4. Cattle production Flashcards
How does dairy production occur?
Needs a cow to calve
We milk her and process it
What are the components of milk?
Minerals - <1% Protein - 3+% Fat - 4+% Lactose - 5% Water - +/- 88%
What are some common dairy cow breeds?
Holstein-friesian
Jersey
Brown Swiss
Ayrshire
How is productivity measured?
Inputs vs outputs Maintainence Losses Synergies Antagonism Interaction production and reproduction
What is the lifetime reproductive management of cows?
Birth Puberty Inseminate - (cull if fail to conceive) Pregnancy Parturition Inseminate Pregnancy Cull if fail to conceive Drying off period
What is the lactation curve?
Where reproduction meets production
What are the methods of reproduction used?
Artificial insemination
Natural
What are the measures of reproduction?
Calving interval, calving → conception interval
Conception rate - pregnancy rate, services to conception
None return rate (no. of days)
Oestrus interval, insemination interval
Cull rate
What are factors affecting reproductive status?
Management Nutrition Disease status Heat detection Fertile bull Semen handling Poor record keeping Poor communication
When to intervene with calving?
Don't be afraid to wait Identify signs of calving (prodrome) Cow - wait 1hrs Heifer - wait 1 1/2 hrs Requires training and agreement on protocols Training on different presentations Calving aid/jack
What are some common endemic, infectious diseases?
BVDv, Leptospirosis, bTB, coccidiosis, fascilosis (liver fluke), gut worms
What is production disease?
Disease that occurs due to production demands
- metabolic in nature
Could express as increased incidence of infectious disease e.g. mastitis
Higher strains on cows homeostasis increases the occurance of production disease
- milk fever, LDA, RFM, mastitis, lameness
What are the main reasons for culling a cow?
Infertility
lameness
mastitis/somatic cell counts
What is a lameness score of 0?
No action needed
Routine (preventative) foot trimming when/if required
Record mobility at next scoring session
What is a lameness score of 1?
Could benefit from routine (preventative) foot trimming when/if required
- further observation needed
What is a lameness score of 2?
Lame and likely to benefit from treatment
Foot should be lifted to establish cause of lameness before treatment
Should be attended as soon as practically possible
What is a lameness score of 3?
Very lame, will benefit from treatment and urgent attention
cow should not be made to walk and should be kept on a straw yard or at grass
In most severe cases culling maybe the only option
What are things to consider after the calf is born?
Navel dip Colostrum Milk feeding Hard feeds Diseases/vaccinations Mortality rates +/-8% Vitamine E/Se
What actions should be taken at birth?
Dip navel in disinfectant (7% iodine) and total coverage, repeat after 24hrs
Colostrum supply, 2 litres within 1hrs + 2 litres (1st 6 hrs) + 2 litres (1st 12hrs)
Work clean
Check quality (1st + 2nd milkings)
5g/L plasma = protection
10g/L plasma = no disease
When should calves be eating hard feeds?
1kg of calf nuts at weaning
Fresh hay offered from 1wk of age, freshly fed 2x a day
Monitor for diarrhoea and respiratory disease
When should heifers have their first service?
Aim for calving at 24 months of age as with a beef herd
Weight 375 kg, height 132cm
Good correlation between size and weight
Define lactation period
Time from calving until the cow is dried off (time in which the cow is producing milk)
- target = 300-305 days
- range = 265-340 days
Define open period (OP)
Time from calving to re-conception - depends on voluntary waiting period and the breeding period
- target = mean of 85 days
- range = 45 - 120 days
Define gestation period
Time from conception to calving
- 280 - 285 days
- dairy breeds - beef breeds
What is the culling period?
Percentage of cows culled per year
- usually 25-30% of the herd
When is the peak daily yield for milk production?
week 5-7
How does a body condition scoring unit relate to actual body weight?
Based on a holstein
- one change in body condition is equivalent to about 90kg of body weight
- body fat increases +12.5% for every increase in unit body condition score
What recent changes have occurred in the UK dairy industry?
- milk yield ↑
- fertility and longevity ↓
- number of breeds ↓
- milk price ↓
- required management expertise ↑
Describe the advantages of using AI as opposed to natural service
- high genetic merit bulls can produce more offspring
- less inbreeding
- cheaper for the farmer
- easier to transport
- usually less risk of sexually transmitted diseases
- no safety risks in terms of keeping bulls
- can select from a range of bulls
- sexed semen available
What are signs of oestrus?
Standing to be ridden
- riding other cows
- restless behaviour
- raised tail
- swollen vulva with discharge
- smudged tail paint
In what interval should cows be bred when they start heat?
12-24 hours from the start of standing heat
What is lead feeding?
