# Good beginner's book?



## duckidaho (Dec 13, 2009)

Any suggestions on a good book for beginners in cattle?  Thanks, Russ


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## Imissmygirls (Dec 13, 2009)

The dairy bible of the world:  www.hoards.com
Hoard's Dairyman.  
Ok, so it's not geared to homesteaders, but it IS a worldwide reference for dairymen. I've got a 20 yr old pamphlet on raising heifers that is still all solid information.
Especially checkout the bookstore section of the site- follow all the links.


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## amysflock (Dec 13, 2009)

I really like Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle (they probably have a dairy one, too) as my go-to book. I refer to it a lot and learned a lot from it.

I also really like Keeping a Family Cow by Joann S. Grohman (do a Google search...you have to order it direct from the author, but it's worth it).

In my opinion, you can never have too much information when it comes to raising livestock!


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## duckidaho (Dec 13, 2009)

I was figuring Storey's would be one we got.  And I've heard of "Keeping a family cow" before.

Tenino, huh?  I used to teach in Yelm, WA.  Now I live in rural Idaho and teach part time.  We are blessed.


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## no nonsense (Dec 15, 2009)

It's nice to see someone looking to open a book before they jump into something, especially as involved as cattle. Seems that happens far too seldom nowadays.

I agree, most Storey's guides are decent books which cover the basics. Their "Raising Beef Cattle" is no exception."The Family Cow" by Dirk van Loon is a very good introduction to keeping a single dairy cow. "Barnyard in Your Backyard" by Gail Damerow covers both beef and dairy cattle, as well other species. The hoofstock chapters are not bad, but the woman does not know poultry. "Backyard Dairy Book" by Andrew Singer and Len Street is a quick introduction. The authors are British, and it leans toward practices and equipment which are common over there, but most of the basics are the same. I don't know that I'd rely on it as my first source, it's not as thorough as the Storey's guides, but it has some good information, if you're a reader. It's real value lies in how it compares and contrasts dairy cows, goats, and even sheep. Not a how-to guide, but if you're interested in cattle, Marleen Felius' "Cattle Breeds, An Encylopedia" is a great book, describing several hundred breeds of cattle from all over the world.


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