The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Buffy the eggs layer on August 17, 2012, 05:16:01 pm

Title: best book for a beginer
Post by: Buffy the eggs layer on August 17, 2012, 05:16:01 pm
Hi Sheepy peeps :wave:
            I ordered the Tim Tyne Book a few weeks ago but its still awaiting reprint. Can any of you recomend a really comprehensive manual which will cover health, shearing, lambing, nutrition etc :thinking:
 
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: Fleecewife on August 17, 2012, 05:22:52 pm
I don't know of another all-in-one book - which is probably why Tim Tyne wrote his  :)
 
I like the Agnes Winter and Judith Charnley books - I have 'The Sheep Keepers Veterinary Handbook' and 'A Manual of Lambing Techniques'.  They cover specifics but I think that early on I read the relevant bits in every book I could lay hands on for general sheep info, and learned the rest by talking to people - no TAS then  :(  -  and slowly picked up experience.  The breed societies can be helpful too; we have in our time been members of the Soay Sheep Society, the Shetland Sheep Society (was SSBG), the Jacob Sheep Society, the Hebridean Sheep Society and the British Coloured Sheep Breeders Association.  That's an awful lot of subs but worth it for the specialist knowledge.  The HebSoc has twice yearly get-togethers, farm visits and sometimes symposia, the Shetland Sheep Society took us to Shetland one year, The Jacob Sheep Society took us on many farm visits and social meetings and the BCSBA taught me SO much about wool and what to do with it.  There is also your local group of The Rare Breeds Survival Trust :sheep:
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: Foobar on August 17, 2012, 05:26:57 pm
Wot she said :)  plus Agnes's book on Lameness, tells u everything u need to know about feet. :).
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: SheepishSophie on August 17, 2012, 05:39:56 pm
Also, have you got all the Eblex stuff? It's free and has some good stuff in it.
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: Rosemary on August 17, 2012, 07:57:31 pm
I have it on good authority that Tim's book will be reprinted in time to be on sale at the Scottis Smallholder and Grower Festival  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: SallyintNorth on August 17, 2012, 08:18:57 pm
I have and use this one (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/books/an-introduction-to-keeping-sheep/), plus the Eddie Straiton / TV Vet Book (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/books/sheep-ailments-recognition-and-treatment), and although I am sure from everything everyone says I would love the Tim Tyne one (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/books/the-sheep-book-for-smallholders) too, I haven't yet felt the need to buy it.  (You can be sure I'm going to give it a good look-over at the Show, though!  :D)  (And I'll update this post if I come home with a copy!  ;))
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: Buffy the eggs layer on August 20, 2012, 08:31:34 pm
just had an email from Amazon,
 
my books are on the way ;D  I will soon be a total sheep boffin type expert :excited:
 
Just need to find the time to read them :-J
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: SteveHants on August 21, 2012, 12:14:45 am
I have and like the Tim Tyne one - I have a smaller 'golden cockerel' one, which I like because it is concise. I also have a massive vetenary handbook - David Henderson.


The Eblex leaflets are bloody good and make me wonder if I didn't ought to have bought any books at all....
Title: Re: best book for a beginer
Post by: SheepishSophie on August 22, 2012, 05:54:41 pm
Steve, I thought the same, so ordered them allllll. Saved a few quid seeing as some of them had the exact information I needed/wanted, rather than hunting through a 15 quid book!