Cattle Flashcards
Age of calf
Up to 6 months old
Define bobby calf
Surplus bull calf from dairy herd
Define pail-fed calf
Reared artificially on milk or milk substitute.
Define suckled calf
Reared on a cow
Define weaned/speaned
Calf off milk/away from mother
Define stirk
(Inexact term) animal between 3mo-1y
Define store cattle
Young animals being fed for growth prior to fattening & slaughter
Fattening/finishing cattle
Cattle being fattened for slaughter. Usually beef breeds/beef crosses.
Define bull
Uncastrated male of at least 6mo
Define bullock/steer.
Castrated male
Define cow
Officially, an animal after the start of her first lactation. On farms, an animal after completion of her first cycle of lactation.
Define beef cow/suckler cow
Beef breed cow or crossbreed whose progeny is fattened for meat.
Define dairy cow
Cow kept for milk production
Define cull cow
Cow transferred out of herd, usually for slaughter but may be sold to elsewhere
Define heifer
Female until first lactation
Define maiden heifer
Female which has not been served/inseminated.
Define bulling heifer
(Variable) 14mo to mating/artificial insemination
Define in-calf heifer
Heifer confirmed pregnant
Normal temperature for cattle
38-39 degrees C
Normal respiratory rate of cattle
12-25 breaths/min (varies w/ age)
Normal pulse rate for cattle & where is it taken ?
50-60 bpm in adults.
Taken at angle of jaw, inside foreleg or under tail.
Signs of heat (oestrus) in cows
- Standing to allow mounting
- Mounting other cows from front
- Restlessness/alterness
- Increased respiratory rate & body temperature
- Vocalising
- Clear copious stringy mucus from vulva (dries on legs/tail)
- Blood stained mucus 2 days post oestrus
- Tail rubbed or licked
- Decreased milk yield
Cattle: 1st set of adult teeth at which age?
1y9m
Cattle: 2nd set of adult teeth at which age?
2y3m
Cattle: 3rd set of adult teeth at which age?
2y9m
Cattle: 4th set of adult teeth at which age?
3y3m
How long will cattle spend lying down in a day?
12 hours
How long should a cow be ruminating per day?
7 hours
State the types of conserved forage fed to cows.
Grass silage, maize silage, corn silage, hay & straw.
When are cows fed conserved silage?
When kept indoors in the late autumn, early spring & winter.
When are cows fed grass?
Late spring, summer & early autmn.
State the type of conserved silage that is high in nutrients.
Grass silage.
State the types of concentrates fed to cows.
Cereals (wheat, barley, oats, maize), purchased compound feeds, oil seeds (soya), by-products (sugar beet pulp, brewer’s grain).
What is the advantage of purchased compound feeds?
They can be custom-made for a herd.
What is the advantage of by-products?
They are cheaper.H
How long does cow oestrus last ?
21 days but signs only last 8-12 hours.
When does ovulation occur in cows?
12 hours after the end of oestrus.
What are the advantages of artificial insemination for cattle?
- Use of genetically superior/international semen.
- Easier herd management.
- Pregnancy rates of 50-60%.
What are disadvantages of artificial insemination for cattle?
Labour intensive (oestrus identification & insemination).
What are the advantages of natural reproduction for cattle?
Less labour intensive as it doesn’t require oestrus detection & insemination.
What are the disadvantages of natural reproduction for cattle?
- Easier spread of venereal diseases.
- Bull can be aggressive or infertile.
- Complicates herd management as calving date is unknown.
When is pregnancy of cows confirmed?
21 days after insemination
How is pregnancy of cows confirmed?
By rectal palpation, return to oestrus, transrectal ultrasound or measuring hormones.
What is the gestation time of a cow?
~283 days
How is semen sexed?
Semen is dyed and flow cytometry is used to separate males & females OR remove the Y chromosome.
What is the length of the calving to conception interval?
~83 days
What is the length of a standard lactation period?
305 days lactating with 60 days dry period.
When does milk yield peak?
~2 months post calving
By how much does milk yield decrease after it has reached its peak?
By 1.5-2% weekly.
How are peak yield and total milk production related?
Peak yield is 0.5% of total milk production
What is the butterfat % range for a Holstein-Friesian cow?
3.5-4.5%
What is the protein % range for a Holsetin-Friesian cow?
3.0-3.5%
When is bactoscan inacceptably too high?
When it is above 50 000 count per ml
What is the ideal bactoscan?
Below 30 000 count per ml
What does SCC stand for?
Somatic Cell Count
When is SCC inacceptably too high?
When it is above 250 000 cells/ml
What is the ideal SCC?
Below 200 000 cells/ml
What does TMR stand for?
Total Mixed Ration
What are the advantages of TMR?
- Stable rumen pH
- Maximisation of dry matter intake
- Flexible ration formulation
What are the disadvantages of TMR?
