Cattle AHW Flashcards
What are the meanings of the following terms:
- Herd
•Bull.
•Bullock, steer
•Heifer.
•Cow
•Cull.
Collective name for cattle
Male, Entire
Male, Castrated
Female, not calved
Female, calved
Removed from herd
How should you place a kick bar
One end under flap of skin under on hind leg, then hook other end over spinal processes
Explain how you would gate trap/ halter
- Approach from behind shoulder and place ears, furthest ear first
- Guide under the chin and tighten
- Wrap rope round bar twice for more control
Tied using a quick release knot
Explain how you would do nosing for cattle
- Stand next to shoulder and reach over the neck to reduce upwards movement of the head
- Hand placed in front of far eye
- Use knee to prevent animal dropping head to the floor
Grab nostrils using thumb and middle to fingers, to pull head back towards you (similar to first step of casting)
What is calf drenching and how do you do it?
It is used to administer colostrum to calves that can’t suckle
Use stomach tubing, in oesphoguys not trachea
Can check its in the right place because you would hear gurgling, and shouldn’t be able to feel tubing in neck
How quickly do calves need colostrum
4 litres within 2 hours after birth
What are the rules surrounding tagging cattle?
- BEEF —> both tags before 21 days old
- DAIRY —> primary before 36 hrs old, secondary before 21 days.
How/ when do you obtain passport for cattle?
Newborn cattle get passport when birth is registered
Must register before cattle reach 27 days old
What is a burdizzo?
Method of closed castration
Proceed to clamp one spermatic cord halfway between the testicle and the belly wall. While the cord is clamped, feel to make sure that the cord has not slipped and hold the clamp for 10 seconds. Repeat this procedure with the other spermatic cord approximately 1 cm below the crush line of the other cord. Should not be in direct line with each other, as this damages scrotum
Testes will shrivel up over time, but scrotum will remain intact .,m
What is an emasculator?
Method of open castration
Scrotal skin is cut with a scalpel
Crushes and cuts spermatic cord
Generally used for slightly older calves
What is disbudding and why is it used?
Uses a disbudding iron to damage/burn skin around the horn.
Local anaesthetic must be used
Used as cattle with horns could damage people or other herd mates
How does tuberculosis testing work within in cattle?
Uses McLintock syringes
Avian tuberculin is red
Bovine tuberculin is blue
Avian- above
Bovine- below
Skin is measured using callipers to see if any swelling has developed
What is the function of rumen cannulas and how do they work?
Used to release excess gas from the rumen
Spike is driven through left paralumbar fossa
What are the 8 different methods to restraining a cow?
- Chemical sedation
- Trapping in crushes
- Nosing
- Haltering
- Gate trapping
- Casting
- Kick bars
- Lifting the tail
What are the natural behaviours of cattle?
Herd animals with a predominately linear hierarchical group structure.
•Social interactions are important
•Creatures of habit that like routine
•Learn and adapt quickly
•Inquisitive and curious1
•Ranging herbivores prone to attack by predators
Whar is the normal rectal temperature of a cow?
38.5C
Over 39.5C could be a sign of infection
What is normal heart rate of a cow?
48 to 84 bpm
When is a beef cow culled?
12-36 months
What is a busk calf?
A calf sold at weaning: 6-10 months old.
What is a dry cow?
A dairy cow that is in a stage of their lactation cycle where milk production ceases prior to calving
Name 8 different dairy breeds?
Jersey
Guernsey
Brown Swiss
British Friesian
North American holdstein
Ayrshire
Montbeliard
Holstein Friesan cross
Name 8 different beef breeds?
Simmental
Aberdeen Angus
Hereford
Charolais
Welsh black
Belgian blue
Limousin
Belted Galloway
What is the benefit of dairy- beef crossbreeds?
The advantage of dairy-beef crosses is that they tend to inherit the beef muscle and conformation and the good milk production traits which ensure they produce plenty of milk for their calf
What age are dairy bull calves weaned
5-10 weeks
What age are dairy bull calves sent to slaughter for meat
13-14months
What are the advantages and disadvantages of spring calving?
Sucklers (calf) will not require any additional feed, as cows will produce enough milk due to the cows having enough grass and forage
However, weather is a problem and may need to be housed indoors which causes health problems. Contraception rate is lower in summer.
Prices aren’t as good
What age are beef cows weaned in spring and autumn calving seasons?
Spring- 6 months
Autumn- 9-10 months
What is the slowest growing cow for meat?
Beef heifer
What is the barley beef system?
Barley beef is an intensive beef production system. They are housed continuously and fed a diet of rolled barley, with a small amount of protein and a little roughage. They are then sent for slaughter at around 12 months old