Awesome Livestock Album and Music Offers

Cows and horses, donkeys and mules, sheep and goats, pigs and fowl, even llamas are living on small farms and in backyard barnyards throughout the United States. But how and where are these critters being housed?

Author Carol Ekarius knows. In How to Build Animal Housing, she provides dozens of plans--with illustrated, step-by-step instructions--for species-specific shelters that are well ventilated, safe, appropriate for the animals, appealing, convenient, and a solid value for their owners.

The book is essential reading for anyone interested in animal health and welfare. It includes complete plans and step-by-step, illustrated instructions for sheds, coops, hutches, multipurpose barns, and economical easy-to-build windbreaks and shade structures. Ekarius covers new high-tech, portable structures made of plastics and fabrics, such as hoop houses and hen spas, as well as more traditional alternatives, such as straw-bale structures. Always practical, she enumerates the advantages and disadvantages of ready-to-build kits and modular barnyard buildings and includes designs for watering systems, feeders, chutes, stanchions, and more--the essentials that help owners keep their animals healthy and happy.

Ekarius wisely emphasizes the importance of careful planning, choosing an appropriate housing site, and complying with local zoning regulations; pest control, basic housing maintenance, and insurance costs are also discussed. Real-world advice from farmers and veterinarians on the types of housing and facilities animals like best enliven the text throughout.

How to Build Animal Housing is the most comprehensive and useful guide of its kind. For small-scale farmers, hobby farmers, do-it-yourselfers, and animal lovers, this book is indispensable..
Price: $13.89 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Starting a small-scale livestock farm? First, you need this book! Yes, you can have a prosperous farm and achieve the lifestyle of your dreams ; and farming expert Carol Ekarius will show you how. Small farms can pay big dividends, Ekarius explains, but hard work alone isn't enough: Success demands knowledge and effective management. Ekarius's natural, organic approach to livestock management produces healthier animals, reduces feed and healthcare costs, and maximizes your profit. Through case studies of successful farmers, nitty-gritty details on every facet of livestock farming, and fascinating insights for working with nature instead of against it, you'll learn to make your farm thrive. Small-Scale Livestock Farming will help you: * Determine what you want from your farming life (even if your farm is simply a few backyard animals) * Choose suitable livestock * Understand housing, fencing, and feeding needs of livestock * Learn about reproducing stock and caring for your animals' hea.
Price: $9.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Herding Dogs: Progressive Training is the only book of its kind to guide the owner toward training the complete herding dog. Whether you are involved in farming or ranching, or simply want to explore your herding dog's heritage, you will find a wealth of information here. For those with competitive goals, Herding Dogs will enhance your knowledge with a philosophy that has the dog's individual breed and personality as the central focus.

Vergil S. Holland teaches the handler to understand the dog's reactions before beginning this progressive training. Whether it is your dog's first exposure to stock or your older dog with a new problem, you, as a handler, will find solutions to each problem and sound advice on each phase of training.

Special chapters on different personalities of the various herding breeds, with training modifications tailored to these differences, make it possible for you and your dog as a team to reach your maximum potential.

Herding commands and terms are thoroughly covered, as are those of basic Obedience for the stock dog. Working various kinds of stock-sheep, cattle and ducks-is covered to meet the needs of every stock dog owner. Detailed diagrams and concept maps throughout the book highlight the individualized training methods for each type of dog and stock.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction.
Price: $12.27 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Do you long for the country life? Hobby Farming For Dummies is a practical guide that will show you how to handle all the basics of small-scale farming, from growing healthy crops to raising livestock and managing your property. You'll see how to decide what to farm, provide shelter and utilities, select plants, and protect your investment. It's all you need to dig in and start growing!