Increasing concentrate feeding during the last 3 weeks of pregnancy to adapt the rumen flora to the switch to a high concentrate ration at the onset of lactation
- helps reduce frequency of ketosis and acidosis
- can increase the risk of milk fever
What is DCAB feeding?
Decreasing the ratio of cations to anions in the feed during the last 3 weeks of pregnancy helps minimise the risk of milk fever
- encourages mobilisation of calcium from bone
- rations with high anion salt are unpalatable
Describe the effect of dietary protein on fertility
High dietary protein levels can lead to reduced fertility in dairy cows
- assessed indirectly through blood urea-nitrogen levels
Define synchronisation
Bringing a large number of cows into oestrus at the same time using drugs
- intravaginal progesterone - delays ovulation until progesterone is removed
- prostaglandin injection to stimulate luteolysis
- GnRH injection to stimukate ovulation
How does embryo transfer take place?
Superovulation → non-surgical removal of eggs → in vitro fertilisation → embryos frozen and transferred to a recipient later
What are some common causes of lameness?
Heel erosion
Sole uler
White line lesion
What factors influence negative energy balance?
Glucose C3-molecules Krebs cycle Gluconeogenesis Vitamins Co-enzymes
What are hazards associated with milk replacer feeds?
- Over feeding cheaper milk powders can lead to diarrhoea because of the lower digestibility of the plant carbohydrates and intake of soybean protein
- Excessive heat treatment during manufacture interferes with protein coagulation in the abomasum and digestibility of the reformed milk powder
What is the ideal weight and height for heifers at first service?
Aim for calving at 24 months of age
Weight = 375kg
Height = 132cm
What are common causes of death in calfs in the first 24hrs?
Enteric disease, septicaemia and pneumonia
Why is colostrum intake so important?
Provides the calf with immunoglobulins (Igs) until it starts producing its own immune responses at 4 weeks of age
- best absorption obtained between 4-7 hours after calving
- reduced after 11 hours as the closure of the gut wall prevents the uptake of large proteins
What is the legislation regarding castration in the UK?
Must use anaesthetic if > 2mo old
- rubber ring must be used under 1 week old
What are the mechanisms by why the castration methods work?
Rubber ring, ischaemia → necrosis
Burdizzo, denervation + ischaemia + crushing spermatic cord → necrosis
Surgical → excision
What is the legislation regarding disbudding in the UK?
Must use an anaesthetic, except for chemical cauterisation which can only be used if < 1 week old
What are stages of the beef production cycle?
Birth ↓- up to 180 days Weaning ↓ Fattening ↓ - 160-360 days Slaughter - 450-550kg LW
What are stages of the beef production cycle from a dairy herd?
Birth ↓ - 35 days Weaning ↓ - 50 days Fattening ↓- 250 days Slaughter - 450-550kg LW
Name some traditional breeds
Aberdeen Angus Lincoln red Hereford Highland Beef shorthorn Belted Galloway
Name some continental breeds
Bazadaise Simmental Piedmentese Belgian Blue Charolais Limousin
Why are continental breeds used?
Often used as terminal sire
- double muscling (muscular hypertrophy)
Define the rate of maturity
Equivalent time taken to deposit fat
Define late maturing
Laying down fat later in life
- generally continental breeds
- take less time to finish - feed a higher ration to finish quicker
Define early maturing
Laying down fat early in life
- traditional breeds but South Devon
- take more time to finish
What is compensatory growth?
Retarded growth on low nutritional plane - poor quality hay/silage
Animal compensates when back on production level nutrition
- store cattle feed for maintenance
- when put on grass, compensate for low nutrition
Can delay maturity and finishing time
Describe an intensive beef production system
From 12 weeks of age kept indoors and on ad lib concentrates Main determinants of profitability are: - growth rate - concentrate prices - calf cost
Describe a semi-intensive beef production system (18 month beef)
Cattle are raised on grass and silage with limited mounts of concentrates
Calves born in autumn are best suited to this kind of system
- first winter fed on ab lib silage and 2kg/day concentrates
- Grazed during the summer
- finished on ab lib silage and 2-4kg/day concentrates
Describe a grass silage beef production system
Silage raised with limited concentrates (2kg/day)
- finished in a 14-16 month time period
- good quality silage = good returns from this system
Describe a store fattening beef production system
Young animals are raised on farms that have limited feed resources to finish
- sold as stores ready for fattening
- finished on grass during the summer or different feeding regimes in winter
What is white veal production?
Banned in the UK
Veal crates - restrict movement
Milk replacer feed
Low fat/iron diet - anaemia = white, pale, tender meat
What is rose veal production?
Suckled by mum or milk replacer fed Slaughtered at 6 months, approx, 200kg Naturally weaned Produces a pinker meat Able to move around
