Whether a farmer is raising one cow or a herd, Storey’s Guide to Raising Beef Cattle is the most reliable reference for ensuring a successful, healthy cattle operation. In this fully updated, full-color fourth edition, long-time cattle rancher and author Heather Smith Thomas explains every aspect of bovine behavior and provides expert guidance on breed selection, calving, feeding, housing, pasture, and health care. Along with in-depth information on raising grass-fed animals, there is also advice on creating a viable business plan and identifying niche markets for selling beef.
Keep your herd healthy, happy, and profitable with expert, state-of-the-art instruction. For novices or experienced ranchers, Storey's comprehensive guide covers everything from rotational grazing and winter feeding to breeding techniques, calving, and health care. Learn how to care for your land and pasture sustainably; handle cattle safely and humanely; choose or build the right fencing, corrals, and other facilities; raise and wean calves and care for pregnant cows; and select and sell quality animals.
“Heather Smith Thomas is pure gold, offering understandable wisdom and practical advice that springs from a cherished, successful life of working with cattle. Her sparkling and essential new edition of Storey’s Guide to Raising Beef Cattle will be close at hand on our small ranch.” — Lynn Miller, Editor, Small Farmer’s Journal
“Essential reading for people who are starting out raising beef cattle, with lots of hands-on practical advice.” — Temple Grandin, author of Temple Grandin’s Guide to Working with Farm Animals
“Whether you have been raising cattle for years or are just getting started, this book should be on your shelf.” — Bill Niman, Founder of Niman Ranch, Inc. and BN Ranch
“This is an essential reference manual for anyone raising beef cattle. The breadth of knowledge and countless useful tips offered here are a testament to Heather Smith Thomas’s many decades of experience” — Julius Ruechel, author of Grass-Fed Cattle
