Animal Husbandry: Cattle Flashcards
What is the standard lactation period of a dairy cow
305 days
When does milk yield peak in a dairy cow
2 months after calving
What is the average gestation period of a cow
282 days
What is the transition period for a dairy cow
The 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after calving when the animal is at a high risk for metabolic disease
List 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of feeding total mixed rations
Adv:
1. Stable rumen pH
2. Flexibility in ration formulation
Disadv:
1. Less individual attention to the animal
2. Problems with high concentrate levels
List 3 ways of good oestrus detection
- Good record keeping
- Using heat detection aids
- Observing for 3 periods of 30min each
What is the EBV
A measure of the expected performance of an animal relative to the population average
What is the predicted transmitting ability
The transmission of a genetic trait to offspring
Describe 3 concepts of organic farming
- Requires a 2 year conversion period to get paid the premium prices
- Routine antibiotics and dewormers are not allowed
- Product can be sold at a higher price but it costs more to make
List 3 traits selected for in dairy cattle
- Milk yield
- Milk composition
- Conformation
What are 4 cow management aims
- Clean and dry bedding
- Clean and comfortable cows
- Free access to feed and water
- Freedom of movement
At pasture, a cow spends ___ hours lying down and __ ruminating
12 hours lying
7 hours ruminating
How much space do you need for an 8,000L cow (average) in a straw yard housing system
10m2 per cow
A straw yard system is __ to install and __ to maintain
Whereas a cubicle system is __ to install and __ to maintain
Straw: cheap to install, expensive to maintain
Cubicle: expensive to install, cheap to maintain
How much space do you need for a 700kg cow in a cubicle housing system
2.4m x 1.2m
What is the most common type of bedding used in cow housing systems, and what are some other types
Straw is most common
Others: mats, sand, shavings
Why is good ventilation important in cattle sheds
Cows are naturally ‘damp’ animals and they produce a lot of condensation, so ventilation is important to keep a dry and clean environment to prevent bacterial overgrowth
Which season of calving is associated with the highest costs of production and why
Fall, because you have to feed concentrates at peak lactation
Which seasons of calving take advantage of higher milk prices
Autumn and summer
In milking, when does the ACR fall off the teat?
When milk flow falls below 0.5kg-0.2kg /min for 20 seconds
What are the 3 main categories of milking parlours
- Static parlors
- Rotary parlors
- Robotic milkers
What is the pulsation rate of the milking machine
The number of pulsation cycles per minute
What is the pulsation ratio of the milking machine
The length of the milk out phase compared to the massage phase
What are two different types of of static milking parlors
- Individual entry and exit
- Batch entry and exit
What is the main aim of a milking machine
To remove milk from the udder quickly with minimal risk to udder health
Describe the 4 steps in the milking machine cycle (the graph of pressure changes)
- Air removed from shell, liner opens
- Vacuum forms inside liner and shell, liner opens (MILK OUT)
- Air allowed in to shell, liner collapses
- Air in shell, liner closes (MASSAGE)
List 3 benefits of foremilking
- Aids in detection of mastitis
- Lowers bacterial count by removing debris
- Stimulates milk down
How much of beef consumed in the UK is imported
20%
List 3 factors in meat production that influence what a consumer will buy
- Food safety
- Animal welfare
- Environmental issues
The carcass weight is approx. ___ of the liveweight
1/2
What is the ‘killing out percentage’
The killing out percentage is what is lost between the live animal and the dead animal (varies between 45-55%)
How is carcass composition scored
On the EUROP scale (E - excellent, P - poor)
How is fat scored on an animal
1-5 (1 - lean, 5 - fat)
4 & 5 are further subdivided into H (fatter) and L (leaner)
What carcass and fat scores are desirable
Carcass: R or better
Fat: 3, 4L, 4H
List 3 key points used to predict the carcass quality in a living animal
- The pin bones
- Over the ribs
- The transverse process of the loin
___ reach maturity earlier than ____
Smaller framed breeds and females
Larger framed breeds and males
What causes double muscling in some breeds
There is a mutation in the gene encoding for myostatin, a protein that inhibits muscle differentiation and growth
What is the difference between a dairy calf and suckler calf
Dairy: removed from mother 1-2 days after birth
Suckler: stays with mother and suckles until they are weaned
The majority of breeding cattle in the UK are ___
Dairy cattle
List the 4 behavioral aims of cattle
- Maintain homeostasis
- Explore the environment
- Maintain herd instinct and social order
- Express sexual and maternal behavior
Give an example of conserved forage
Grass silage (or wholecrop cereal, hay or straw)
Give an example of a concentrate
Cereals (or oil seeds and by-products)
List 3 signs of oestrus
- Restlessness
- Decreased milk yield
- Clear vulvual mucous discharge
What is a disadv/limitation of using AI on dairy cattle
You need really good oestrus detection in the herd
What is the principle aim of farm assurance schemes
Consumer confidence, food safety and traceability
Why are beef cattle often grazed on the same pastures as sheep
- Maximizes productive area of grass
- Reduces parasite challenge (worms are host specific, so if you switch who is grazing you’ll keep the worms guessing)
- Reduces parasite burden (each species will destroy the worms specific to the others)
How many calving seasons do you ideally want out of a beef cow
8-10 calving seasons
List some examples of beef breeds crossed with Holstein Friesians
Angus, Hereford, Simmental, limousin
List 3 advantages of a compact calving period
- More efficient feeding of cows
- More efficient supervision
- Even batches of calves to rear
What are the 2 different breeding systems to get home-bred replacements
- Half and three-quarter (get cross breeds from the dairy herd and breed with a beef bull)
- Two-breed rotation (two herds run in parallel, each bred to a different breed of bull)
What is the expected LWG for a calf from birth to weaning
1-1.2 kg/day
Up until what age can you castrate calves with a rubber ring
7 days
Up until what age can you castrate and disbud a calf surgically
2-3 months
Calves need to get good quality colostrum within ____
6 hours
How much colostrum should you give a calf when its born (in % of body weight)
6% in 6 hours, and 6% again in the next 6 hours
What are the pros and cons of feeding dump milk
Pros: free calf feed
Cons: higher calf mortality, promotes AMR, there is possible transfer of infection
How much CP and fat does milk substitute powder need to have
20-26% CP
16-20% fat
At what age should calves start to be offered a minimum daily ration of fibrous food
From 2 weeks
What are 5 things needed to stimulate ruminal development
- Establish bacteria in the rumen
- Liquid in the rumen
- A system for the rumen to contract and relax
- Ability of the rumen epithelium to absorb microbial products
- Availability of substrate in the rumen
