Review by Kathy Lyon 
(Click on stars for an explanation) |
This book is Out of Print.
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This is actually a very interesting book. The earlier publication on cattle behavior was written primarily for farmers and students of farming systems. This book has evolved into a text directly relating to the welfare-animal behavior connection. A wide range of research findings are brought together from all over the world and presented concisely and readably. The ability to recognize abnormal behavior signs in cattle will help veterinarians and stockyard personnel diagnose disease and counteract the effects of an inadequate environment. This second edition has been expanded to include four new chapters on cattle welfare, in addition to comprehensive scientific explanations for cattle behaviors.
With the push to increase cattle production, the complex mental and physical needs of these animals are sometimes overlooked. An attempt to evaluate the welfare of cattle in a system of high production must begin with the perception of the system, progress to the choice of components of the system, and end with a description of the behavioral reaction of cattle to the system.
The Introduction to Cattle Welfare covers the basics of the rights of cattle and the quality of care they receive. Moral issues are included in this section. I looked for a section on pain management during castration because of recent postings on VIN on this topic; the author discusses pain levels involved in different methods of castration and recommends a local anesthetic, but does not make rules.
The book discusses welfare in depth. The behavior of cattle and how it relates to their sensory skills is approached from many directions. The topics are varied, including nutrition (hunger and malnutrition), housing and pasture, methods of learning, breeding for improved welfare, ethical considerations as relates to animal breeding and animal welfare, play behavior, social interaction, environmental factors affecting feeding behavior, resting and sleeping behavior, and behavioral needs and problems.
Printed by Blackwell Publishing and distributed by Blackwell Publishing (2002).
Soft cover, 264 pages, liberally illustrated with photos and drawings.
ISBN-10: 0-632-05645-2.
ISBN-13: 9780632056453.