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Grass based sustainable farming cattle grazing book
paperback with illustrations throughout.
Cattle are wonderfully adept at converting grass into meat, fat and milk. Here, Julius Ruechel gives you the management and marketing tools you need to meet your personal, financial and farming goals. Whether you are beginning a new enterprise or changing from a more conventional feeding and management system, Grass-Fed Cattle offers complete information on running a profitable, environmentally sustainable farm based on the efficiency of cattle and grass.
As more consumers discover the benefits of grass-fed beef - sustainability, good taste, antibiotic-free - demand continues to grow. For any farmer interested in entering this profitable specialty area, here is the first complete manual on raising, caring for, and marketing grass-fed cattle. Author Julius Ruechel includes advice on herd selection, breeding, pasture management, fencing, winter grazing, diseases, equipment, slaughter, labeling, marketing, and financial planning.
With grass-fed beef popping up on menus across North America, and more small-farm owners venturing into this growth area, the time is right for a comprehensive book on how to raise, manage, and market grass-fed cattle.
Grass-Fed Cattle, the newest addition to Storey s library of best-selling livestock books, covers every aspect of raising and care, including herd selection, breeding, yearly cycles, cultivating and maintaining healthy soil and grass, fencing and pasture rotation, winter grazing, pests and diseases, and necessary equipment.
Author Julius Ruechel, who has been raising beef cattle on his family s farm since his start as a 4-H member, packs this handbook with everything a farmer needs to know, regardless of herd size and acreage. His advice and systems are applicable to the smallest backyard hobby farms as well as the largest commercial herds and ranches.
The first book of its kind, Grass-Fed Cattle is an indispensable, authoritative reference for anyone interested in raising cattle or looking for a profitable farm venture.
Julius Ruechel spent three years converting his family s beef cattle ranch in British Columbia into a certified organic farm with grassfed cattle and organic field crops. He then established his own grassfed beef farm in Canada s Yukon Territory. He currently resides in North Saanich, British Columbia.
Table Of Contents Part ONE: The Fundamentals of Grass-Based Beef 5
The Great Herds and Their Grasslands 6
The Ticking of Geologic Time The Great Herds L essons from the Herd
Genetics and Breeding: Selecting the Right Animals for Your Herd 18
The Pitfalls of Single-Trait Selection E nvironment and Climate Characteristics of the Ideal Breeding Animal Culling Animals: Training Your Predatory Eye Breeding for Your Target Market
The Calving Season and Predator Exposure The Calf: Birth to Sexual Development The Heifer Calf: Sexual Development to Calving Photoperiod: Sunlight and Fertility The Bull Calf: Sexual Development to Breeding Cattle Processing: The Human Role in the Cattle Year Marketing Grass-Fed Cattle Moving the Calving Season
The Rumen: The Forge that Turns Grass into Beef Root Reserves and the Ideal Grazing Interval A Recipe for Healthy Soil Grass Varieties Rejuvenating Old Pastures
Part TWO: Infrastructure and Management 65
Electric Fences and Rotational Grazing 66
Factors to Consider E nergizers Permanent Wires Posts and Braces Insulators Permanent Gates Portable Electric Fencing Training Cattle to Respect Electric Fences Understanding the Goals of Pasture Rotation Pasture Rotation: Herd Migration in Your Own Backyard Training the Herd for Pasture Moves Managing the Calving Season on Pasture
How Much Water Do Cattle Need to Drink? Peak Water Supply Water Quality Direct Access to Open Water Pumping Water Water Storage Piping Water Cattle Behavior at the Water Trough Rotational Grazing Patterns and Water Laying Pipe Winter-Grazing Patterns and Water Watershed Conservation: Managing Riparian Areas
Planning for Winter Grazing 106
Winter Grazing: The Twelve-Month Plan Supplementation and Forage Analyses Low-Cost Winter Feed for the Transition to Winter Grazing
A History Lesson Preparing a Drought Plan
Pests, Parasites, and Diseases 153
The Mechanisms of Disease Preventing Disease S pecific Diseases, Pests, and Parasites Making Healthy Soil for Healthy Animals Complementary Grazing Species
The Importance of Soil Analyses What Does the Cow Think of Soil Fertility? How Healthy Soil and Grass Work Calcium and Magnesium Revisited: Proper Ratios Are Critical Organic Matter, Humus, and Nitrogen The Scoop on Macronutrients And a Pinch of Micronutrients
What Is a Weed? Variety Is All When and Why Certain Plants Emerge Quick Fixes Versus Long-Term Solutions Educate Yourself, Then Put Your Cattle to Work Weeds to Remedy Nutrient Deficiencies
Soil Moisture and Irrigation 192
Decreasing Evaporation Reducing Runoff I ncreasing Water Infiltration Take Responsibility for Water The Disadvantages of Irrigation Calculating Your Irrigation Needs
Part THREE: Business Planning and Marketing 205
Acquiring Land for your Natural, Grass-Based Cattle Enterprise Equipment
Commodity-Market Opportunities Niche-Market Opportunities Determining Your Target Market Three Case Studies
The Art of Grass Finishing The Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Beef Lessons from the Slaughterhouse Cutting and Wrapping I nspections Pricing Your Meat Pickup and Delivery Cooking Grass-Fed Beef
Seeking Certification After the Transition Headaches of the CertificationProcess Choosing the Best Solving the Most Common Challenges
Helpful Business-Management Tools 262
Part FOUR: Your Business Plan: Putting Principles into Practice 267
Your Goals and Market Opportunities 268
Your Business Plan S tarting with Goals Your Goals Assessing Your Market Environment
Determining the Focus of Your Business C onscious Profit Planning Determining the Price of Your Direct-Marketed Beef
Planning the Ideal Cattle Year on Grass
Your Grazing Infrastructure 300
Planning for Your Herd s Water Requirements Preparing Your Farm Map Piping Water
Your Summer-Grazing Plan Your Winter-Grazing Plan: Managing the Grass Reserve The Winter Grazing Map
Developing Your Herd Nutrition Program Procuring Samples for Forage Analyses What the Livestock Nutritionist Needs to Know Locating a Livestock Nutritionist Formulating Supplements and Monitoring BCS
Grass-Finishing Essentials Slaughterhouse Considerations
Drought Financial Preparedness Crisis Management
Committing to the Change Plan Thoroughly Moving the Calving Season Turning on Your Herd s Migration Switching to Winter Grazing Making Additional Changes
from Storey Publishing whose mission is to publish practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.
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