Any books or website on how to take care of farm animals, etc.

[Sequoia]

I just started working in a feed store and people ask me about what to feed their cows, chicks, horses, ducks, goats, sheep, etc. Not just feed but all sorts of stuff associated with animals not to mention dogs, turtles, lizards and cats. Plus types of hay and grass. All things farming. What's a good source I might start with? Thanks.

[Vincardog]

1. google is your friend

[Name removed]

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[HereSince1628]

2. Purina has lots of dietary information...

I think their website is purinamills.com

[kestrel91316]

3. OSU's vet school website has some resources:

http://vet.osu.edu/nssvet

My personal favorite basic layperson's resource for all things farm-related is Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living.
http://www.carlaemery.com/country-living-book.htm
You can buy a copy directly from her widowed husband online - I like to see him get as much $ from it as possible rather than faceless corporations.

[izquierdista]

4. Backyard chickens

For the poultry minded: http://www.backyardchickens.com/

[KatyaR]

5. Mother Earth News magazine is really good.

www.motherearthnews.com

This page of small farming magazine has some good ones:

http://smallfarm.about.com/od/otherresources/tp/smallfarmmagazines.htm

I'm sure there are a lot of websites about raising livestock and pets that would be helpful.

My personal favorites, more along the lines of gardening, are the books by Louise Riotte. You can find her books on used websites such as AbeBooks. Some of her stuff does go more into taking care of land, building ponds, etc. They're a good read.

[Sequoia]

10. Thanks everyone, this has been helpful.

Some of the books are here at my local library where I have to go to come here.

[murielm99]

6. All land grant universities have cooperative extension

services. They offer web based information, classes and a wealth of information. Most extension services have offices located throughout the states they serve. There are twelve in Illinois, that I know of. They help farmers, and are very involved in programs like 4-H. You don't have to be a farmer to use their programs, either.

You should google the extension service for your state. Find some websites, and a phone number. I have a feeling they would be glad to offer you some free publications, or even visit you at your store. I am sure some of the other employees in the store know about extension services programs, too.

[Denninmi]

7. Here is an awesome book you can download for FREE

From the National Academy of Sciences. Hardcopy price is $117. Free download, you don't even need to register for the website, just give your email.

Really an amazingly good reference for all kinds of livestock, from the common to things most have never heard of.

Just click the tab on the left side of the page that says "Free PDF access for personal use only" to download the free book.

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1831&page=R1

[FedUpWithIt All]

8. Storey Publishing does books on different breeds. They are extremely thorough.

http://www.storey.com/subcategory_listing.php?cat=Animals&subcat=Livestock&sort=date&p=0

http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603420365&cat=Animals

[shinyhead]

11. pick a subject

The amount of information to learn is HUGE. Pick a subject to specialize in kinda. Like weed control and such.. or cattle .. or horses, etc. When I made the plunge I would say it took me a 5 years before I started to get a clue and 10 years till I felt confident enough in my knowledge to be able to offer solid and valid advice. Better then learning all the info yourself is learning where to find the correct info so you can point people where to look for themselves.