Synopses & Reviews
This is the basic book — yet with all the essential details — for the family that decides to keep a cow for all the benefits she can provide. Learn first the costs, the gains, what she gives and takes. There are practical, fully-illustrated chapters that include:
- The history and behavior of the cow.
- Nutritional needs, from grass to milk.
- Buying a cow — the sources, breeds and factors to consider.
- Handling techniques, housing and fencing.
- Feeds and feeding — cow and calf.
- Milking and uses of milk.
- Health and diseases, breeding and calving.
- Growing feed crops, use of manure.
Synopsis
A family cow can provide an endless supply of delicious fresh milk, but also requires a large investment of time and money. In this practical guide, Dirk van Loon provides detailed information on choosing an appropriate breed for your needs, nutrition, milking, health care, and bovine behavior. With expert advice on everything you need to know keep your animal healthy, happy, and productive, you ll soon be enjoying all the benefits a family cow can bring.
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Synopsis
This is the essential guide for anyone who wants to keep a cow. Fully illustrated chapters provide comprehensive information on buying, handling, feeding, milking, calving, nutrition, health care, breeds, growing feed crops, and more.
About the Author
Author Dirk van Loon has written two Storey books, The Family Cow and Small-Scale Pig Raising. He publishes a monthly newspaper for small-scale rural producers called Rural Delivery. Dirk is a graduate of the College of Agriculture at Cornell University and now lives in Nova Scotia.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One: How Now, (One Brown Cow)?
Chapter Two: A History of Cattle
Chapter Three: Behaving Herself
Chapter Four: Buying A Cow
Chapter Five: Handling and Grooming Cows
Chapter Six: Buildings, Staking, Fencing
Chapter Seven: The Plants Cows Eat
Chapter Eight: Taking It All In
Chapter Nine: A Choice of Foods
Chapter Ten: Measuring Feed Ingredients
Chapter Eleven: Grass/Hay and Concentrates -- A Basic Diet
Chapter Twelve: Shaving the Food Budget
Chapter Thirteen: Milk and Milking
Chapter Fourteen: Milk and the Home Dairy
Chapter Fifteen: Breeding and Heat Periods
Chapter Sixteen: Calving and Calf-Feed -- Care of Young Stock
Chapter Seventeen: Health
Chapter Eighteen: Keeping the Land
Chapter Nineteen: Making and Storing Hay and Roots
One More Thing
Glossary
Other Books and Places
Appendix
Index