Cattle husbandry Flashcards
The 5 Freedoms of animal welfare:
- from hunger/thirst
- from discomfort
- from pain, injury or disease
- from fear and distress
- to express normal behavior
Difference b/w water sources for beef versus dairy cattle
Beef: groundwater sources (ponds, lakes, streams)
Dairy: provide water bunks + water content from feed
Key points of drinking water for cattle:
- Fresh, non-frozen water is available at ALL times
- preferably clean
- monitor for blue-green algae, sulfur, and fecal contamination
Ideal terrain of pasture forage for cattle
Want FLAT terrain
- hilly terrain -> shorter grass, patchier areas
How to properly store hay forage
up off the ground (on wooden pallets) + covered (from elements that turn hay bad)
What is haylage / how is it packed?
Haylage = hay that is packed in airtight bales to allow for fermentation -> higher moisture content, easier digestibility
Hay versus Straw
Hay
- feed
- starts as grass (alfalfa, clover, etc.) that grows leaves (and will eventually seed if not cut in time) -> its leaves are what os used to make hay
Straw
- bedding
- made from cereal grain that grows and is harvested for its grain-bearing seedhead, and then the by-product stem is used as straw
How come the stalks of grasses aren’t used to make straw?
B/c they are weaker/less sturdy than cereal grain stalks
What is the differerence in NaCl content of Trace Mineral Salt concentrate versus Mineral concentrate?
Trace Mineral = 95% NaCl, LESS mineral supplementation :(
Mineral = 20% NaCL = MORE mineral :)
- cattle NEED MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION (Se, Cu, Zn, P, I, Mg, K, Ca, S)
Cattle feed = roughage (pasture forage) + concentrate (grains)
- roughage = high fiber
- concentrate = low fiber, high protein
What/how are lactating dairy cows fed?
- Total Mixed Ration (hay + grain, corn, silage, etc.)
- We bring the food to them (versus beef who are out on pasture)
Why do cows benefit more from BCS evaluations (compared to bulls/steers), and why?
Cows
- need cows to be in appropriate nutritional status / have adequare energy reserves for gestation & lactation
BCS needs to be done by same person consistently
How are beef cattle BCScored?
Based on tail head fat, scale of 1-9
- ≤ 4 = no tail head fat
- ≥ 5 = yes tail head fat
Ideal:
- 5 = spine not visible, ribs 1+ visible
- 6 = mounded tail head fat, ribs not visible
Important factors of cattle shelter
- roofs to protect from sun / provide shade
- curtains to protect from wind
What are the most important environmental factors for beef versus feedlot versus dairy cattle?
Beef: location of feed and water sources
Feedlot: low mud, higher cleanliness
Dairy: dry conditions (prevent mastitis)
Basic goals of the beef vs. dairy cow
Beef cow: produce a weaned calf every 12 months
Dairy cow: produce 61-lbs of milk per day (1º) and produce a calf every 13.5 months (2º)
dairy: milk production is prioritized, so repro production may decr.
Beef cows
How many days total does a beef cow have to get pregnant again after she calves?
How many of these days must be her post-partum anestrus period?
82 days (365 - 283)
- post-partum anestrus period = 30-60 days
- so, she really only has 22-52 days
Beef cows
How does having a define breeding/calving season INCREASE PROFIT for the beef farmer? (4)
Defined breeding/calving season: breeding limited to 65 days, and if no conception then culled or moved to next season.
This increases profit for beef farmers:
- consolidated monitoring during calving szn (preventatives / efficient herd health mgmt.)
- uniform/identical calf crop -> sells better
- matching the season with the time of year can optimize available nutritional resources, weather, farm labor, etc.
- increases marketing options (can market all together & be sent to feedlot all together)
65 days has statistically proven to be the highest probability of a live calf being obtained from breeding (sum of rates q21d = 94-97%)
Beef cows
Why is a longer breeding season for beef cows NOT necessarily better?
Although it does incr. their chacnes of successfully conceiving, it will also cause them to fall behind in calving date / not align with the rest of the herd’s 1 calf/yr timeline
Dairy cows
How often are dairy cows calving?
All year long -> want to produce the same amount of milk every day
- e.g., if a dairy farm has 120 cows, then ~10 of them should be calving each month.
differs from beef cows who have the defined calving season!
How are beef vs dairy cows bred, and why?
Beef = steer
Dairy = AI
- having a steer on the farm 1x/year is manageable, but all year long is NOT
steers are dangerous/notoriiously grump & are a safety hazard
How often do dairy cows calve?
Every 13.5 months!
Beef = every 12 months
Describe the process of a beef calf vs dairy calf
Beef calf
1. calves
2. stays on pasture for 26-34m with its entire yearly crop as one group
3. grows and entire group gets processed at same time for meat
Dairy calf
1. calves
2. mom goes to lactating barn while calf goes to hutch or calf barn
3. female: grows up & has own calves, male: goes to slaughter
How often are beef herds vs dairy herds checked?
Beef = yearly, all at once
Dairy = Monthly or weekly (depending on farm size) in small groups by age throughout the year
