Beef Cattle, 2nd Edition

Beef Cattle, 2nd Edition is an excellent resource on hobby farming and raising cows for food or simply to graze while mowing and fertilizing the pasture. This complete guide offers both experienced hobby farmers and beginners alike all of the essential information necessary to purchase and maintain a small herd of beef cattle. Opening with the basics -- from biological traits and breeds to behavior and life cycle -- and exactly what's required for a hobby farmer to maintain a herd of cattle, sound and sensible advice on buying the right cattle and what to consider is covered in thoughtful detail. Featuring insight on buying cattle, feeding and nutrition, handling, grazing, keeping them healthy, and so much more, also included is a chapter on pairing cows and heifers, breeding, artificial insemination, the care of pregnant cows, calving, caring for the young, and weaning calves. The final chapter focuses on getting beef processed, grading meat, and selling the final product. Sidebars of fun trivia, stories from farmers, and useful advice appear throughout. Jam packed with everything a hobby farmer needs to know, this updated edition is a must-have, all-inclusive guide to farming beef cattle in a small capacity.

Ann Larkin Hansen is the author of The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, The Organic Farming Manual, The Electric Fencing Handbook, Finding Good Farmland, and Making Hay; coauthor of A Landowner's Guide to Managing Your Woods with consulting forester Dennis Waterman and master logger Mike Severson; and coauthor with her husband, Steve, of Maintaining Small-Farm Equipment. She has been a journalist for more than 30 years, specializing in organic agriculture and sustainable forestry. A homesteader and a small-scale organic farmer, she lives with her family on a farm in northern Wisconsin.