The Illustrated Guide to Cows How To Choose Them, How To Keep Them

About this book

Keeping cattle as a smallholder can be a rewarding enterprise, supplying you with food and milk and helping with the management of grassland on your property. This delightfully illustrated and informative book is ideal for anyone interested in keeping a cow or two, who would like to choose the best breed for their circumstances. The Illustrated Guide to Cows covers the 58 most familiar breeds of cattle in Europe and North America. Breed profiles are written in engaging text that covers the history of each breed, its main characteristics and how to look after them, and each one has been beautifully illustrated by the author. Introductory sections contain practical advice on all elements of rearing calves and keeping cattle, including what to consider about land, housing and fencing, whether to choose beef or dairy cows, tips on buying, moving and handling your stock, and guidance on feeding and breeding.

Contents

- Introduction/a short history of cattle
- What to consider: land, fencing, water and housing
- Feeding
- Bull or AI
- DEFRA rules and regulations
- Acquiring stock
- Handling
- Breeding and calving
- Organic farming
- Breed profiles (see list below)
- Milking
- Making dairy products
- Finishing/cuts of beef
- Common ailments
- How to make a bugle
- Tanning
- Websites. Breed names [and place of origin]: Aberdeen Angus [Scotland]
- Ankole-Watusi [Africa]
- Aubrac [France]
- Ayrshire [Scotland]
- Bazadaise [France]
- Beef Shorthorn [England]
- Belgian Blue [Belgium]
- Belted Galloway [Scotland]
- Belted Galloway [Scotland]
- Blonde D'Aquitaine [France]
- Brahman [India]
- British White [England]
- Brown Swiss [Switzerland]
- Canadienne [Canada]
- Charolais [France]
- Chianina [Italy]
- Corriente [Mexico]
- Dairy Shorthorn [England]
- Dexter [Ireland]
- Dutch Belter (Lakenvelder) [Netherlands]
- Florida Cracker [USA]
- Friesian [Netherlands]
- Galloway [Scotland]
- Gascon [France]
- Gelbvieh [Germany]
- Gloucester [England]
- Guernsey [Channel Islands]
- Hereford [England]
- Highland [Scotland]
- Holstein [Netherlands]
- Irish Moiled [Ireland]
- Jersey [Channel Islands]
- Kerry [Ireland]
- Limousin [France]
- Lincoln Red [England]
- Longhorn [England]
- Luing [Scotland]
- Maine-Anjou [France]
- Marchigiana [Italy]
- Meuse Rhine Issel [Netherlands/Germany]
- Montbeliarde [France]
- Murray Grey [Australia]
- Normande [France]
- North Devon or Red Ruby [England]
- Parthenais [France]
- Piedmontese [Italy]
- Pinzgauer [Austria]
- Romagnola [Italy]
- Salers [France]
- Senepol [Virgin Islands]
- Shetland [Scotland]
- Simmental [Switzerland]
- South Devon [England]
- Texas Longhorn [USA]
- Sussex [England]
- Welsh Black [Wales]
- White Park [GB]
- Whitebred Shorthorn [GB]

Customer Reviews

Biography

Celia Lewis is the author and illustrator of The Illustrated Guide to Chickens, The Illustrated Guide to Pigs, and The Illustrated Guide to Ducks and Geese and Other Domestic Fowl. She has won several prizes including the 2005 Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour medal and Royal Watercolour Society Winsor & Newton Prize 2009. Living in the country Celia is lucky enough to be able to keep hens and turkeys in her garden and, along with nearby cows and sheep, this is where she finds her inspiration.