Raise a gaggle of geese, the unsung heroes of the small farm While chickens preen in the spotlight, geese are the historic unsung heroes of small farms and homesteads. Providing weed control, large eggs, and entertainment, and acting as "security" over other animals, geese are the ultimate modern homesteading companion. The Modern Homesteader's Guide to Keeping Geese covers everything you need to know to raise geese, including: Profiles of breeds and how to select the best one for your needs How to "imprint" goslings on a person Feeding, housing, animal health, and cold weather care Using geese for weed control, soil improvement, and as "watch-geese" Cooking with goose eggs and meat Additional coverage includes a look at the rich history of geese on farms in North America and Europe that will enhance any goose keeper's enjoyment of these intelligent and unique birds. This practical guide is a must-have essential for the kitchen table of homesteaders, small farmers, permaculturists, and professional farmers looking to add the power of geese to their land.

Most livestock in America currently live in cramped and unhealthy confinement, have few stable social relationships with humans or others of their species, and finish their lives by being transported and killed under stressful conditions. In Livestock, Erin McKenna allows us to see this situation and presents alternatives. She interweaves stories from visits to farms, interviews with producers and activists, and other rich material about the current condition of livestock. In addition, she mixes her account with pragmatist and ecofeminist theorizing about animals, drawing in particular on John Dewey’s account of evolutionary history, and provides substantial historical background about individual species and about human-animal relations. This deeply informative text reveals that the animals we commonly see as livestock have rich evolutionary histories, species-specific behaviors, breed tendencies, and individual variation, just as those we respect in companion animals such as dogs, cats, and horses. To restore a similar level of respect for livestock, McKenna examines ways we can balance the needs of our livestock animals with the environmental and social impacts of raising them, and she investigates new possibilities for human ways of being in relationships with animals. This book thus offers us a picture of healthier, more respectful relationships with livestock.

Livestock in a Changing Landscape is a collaborative effort by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI); FAO Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative (LEAD); Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE); Swiss College of Agriculture (SHL), Bern University of Applied Sciences; French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD); and Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University.--COVER.

Including information on cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, and goats, and exotics like bison, rabbits, elk, and deer How can anyone from a backyard hobbyist to a large-scale rancher go about raising and selling ethically produced meats directly to consumers, restaurants, and butcher shops? With the rising consumer interest in grass-fed, pasture-raised, and antibiotic-free meats, how can farmers most effectively tap into those markets and become more profitable? The regulations and logistics can be daunting enough to turn away most would-be livestock farmers, and finding and keeping their customers challenges the rest. Farmer, consultant, and author Rebecca Thistlethwaite (Farms with a Future) and her husband and coauthor, Jim Dunlop, both have extensive experience raising a variety of pastured livestock in California and now on their homestead farm in Oregon. The New Livestock Farmer provides pasture-based production essentials for a wide range of animals, from common farm animals (cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, and goats) to more exotic species (bison, rabbits, elk, and deer). Each species chapter discusses the unique requirements of that animal, then delves into the steps it takes to prepare and get them to market. Profiles of more than fifteen meat producers highlight some of the creative ways these innovative farmers are raising animals and direct-marketing superior-quality meats. In addition, the book contains information on a variety of vital topics: • Governmental regulations and how they differ from state to state; • Slaughtering and butchering logistics, including on-farm and mobile processing options and sample cutting sheets; • Packaging, labeling, and cold-storage considerations; • Principled marketing practices; and • Financial management, pricing, and other business essentials. This book is must reading for anyone who is serious about raising meat animals ethically, outside of the current consolidated, unsustainable CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) system. It offers a clear, thorough, well-organized guide to a subject that will become increasingly important as the market demand for pasture-raised meat grows stronger.

Handling and transport present some of the most severe stresses that farmed animals are likely to experience. There is growing interest in this subject, for reasons that are economic and related to animal welfare. This is a new edition of the successful book published in 1993, which was favorably reviewed. The original 19 review chapters have been updated and revised, to inlcude the latest research and a new chapter covering animal physiology is included. All aspects are covered including handling for veterinary and husbandry procedures, restraint methods, transport systems and design of facilities on farm and at slaughter plants.

Expert advice on selecting breeds, caring for chicks, producing eggs, raising broilers, feeding, troubleshooting, and much more.

This book brings together the latest research data and practical information on animal handling, restraint methods and the design of facilities and transport. Published 14 years after the first edition, the third edition is fully updated with the latest research findings. An extensively revised introductory chapter covers the increasing awareness of animal welfare around the world and outlines the effective auditing programmes of large, corporate meat buyers. Three new authors have chapters on sheep transport, biosecurity and low-stress methods for sorting cattle and weaning calves. To provide an additional perspective on livestock management in South America, Asia, India and other regions, two new co-authors have been added to the chapters on cattle transport and the handling of cattle raised in close association with people. The best of the old material - including all the popular handling system layouts and behaviour diagrams - has been kept. All aspects of animal handling are covered, such as handling for veterinary and husbandry procedures, stress physiology, restraint methods, transport, corral and stockyard design, handling at slaughter plants and welfare. The principles of animal behaviour are covered for cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, deer and poultry. The extensive reference lists in each chapter will help preserve important knowledge that may not be available on the Internet. Also, at the end of the book is an index of useful web pages on handling, behaviour and transport. This book is an invaluable resource for students and professionals in animal behaviour, applied psychology and animal and veterinary sciences, and livestock producers, regulatory bodies and animal welfare groups.

"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.

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. - Incorporates a clear, approachable style for researchers and practitioners alike, facilitating understanding of the techniques described - Features supplementary video content on a companion site, providing practical demonstration of the topics discussed in the work and a useful tool for learning the concepts presented - Includes extensive references, increasing the book's utility for serious researchers as well as those who want to implement better handling practices

This guide takes the mystery out of butchering, covering everything you need to know to produce your own expert cuts of beef, venison, pork, lamb, poultry, and small game. John J. Mettler Jr. provides easy-to-follow instructions that walk you through every step of the slaughtering and butchering process, as well as plenty of advice on everything from how to dress game in a field to salting, smoking, and curing techniques. You’ll soon be enjoying the satisfyingly superior flavors that come with butchering your own meat.