Heather Smith Thomas has achieved the unachievable - a comprehensive text for aspiring cowboys!

If you've ever visited a friend or family member who is trying to make a living on a small farm you have probably been asked to pitch in. And, if you have tried helping, you probably have felt you could have been more help picking ticks off a dead cow than trying to rustle the calf into its corral. At least I felt so many years ago.

Don't get me wrong, I don't yet feel I am competent with the critters. I merely feel I am no longer the city slicker asking dumb questions!

After reading this excellent book I am excited to start raising beef cattle for profit. I can do this on a small scale without harming the environment and without millions of dollars and without using techniques that alienate me from my animal rights' activist friends, because of common sense advice from Heather Smith Thomas.

Okay, I probably will aggravate my more radical friends and will irritate my vegetarian niece, but, you haven't lived until you've eaten beef!

Buy this book. Read it thoroughly BEFORE you buy those calves. Then keep it handy for frequent reference!

This book covers every aspect involved in a cattle operation. The material is laid out in a user-friendly, clear, concise format, complete with useful graphics. I was looking for a "Cow Encyclopedia" for my husband, and this was it.

Well written, good organization and humorous at times. I now feel confident enough to start a herd and learn the small stuff the hard way but the general knowledge was gained from this book. excellent!

Excellent book for someone starting to raise livestock either for the first time or after a long absence. Basic information presented in an easy to read and understand format. Gives a good basic understanding of what is needed for the various types of livestock covered. Though I personally would have wished perhaps a bit more depth in some areas overall I found it to be an excellent read and well worth it as an reference book.

I am a novice rancher who bought 37 calves at an auction. At one point I had 15 sick calves on my hands, primitive corrals, and the whole town laughing at me. Tonight, I can honestly say the worst is past. My brother and I doctored ten bad eyes, saved a bloat case, doctored a footrot immediately and effectively, and saved at least five extremely ill pneumonic calves, while vaccinating, branding, and eartaging the whole bunch. Without this book and the thorough, intelligent, and courageous instructions it gives to the cattleman, I would have lost a good part of my herd, all my joy for ranching along with them. As it is, the town isn't laughing anymore and starting to wonder where we came up with all those good ideas they're seeing popping up on our place.

Great from point A to point Z guide to raising and caring for beef cattle- an easy read with a lot a valuable information. I would not only recommend this book to someone else in my family looking to start raising cattle- I would buy it for them myself! -- Mike Jorden

Well written and easy to understand guide for everything you want to know about cattle. I learned much and constantly refer to this book. It helped me to better understand our cows and their needs. I HIGHLY recommend it to other cattle farmers, even those who think they know all about cattle.

Has everything you'll need to take care of horses effectively. Many useful pictures too.

I'm fifteen and am in FFA I recently purchased my first calf. My Dad got this book for me and it has helped out from purchasing a sound heifer to shelter and feeding. The chapter on calfing is also very helpful. A great book for a first calf project.