Beef & Lamb Flashcards
Factors affecting the efficiency of production
- Maternal nutrition
- Genotype
- Sex
- Environment
- Nutrition
- Age
European carcass classification scheme
(Kempster, 1982)
Fatness Q > $ 1/ 2/ 3/ 4L /4H/ 5L/ 5H
Confirmation Q > $ P/ O-/ O+/ R/ U-/ U+/ E
Lamb ( U-/ U+/ E/ 2/ 3)
Beef (R/ U-/ U+/ 3/ 4L )
Under maternal nutrition
- Affects animal capacity of muscle development
[- Abundance of satellite cells at birth influence post natal muscle development - influenced by pre- natal maternal nutrition ]
- Affect post natal survival
{ Brown adipose tissue- essential energy store for non- shivering thermogenesis
White adipose tissue - colour attributable to high level of vascularisation and presence of mitochondria protein]
hypothermia
largest contributing factor to lamb post-natal mortality
How cold lead to acute lethal hypothermia
Cold > hypothermia (sub lethal) > Immobility, decrease sucking drive > Failure to replace energy stores > Starvation > Reduce metabolic rate > Acute hypothermia
Cold > Increased heat loss > Acute hypothermia
Cold > Increased metabolic rate > Increase energy demand > Depletion of energy stores > Starvation > Reduce metabolic rate > Acute hypothermia
Factors contribute to under nutrition
- Season & system
- Feed management
- Pregnancy toxaemia > lead to blindness/ death / abortion
Pregnancy toxemia commonly occurs
during late gestation
Pregnancy toxemia caused by
caused by an inadequate energy intake, as fetuses make 70 % of their growth.
Pregnancy toxemia treatment
to increase the blood glucose level.
The nutrients that are important during late gestation
energy, protein, calcium, selenium, and vitamin E.
The amount of energy required depends upon the number of fetuses and cold stress.
Over maternal nutrition can cause
- large lambs/ calves resulting in dystocia
- Vaginal prolapse
Gestational period of a ewe
147 days or 5 months
Maintenance of ewe
Month 1 : 1x maintenance [reduce embryo mortality]
Month 2: > 1x maintenance [ encourage placental growth]
Month 3: < 1x maintenance [ especially if ewe are in Body Condition Scoring > 2.5]
Month 4- 5: single - 2 x maintenance
Twins - 2- 3 x maintenance
Maintenance
for ewe to maintain her body weight or have slow growth to recover the weight (condition) she lost during lactation.
A wide variety of low-cost feedstuffs can be used. Pasture or grass hay is all most sheep need to maintain themselves.
Factors of the cause of vaginal prolapse
- excessive body condition (body condition score >4 )
- multigravid uterus (triplets more than twins)
- high fibre diets particularly those containing root crops,
- limited exercise in housed ewes,
- lameness leading to prolonged periods in sternal recumbency
Treatment of vaginal prolapse
- transport sheep to the veterinary surgery.
- The prolapse should be covered with a towel soaked in warm water to prevent further damage. (contamination with faeces, bedding material and soil/ the friability of the vaginal mucosa.)
Effects of vaginal prolapse
- Animal is unable to urinate
- Prone to vaginal/uterine infection
- Following initial prolapse problem is recurrent
Plastic retention devices
Shaped with the central loop to place within the vagina which is then held within the pelvic canal by the two side arms tightly tied to the fleece of the flanks. These devices can work well in mild early cases.
signs of toxemia
- Decreased aggressiveness at feeding
- listlessness
- aimless walking
- muscle twitching or fine muscle tremors
- opisthotonos
- grinding of the teeth
as the disease progresses ( over 2–4 days),
blindness/ ataxia/ sternal recumbency/ coma/ death