Cattle Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the preparation of the cow during slaughter.
A
- Sticking and removal of head
- When the animal is stunned, it is released onto the bleeding area.
- The slaughtermen now work quickly to stick the animal. Sticking is the process of removing blood from the carcass. It also makes sure that blood does not clot in the flesh.
- Although the animal twitches during sticking, this involuntary movement is caused purely by the animal’s nervous system. The animal is in fact dead and, therefore, feels no pain.
- Transfer of carcass to pram
- Dressing
- Inspection
2
Q
Describe the typical cattle carcass for slaughter and its grading.
A
- Carcass weight of 260-380 kg, of reasonable R (or better) conformation and 3, 4L, 4H fat class is acceptable to consumers
- Classification is subjectively assigned by the meat grader according to the EUROP system where E is excellent, U is Very Good, R is Good, O is Fair and P is Poor. Likewise for the fat class, where 1 is Low, 2 is Slight, 3 is Average, 4 is High, and 5 is Very High.
3
Q
What is the killing out percentage? What determines the killing out percetage?
A
- Killing-out percentage is the amount of a live animal that ends up as a carcase - bone and muscle of the torso and legs, but is not an indicator of quality.
- The carcase is formed after the removal of the head, feet, skin (and fleece), blood, stomachs and intestines, heart, lungs and liver.
- Killing-out percentages are highly variable and are influenced by many factors, such as gut fill, breed, sex, degree of finish, inter-animal variation and stage of maturity
4
Q
Describe the phenomenon of double muscling in the ox.
A
The double-muscling phenotype of the Belgian Blue and Piedmontese is a heritable condition which results in the increased number of muscle fibers (hyperplasia) rather than the normal enlargement of individual muscle fibers (hypertrophy)
5
Q
How can suckler beef production fit into a modern farming production.
A
- Suckler beef utilize poorer land unsuitable for cropping or on arable farms using straw and by-products
- Suckler beef can be raised on a catch crop which quickly grows forage in between growing seasons
- Suckler beef can share grazing with sheep on a pasture to maximize utilization of the pasture and reduce incidence of parasites
6
Q
What are the qualities of a crossbred suckler beef animal?
A
- Females
- Have earlier puberty
- Higher conception rates
- Easier calvings
- Longevity
- Individuals
- Increased weaning weight
- Increased yearling weight
- Improved carcass traits
- Paternal
- Reduced age at puberty
- Improvements in scrotal circumference
- Improved sperm concentration
- Increased pregnancy rate and weaning rate when mated to cows
7
Q
What are the qualities of a beef suckler?
A
- Fertile and easy calving with one live calf each ear
- Hardy and efficient
- Survive outdoors and utilize low quality feed
- Good mothering insitics
- Good beef conformation
- Good temperament
8
Q
What are the advantages and disadvantages to home-breeding suckler calves?
A
- Advantages
- More control over breeding and genetic improvement
- Good temperament
- Cheaper
- Disease control
- Rotational crossing/composite breeding
- Disadvantages
- High cost in feed
- Housing required
- Cashflow disruption
9
Q
Discuss compact calving and extended calving in the beef suckler herd.
A
- Compact calving
- Require supervision
- Efficient in that all cattle require the same nutrient level at the same time
- Produces calves that are even sized and aged which can be turned out together, weaned together, wormed together, vaccinated together, and sold together
- Prevents disease
- Bulls must be fitter
- Achieving
- Needs a restricted mating period of 9-10 weeks
- Must have high cow fertilitty
- Closely related to nutrition and body condition score
- 90% of the herd should be cycling at the start of the breeding period (closer to 62% in reality)
- Maintain 1 year calving interval
- Early weaning and culling
- Pregnancy check 6-8 weeks after bull is removed
- Requires bull fertility
- Bull <3 year can service 20-25 cows
- Mature bull can service 40-60 cows
- Expected to get 95% of cows pregnant in 9 weeks (over 65% in 3 weeks)
- Extended calving
- Early born calves may require extra feeding before weaning
- Easy calving bull should be used to avoid dystocia
- Earlier and tighter bulling period
10
Q
Describe the nutrition of the suckler cattle.
A
- Main part of diet is forage upland on hill grazing
- Feeding suckler cows relies on using bodyfat as energy source at certain times of the year
- Winter diet is supplemented with cereals, roots, protein etc.
11
Q
Decribe the production of silage
A
- Aerobic stage
- Oxygen levels reduced
- Fermentation stage
- Begins when there is no oxygen left
- Stable stage
- In 2-3 days
- pH should be 3.8-4.3
- Storage stage
- Acidic conditions limit microbial activity as long as clamp/bale is air tight
- Microorganism populations gradually decline
- Potentially dangerous bacteria (clostridium) can survive as spores
12
Q
What are straits?
A
Feed materials and ingredients in the form of by-products or co-products from shippers, brewers, distillers, and the human food industry
13
Q
Describe the qualities of a sping-born or autumn-born suckler calf.
A
- Autumn born
- can be finished with silage or cereals
- Calf concentrates can be offered thorughout the winter
- At turnout in the spring, creep-feed is ceased
- Calves are usually weaned off in the following autumn and finished during the second winter on silage and cereal diet
- At least 1 kg of daily weight gain
- Spring-born
- can be stored over winter to be finished on grass
- No creep-feed or hay is offered at turnout
- Concentrates may be offered in autumn of the available grass is of low quality
- Creep feed often required to meet 600 kg target
- Calves can be consuming 2-4 kg of creep by weaning depending on the size of the animal
- Usually weaned at housing
- Can introduce onto a winter store ration and finish by grass the following year
- Can finish intensively on ad-lib supplements with a limited amount of forage as a source of roughage
14
Q
Discuss de-horning/disbudding of suckler calves.
A
- Reasons
- Less feeding, housing and transporing space required
- Hanling eqipment requires less repairs
- Less bruising
- Cattle tend to gain faster and are easier to handle
- Give higher prices
- Materials
- Dehorning paste
- The combination of caustic substances in dehorning paste cauterizes tissue and prevents horn growth. Dehorning paste is applied to the horn buds of calves eight weeks of age or younger.
- Hot iron
- Barnes-type dehorner
- Keystone dehorner
- Dehorning paste
15
Q
Discuss castration of suckler calves.
A
- Prevents management problems of handling young bulls and having suckling heifers and bulls run together (bulls are sexually mature by 1-2 years of age)
- Option
- Rubber ring applied before one week of age
- Surgical/open or bloodless castration is carried out later in life
- Clean bedding is required following castration to prevent wound infections
- Should be carried out before 3 months of age
- Should not be performed on the same day as dis-budding
