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Y4 Farm Animal > beef > Flashcards

beef Flashcards

CA03-06

1
Q

name the 3 main types of beef herds to get cattle to slaughter weight

A
  1. beef suckler (breeding) herd
  2. calf rearer
  3. beef finisher unit
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2
Q

what is the most common calving pattern for beef herds in the UK

A

block calving in Spring

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3
Q

name the 4 main aims of beef suckler farming

A
  1. one calf per year
  2. finishers finished at 12-24mo
  3. maximise use of grazing
  4. end product that fits required specification w/o penalties
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4
Q

name the 5 stages that a beef calf must survive and thrive during
(in order of decr. risk)

A
  1. perinatal period
  2. neonatal period
  3. weaning
  4. growing period
  5. fattening
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5
Q

what cost is one of the biggest factors affecting profitability of beef herds?

A

feed costs

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6
Q

what system is used for carcase classification?

A

EUROP system

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7
Q

what is the usual finishing age for beef cattle going to butchers market

A

16-24 months

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8
Q

what is the target carcase classification for beef cattle going to butchers market

A

R4L-R4H

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9
Q

what is the usual carcase weight for beef cattle going to butchers market

A

250-320kg

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10
Q

what is the usual finishing age for beef cattle going to supermarkets

A

16-30 months

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11
Q

what is the target carcase classification for beef cattle going to supermarkets

A

R3

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12
Q

what is the usual carcase weight for beef cattle going to supermarkets

A

280-380 kg

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13
Q

what is the usual finishing age for beef cattle going to manufacturing beef

A

12-30 months

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14
Q

what is the target carcase classification for beef cattle going to manufacturing beef

A

O2

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15
Q

what is the usual carcase weight for beef cattle going to manufacturing beef

A

280-400kg

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16
Q

name the 4 main factors affecting profitability of beef herds

A
  1. feed costs
  2. farm running costs
  3. market prices
  4. calf output
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17
Q

what pregnancy rate shows good fertility for a bull in a beef herd

A

> 90% pregnancy rate
(when running with 50 normal cycling cows for 9 weeks)

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18
Q

name 4 factors/traits of calves that make up the ideal scenario for beef cattle

A
  1. born easily
  2. grow rapidly
  3. have good conformation
  4. have good survivability
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19
Q

these are measures of genetic potential for specific traits;
estimate the phenotypic traits of an animal’s offspring;
calculated using performance data collected from known relatives;
can only compare animals of SAME breed

A

estimated breeding values (EBVs)

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20
Q

what EBVs do vets most care about in beef cattle?

A

calving ease

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21
Q

name 4 factors you want when buying the ideal bull

A
  1. safe to handle
  2. terminal sire status
  3. good health
  4. maternal traits
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22
Q

this is a cause of abortion and early embryonic loss;
transmitted through breeding - bulls can become carriers;
recommended to only buy virgin bulls;
can perform sheath wash for culture

A

Campylobacter fetus veneralis

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23
Q

name the 3 stages of the bull breeding soundness evaluation

A
  1. physical exam
  2. semen evaluation
  3. mating ability (libido) assessment

(stage 3 not routinely carried out)

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24
Q

what is the ideal BCS for a bull at mating

A

3-3.5

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25
Q

how long before mating should bulls have a foot trim (to avoid stress)

A

at least 6-8 weeks

26
Q

what should be checked in a rectal exam of a bull

A

accessory glands

(seminal vesiculitis)

27
Q

what 4 qualities of semen are assessed?

A
  1. appearance
  2. gross motility
  3. progressive motility
  4. sperm morphology
27
Q

how is gross motility of sperm classified?

A

1-5 scale

(1=no movement, 5=fast swirl)

28
Q

what percent of sperm must swim in a forward direction in order to pass progressive motility assessment?

