The Complete Handbook of Animal Husbandry

From the first morning check to the seasonal herd health review, this handbook gives you the exact procedures and standards that professional operators use. Written for those who keep animals for a living, it covers the actual specifications of housing, fencing, feeding, and handling equipment, and explains the reasoning behind those specs, so you can adapt them to your own farm's layout, climate, and budget.

The book walks you through the critical decisions: how to select a breed or species that fits your feed and labor resources, how to design a facility that keeps animals dry and calm, and how to build a feeding plan that supports growth without waste. It also includes a practical chapter on troubleshooting the most common problems, from splayed legs in newborn lambs to heat stress in finishing cattle, with clear, safe interventions you can perform yourself.

Beyond day-to-day care, you will learn how to assess your own operation as a business, whether that means selling breeding stock, finishing animals for market, or providing custom services. A detailed breakdown of suppliers, brands, and the service economy around animal husbandry shows you where the money is actually made, and what it takes to run a sideline or full-time operation with confidence.