You’ll get a real idea of what it really means to jump from your current lifestyle to a life farming in the countryside. You’ll get the information you need to decide if the farming lifestyle is right for you and your personality. You’ll learn everything you need to know about property and how to access a power supply. You’ll get practical advice on which animals would work best for your farm and you’ll learn how to acquire them and what you need to know about caring for them properly. You’ll get help with all of the major decisions like whether you’re better off with subsistence farming or a more ambitious project. Find out how to:

• Make from change to a farm lifestyle
• Get along with your neighbors
• Find and buy rural properties
• Select and maintain equipment
• Raise and care for animals
• Use and preserve food items
• Avoid common farming pitfalls
• Choose plans for your farm

Complete with lists of the ten unique opportunities for fun and the top ten misconceptions about farm living, Hobby FarmingFor Dummies will help you discover how you can live the simple life..
Price: $11.22 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Jeanne Marie Laskas had a dream of fleeing her otherwise happy urban life for fresh air and open space — a dream she would discover was about something more than that. But she never expected her fantasy to come true — until a summer afternoon’s drive in the country.

That’s when she and her boyfriend, Alex — owner of Marley the poodle — stumble upon the place she thought existed only in her dreams. This pretty-as-a-picture-postcard farm with an Amish barn, a chestnut grove, and breathtaking vistas is real ... and for sale. And it’s where she knows her future begins.

But buying a postcard — fifty acres of scenery — and living on it are two entirely different matters. With wit and wisdom, Laskas chronicles the heartwarming and heartbreaking stories of the colorful two- and four-legged creatures she encounters on Sweetwater Farm.

Against a backdrop of brambles, a satellite dish, and sheep, she tells a tender, touching, and hilarious tale about life, love, and the unexpected complications of having your dream come true..
Price: $7.61 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This popular and widely praised book describes everything you need to know about selecting and raising small livestock

Long the primary reference for anyone who keeps animals as a sustainable food source, this latest edition includes up-to-date information on breeds and breeding, feed, disease prevention, housing, and management. The book also includes a chapter on growing feed; appendices covering disease identification and treatment, manure, tanning, incubators, and injections; and a catalog of supplemental resources. Country Journal calls it "a handbook in the true sense of the word. You can pick it up and turn to any section to find quickly the information needed." 55 black & white line illustrations, index..
Price: $9.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is a complete revision of the very popular original edition of this book. Readers will find many new photographs, refined training methods and a new chapter o unusual stock. Topics include: What a livestock protection dog can do Selecting a puppy Caring for your dog Behavioral problems and solutions Preparations for a family companion Guarding unusual stock Older dogs Puppy temperament testing and training Plus much more!!!.
Price: $16.22 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From the large-rumped Karakul sheep to the wrinkled Fengjing pig, North America is home to an extraordinary array of livestock breeds. Increasingly, a rare breed renaissance celebrates heritage breeds for their contribution to biodiversity, adaptation to specific environments, curious appearance, or ability to produce singular meat, milk, or fiber. At the same time, people continue to need up-to-date information about the major domestic breeds.

Finally, a single resource offers detailed information about both common and heritage breeds: Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs by Carol Ekarius. This attractive, at-a-glance reference, written by one of America's foremost livestock experts, covers 194 of North America's most significant breeds of cattle, goats, sheep, and swine — from the common Guernsey cow to the near-extinct Guinea hog. For each breed, Ekarius provides full-color photographs, a brief history, and details about the breed's unique qualities and quirks. Readers will enjoy reading about major breeds such as the iconic Holstein cow, and Icelandic sheep, as well as hundreds of lesser-known varieties, like the long-legged, ginger-colored Tamworth pig; the lilac-spotted Jacob Sheep; the deerlike San Clemente goat; and the powerful, droopy-eared Guzerat cow.

Comprehensive, colorful, and captivating, this definitive, in-depth guide is informative enough to aid farmers in breed selection, but beautiful enough for fanciers to browse as a coffee- table book. Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle, and Pigs will appeal to anyone interested in North American livestock — small-scale farmers, conservationists, agricultural historians, gourmets, biodiversity champions, animal lovers, and anyone dreaming about crafting fibers from sheep and goats. This indispensable reference showcases North American livestock breeds for what they truly are: fascinating, stunning, and endlessly varied..
Price: $12.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]