A

at least 60%

29
Q

what percent of sperm must be ‘normal’ to pass morphological assessment

A

at least 70%

30
Q

name the morphological assessment of bull sperm

indicate immaturity of bull or insult to sperm during development

A

proximal droplets

31
Q

name the morphological assessment of bull sperm

most common defect;
can be artefact of semen handling due to cold shock;
can also be defect in spermatogenesis in the epididymis

A

bent tails
(distal midpiece reflex)

32
Q

name the morphological assessment of bull sperm

pear-shaped head making less able to join with oocyte;
usually due to heat stress (climate or fever) or hormomnal disturbance

A

pyriform head

33
Q

name the morphological assessment of bull sperm

common to find a few;
in large numbers it represents a ‘rusty load’ or may be due to testicular abnormalities or inflammation of the epididymis or seminal vesicles

A

detached head

34
Q

name the morphological assessment of bull sperm

make the sperm less able to join with oocyte;
can be heritable;
usually due to heat stress (climate or fever) or hormonal disturbance

A

nuclear defects (vacuoles/knobbed acrosome)

35
Q

name the morphological assessment of bull sperm

tightly coiled tails;
can be genetic cause

A

coiled tailes/dag-like defect

36
Q

what type of defects are compensable defects of sperm?

A

if sperm are unable to reach the oocyte

(can be compensated by higher sperm density)

37
Q

what type of defects are non-compensable defects of sperm?

A

sperm can reach oocyte but not produce viable embryo

(can’t be compensated for by increasing sperm numbers)

38
Q

what is the maximm number of cows for a young bull

A

20-30 cows max

39
Q

what is the maximum number of cows for mature bulls?

A

40-50 cows max

40
Q

how long is the recovery (anoestrus) after calving before a beef cow is serviced again?

41
Q

name 2 ways to reduce periparturient disease in beef cattle

A
  1. reduce dystocia
  2. reduce NEB (negative energy balance)
42
Q

name 3 ways to reduce dystocia in beef cattle

A
  1. bull choice
  2. good nutritional management
  3. heifer selection
43
Q

name 3 ways to reduce NEB (negative energy balance) in beef cattle to reduce periparturient disease

A
  1. good BCS management
  2. nutritional planning
  3. clean environment to reduce disease
44
Q

what is the most common way to synchronise beef herds

A

CIDR synchronisation

(implant, GNRH, prostaglandin)

45
Q

name 4 pros of artificial insemination for beef herds

A
  1. compact calving period
  2. ensures late calving cows get served
  3. allows new and more varied genetics to be bought in
  4. can reduce risk of infectious abortion
46
Q

name 2 cons of artificial insemination for a beef herd

A
  1. requires multiple handlings
  2. can be expensive
47
Q

name 3 reasons why monitoring BCS is so important in cattle

A
  1. reduced fertility and milk production in thin cows
  2. changing condition pre and post calving difficult
  3. incr risk of dystocia and metabolic disease in fat cows
48
Q

should you wean the calf earlier or later to reduce BCS?

49
Q

should you wean the calf earlier or later to increase BCS?

50
Q

at what age should heifers in a beef herd calve for the first time?

51
Q

what percent of adult body weight should a heifer be at service?

A

60-65% adult body weight

52
Q

when should heifers be mated in relation to the main herd?

A

2-3 weeks early

53
Q

name 2 common metabolic issues at calving for cattle

A
  1. hypocalcaemia
  2. low selenium
54
Q

name 3 things a cow with twins is at a higher risk of?

A
  1. retained membranes
  2. dystocia
  3. perinatal/neonatal mortality
55
Q

at 4 months old what should the nutrition of the calf be made up of?

A

50% milk
50% forage/creep

56
Q

at 6.5 months old, what should the nutrition of the calf be made up of?

A

25% milk
75% forage/creep

57
Q

when should creep feeding (intro of concentrate feed to calves) begin?

A

6-10 weeks before weaning

58
Q

what age should a calf be weaned at?

A

more than 5 months
(usually 6-7 months)

59
Q

what are the 2 biggest parasite risks for spring born calves during weaning?

A
  1. type II ostertagiosis
  2. liver fluke
60
Q

what are the 3 biggest parasite risks for autumn born calves during weaning?

A
  1. type I ostertagiosis
  2. lungworm
  3. liver fluke
61
Q

there is a high risk of what respiratory disease during weaning due to stress

Y4 Farm Animal (19 decks)

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