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Livestock are an essential aspect of many farms, big and small, in BC and across Canada. Did you know that "dairy is B.C.’s largest land-based agriculture industry" and that "the Fraser Valley produces 76% of the milk in the province" (BC Farm Industry Review Board, 2019)? Or that in 2022, BC produced 1,748,506kg of honey (BC Government, 2022)? Many of the open resources below [e.g. books, articles, data] provide information on the management of livestock (including disease prevention, nutrition, proper housing, etc.). As well as how to address 21st century challenges related to climate change, food security, and more.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash |
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Sources
Open books may be 100% open or there may be open chapters within an eBook. It is important to critically analyze open books and think about who or why the information is being shared in this format, before deciding to use it. For example, who are the authors/publisher and what else have they published? When was it published - is there more up-to-date information available? Is it for a Canadian, American, or international context? You may need to click "read online" or scroll to the bottom of the information page to see more details such as the description or table of contents. Some open books also have extra features such as activities, exercises, or videos.
Open books may be 100% open or there may be open chapters within an eBook.
We've linked to searches for livestock, but we recommend trying a search using keywords related to your topic/area of animal husbandry!
"The handbook is essential reading for students and scholars of animal welfare, animal law and animal ethics everywhere, and for policy-makers and other professionals working in the animal welfare sector." - Publisher website. Shared under a CC BY-NC-ND license.
"Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject." (p. 1)
"This book series discusses the various infectious diseases affecting the livestock, principle of the disease control, and specific disease management. It discusses the existing strategies to control infectious disease includes animal management programs, vaccination, targeted antimicrobial use, and food hygiene." - Publisher website
"This open access book provides the first critical history of the controversy over whether to cull wild badgers to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in British cattle." - Publisher website
"The Animal Welfare series has been designed to help contribute towards a culture of respect for animals and their welfare by producing academic texts addressing how best to provide for the welfare of the animal species that are managed and cared for by humans." - Publisher website
"A sustainable rise in livestock production is a requirement for fulfilling the future demand for livestock products. As a consequence of climate change and market factors, food security policies would need to be complex and compatible with increasing livestock production practices." - Abstract, from publisher website
You can find open access journals in online collections such as DOAJ or OAPEN. Alternatively, you can check out a publisher's website to see if they support open access options. Open journals may be entirely open or only certain articles may be available as open access.
Searching a website such as DOAJ can help you find reputable journals as untrustworthy journals exist. There are open journals known as predatory journals that will "prey" on unsuspecting academics trying to publish. They may engage in a number of dubious, academically illegitimate, or even unethical practices (e.g. charging exorbitant author-side fees or utilising inadequate or false peer review processes).
The provincial and federal governments are making some of their data open to be used and shared by researchers, educators, policy makers, and people working within the agriculture sector. Check out the links below for a sample of Canadian and international data.
When searching for books (print or electronic) and DVDs using the Library search, it is best to use keywords to search rather than sentences. Think of a keyword that describes the overarching topic you want to look for. It may be also helpful to think of synonyms for this term and try searching for those as well. When searching for books, you want to be specific but not granular about the topic (think about how a book may be described overall). Below, you'll find some example keywords (and synonyms) to use in searches, can you think of others?
DISCLAIMER: UFV print books are not open access or open educational resources because they are not free from copyright restrictions (so fair dealing rules still apply), however, they are free to access for UFV students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Community borrowers are also permitted to borrow print resources - for more information please see the 'Access to UFV Library Books' section on this page.
"This text for an introductory course in animal science covers traditional disciplines of animal science, including nutrition, digestion, feeds, genetics, reproduction, disease, and animal behavior, with chapters on major species, such as horses and cattle, as well as minor species such as fish" - Syndetics summary
"Much has been written in recent years on our moral duties towards animals, but scholars and activists alike have neglected the important question of how far the state may go to enforce those duties. Kimberly K. Smith fills that gap by exploring how liberal political principles apply to animal welfare policy." - Syndetics summary
"Comprehensive, readable--and accessible to undergraduates new to the subject--this text offers unique coverage of both basic physiology as related to reproduction AND the application of physiology to the management of reproduction in livestock species." - Syndetics summary
"This powerful and challenging book explores these issues surrounding the global growth in the production and consumption of meat and dairy animals and products, including cultural and health factors, and the implications of the likely intensification of farming for both small-scale producers and for the animals." - Syndetics summary
"Dutch vet and cow enthusiast Jan Hulsen has drawn on his expertise and wide experience of cows and dairy farmers to write Cow Signals... Cow Signals is a guide on observing cows, interpretation of signals and their evaluation for a practical solution." - Amazon.com
This 4th edition covers topics including health & diseases, practical feeding and nutrition, poultry house construction and maintenance (including ventilation and insulation), hygiene, organic production, and more.
"This book explores the science behind our understanding of dairy cow behaviour and ways to improve their welfare. Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of dairy cattle summarises this wealth of recent research and reviews dairy cattle behaviour in areas such as cognition, learning, pain and stress." - Syndetics summary
"A clear and concise introduction to the science and practice of artificial selection, Derry's book puts the history of breeding in its scientific, commercial, and social context" - Syndetics summary
"Veterinary Entomology: Livestock and Companion Animals is a comprehensive guide to the recognition, biology, importance, and control of insects and related arthropods that may be encountered in animal husbandry practices and with companion animals." - Syndetics summary
"This edition also contains profiles of Canada’s most successful organic livestock operations and interviews with real-world advice from experienced farmers. Whether you aspire to go organic or you’re already an organic farmer, you’ll want to have this comprehensive guide to organic livestock production at your side." - Amazon.ca
UFV students, faculty, and alumni can borrow print UFV Library books. UFV Library also allows retired faculty and individuals from the B.C. community to sign out books after they have signed up for a community borrower card (there is a $5 one time fee). Please present your UFV ID card at the circulation desk. Limits will apply to alumni and community borrowers. For more information about borrowing materials, please see the links below:
Current UFV students, faculty, and staff have access to thousands of journals that the library subscribes to - for free! Some of the journals within our databases are open access, while others are not. UFV alumni can access library databases only when on-campus.