- High initial set-up costs
- computer skills required to formulate rations
- less individual attention
What is sem-TMR?
Splitting the cows in 2 groups according to nutritional groups
What is single-TMR?
Relying on more hungry cows to eat more & less hungry cows to eat less.
What is the advantage of the third mid-day meal?
It increases milk yield by 10%
What are the advantages and disadvantages of milking 3 times a day?
Advantage: it increases milk yield by 10-15%.
Disadvantage: it is labour intensive.
What characteristics are dairy sires selected for?
Milk yield & composition, conformation wise the udder depth & teat, disease resistance, ease of calving
What is the purpose of progeny testing in heifers?
Allows to figure out the effect of the environment vs the genetics.
What does PTA stand for and how often is it released?
PTA = Predicted Transmitted Ability
Released 4 times a year.
What do PIN & PLI stand for?
PIN = Profit Index
PLI = Profitable Lifetime Index
What is the purpose of PIN & PLI and how often are they released?
PIN & PLI are used to to discourage single-trait selection. Breed-specific.
Released every 5 years.
What is the 2 year conversion period in organic farming in the UK?
A period of time where the produce is farmed organically but not sold as organic.
What % of the feed must be organic for organic farming?
100%
What % of the feed must be forage for organic farming
60%
How many courses of antibiotics mean the animal is no longer organic?
3 in a year
How many replacement animals can be bought in on an organic farm?
Not more than 10% of the herd size
In the US, what is the rule with organic farming and antibiotics?
Antibiotics at any stage mean the animal is no longer organic
What are the 4 calving patterns?
- All-year round
- Spring calving
- Summer calving
- Autumn calving
What are the advantages & disadvantages of all-year round calving?
Advantages:
- Consistent milk supply & workload spread throughout the year.
Disadvantages:
- Difficult to ensure good management.
- Usually due to poor fertility.
What are the advantages & disadvantages of spring calving?
Advantages:
- Cheap as peak lactation is while cows are on grass.
Disadvantages:
- Need lots of early spring grass.
What are the advantages & disadvantages of summer calving?
Advantages:
- Take advantage of high milk price in autumn & winter.
Disadvantages:
- Variable weather affects grass growth.
- Must buffer feed cows.
What are the advantages & disadvantages of autumn calving?
Advantages:
- Take advantages of high milk price in autumn & winter.
- Take advantage of spring grass mid-lactation.
Disadvantages:
- Increased production costs as cows are housed in during peak lactation.
How much space does an 8 000L cow require?
10m^2
What are the cubicle dimensions for a 700kg cow?
2.4mx1.2m + 3 feet head lunge space to allow cows to stand up.
State the components of the milking machine.
- Vacuum pump
- Vacuum regulator
- Sanitary trap
- Receiver vessel
- Milk pump
- Vacuum gauge
- Cluster
- Milk meter
- Keypad
- Automatic Cluster Remover (ACR)
- Pulsator
- Jetters
- Milk filter
- Plate cooler
- Bulk tank
- Tank washer
What is the role of the vacuum pump?
It continuously draws air out of the system to create a vacuum.
What is the role of the vacuum regulator?
Maintains a steady vacuum
What is the role of the sanitary trap?
Separates milk from the vacuum.
What is the role of the receiver vessel?
Collects the milk from the pipeline & transfers it to the milk pump.
What is the role of the milk pump?
Pumps milk from the receiver vessel to the bulk tank.
What is the role of the vacuum gauge?
Indicates the level of vacuum in the working pump.
What is the cluster composed of?
A claw, shells, liners, pulse tubes & milk tubes.
What is the role of the milk meter?
Measures volume of milk flowing through it.
What is the role of the keypad?
Identifies cows, displays milk flow & hazards.
What is the role of the ACR?
Monitors when milk flow slows down & removes cluster from udder.
What is the role of the pulsator?
Opens & closes cluster liners.
What is the role of the jetters?
Connections to the washing circuit
What is the role of the milk filter?
Removes external matter from milk as it leaves the pump.
What is the role of the plate cooler?
Heat exchange unit that pre-cools milk
What is the role of the bulk tank?
Refrigerated tank for cooling & storing milk
What is the role of the tank washer?
Automatic programmed wash sequence that sterilises bulk tank.
What are the stages of the milking routine?
1) Feed cows upon entry into the parlour to provide encouragement.
2) Foremilking: optional but stimulates milk let down, early detection of clinical mastitis and removal of bacteria in the ends of teats.
3) Teat prep: wash teats to ensure there is no contamination of milk.
4) Pre-dipping teats in disinfectant & wipe off with 1 disposable towel per cow to control environmental mastitis.
5) Cluster is put on & cow is milked.
6) ACR removes cluster when milk flow slows down (removal can also be manual).
7) Psot-milking disinfection of teat to prevent entry of pathogens in teat canal + emollients for teat skin.
When should liners be replaced?
Every 2.5 milkings
