohen's father died when he was just twelve years old, in 1954. His mother subsequently sold the hogs, and Cohen didn't see another one until he visited Cathy Payne's farm in 2017. This book is the first definitive history of the Guinea Hog breed. It is a comprehensive overview of the people who raised Guinea Hogs from 1940 to 1995, told in their own words and colorful stories. These first-person stories reveal the subjects' deep fondness for and attachment to the amiable Guinea Hogs. Some recall a time when their families did not have access to electricity or indoor plumbing. The Guinea Hog was utilized head to tail, providing meat, lard, and grease to meet crucial family needs. The Guinea Hog is a small, black, hairy, sturdy, and gentle breed of hog kept in the Southeastern United States prior to the Civil War. The Guinea Hog has long been a part of America's cultural history. Due to a confluence of factors, it was nearly extinct by the 1990s. The loss of any breed's unique genetic material can leave the future of a species in peril.Around 2004, a group of dedicated conservation breeders, encouraged by The Livestock Conservancy, stepped forward to save the Guinea Hogs. Cathy Payne interviewed many of the breeders and reports their stories. Her diligent research over several years retraces the history of the Guinea Hogs while preserving the memories of those who kept them. When Cathy's research brought her in contact with rare genetic bloodlines not preserved during the formation of the American Guinea Hog Association (AGHA) in 2006, she worked with a network of women to obtain these genetics and work with the registry to add valuable genetic diversity to the national herd. Cathy takes what she has learned from her contacts with these breeders and focuses on strategies to preserve this breed and its distinct family bloodlines. These homestead hogs are survivors worth preserving for future generations!
"The need to preserve farm animal diversity is increasingly urgent, says the author of this definitive book on endangered breeds of livestock and poultry. Farmyard animals may hold critical keys for our survival, Jan Dohner warns, and with each extinction, genetic traits of potentially vital importance to our agricultural future or to medical progress are forever lost."--BOOK JACKET.
Breeds of livestock on British farms are changing constantly. New breeds emerge, foreign breeds are imported, while some native breeds lose popularity and become endangered. More than half the native breeds in Britain are rare and potentially threatened with extinction, yet they are an integral part of our history and heritage. Many of them are distinctive animals, and some possess special characteristics that could be of value to the livestock industry. A return to more traditional values was seen towards the end of the twentieth century, and this will serve to enhance the value of native breeds.
"[Book title] is the definitive guide to plant breeding and seed saving for the serious home gardener and the small-scale farmer or commercial grower. Discover: how to breed for a wide range of different traits (flavor, size, shape, or color; cold or heat tolerance; pest and disease resistance; and regional adaptation); how to save seed and maintain varieties; how to conduct your own variety trials and other farm- or garden-based research; how to breed for performance under organic or sustainable growing methods."--Back cover.
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.
With this compact portable reference in hand, crafters can quickly and easily look up any of 100 different sheep breeds, the characteristics of their fleece, and the kinds of projects for which their fleece is best suited. Each breed profile includes a photograph of the animal and information about its origin and conservation status, as well as the weight, staple length, fiber diameter, and natural colors of its fleece. This is a great primer for beginners, and a handy guide for anyone who loves working with fleece.
There are over thirty million sheep in Britain belonging to more than sixty different breeds. They are almost as varied in shape, color and size as the many breeds of dog, but are far less well-known. The sheep industry in Britain is based on a stratified system which makes the best use of the harsh mountains of Scotland, Wales and northern England, as well as of the more fertile and mild regions of southern Britain. It has helped to develop a rich range of specialist regional breed types. This book places the breeds into intelligible groups by outlining the way the national industry works, classifying their different roles and determining where each breed fits into an overall picture. Each breed and its wool is featured and illustrated with an extensive collection of pictures.
Looking for the ideal, perfectly compatible canine companion for your family? Your search ends here. From spaniels to sheepdogs, The Complete Dog Breed Book is all you need to find the perfect pet for your family. Fully illustrated and featuring over 400 of the world's best-loved breeds, this comprehensive guide offers expert advice on keeping, training, and caring for your beloved dog. The book's special Q&A selector charts help you make the right choice as per your lifestyle and convenience. Clear and practical instructions on care cover the essential aspects of looking after a dog, including handling, grooming, nutrition, health, and exercise. The visual training program features step-by-step photographic sequences, explaining the specifics of basic obedience. Tried-and-tested notes on how to identify and prevent common behavioral problems provide a fascinating insight into the behavior of dogs and how we interact with them. The Complete Dog Breed Book is a one-stop manual to help you become the owner of a happy, healthy, and well-behaved dog.
For each breed he dedicates two pages, the left being a full page high-quality picture and the right giving a brief but comprehensive description of the appearance, history and uses of each sheep. Only the size of a postcard, the book fits perfectly into a rucksack or pocket so is ideal for the interested rambler who is keen to discover more about the flock fleeing from him at the time. Clear color photographs taken of sheep 'straight from the field' illustrate the immense diversity within this species.