Cattle Industry Flashcards
Cattle industry
First domesticated in Asia/Europe
Animal meat industry is huge
Used as draft animals and for meat, milk, hides, and byproducts
Dogs are the only animals with a longer relationship with humans
Bos Taurus
Originated in and adapted to temperate climates
Bos indicus
Originated in asia
Higher heat tolerance
More resistant to parasites and infection
Bull
Intact male cow
Steer
Castrated male cow
Heifer
Young female that hasn’t had a calf
Cow
Mature female that has calved
Cow identification
Branded by hot irons or chemicals Plastic ear tags Ear tattoos Necklaces RFI indicator bracelets
Dehorning
Done for safety of other animals and handlers
Done when the cow is young in early spring or late fall
Venipuncture
Can be performed using the coccygeal vein or jugular vein
How to restrain cow
Cow should be placed in squeeze chute and head pulled to one side
Firm pressure
Should be used when inserting the needle
Cows have __ mammary glands
4
Milking a cow
Brought into milking parlor
Teat is washed
Stripping - a few squirts of milk are let out for quality control
Cow is milked using milking machine
Cows produce ___ gallons of milk per day
7-9
Handling cows
The more they are handled the more cooperative they are
Don’t respond to commands
Bull ring
Squeeze chute
Why are cows bred?
Meat or milk production
Some are multipurpose
Beef cattle (3 most popular breeds in the US)
Angus
Hereford
Gelbueih
Dairy cattle (5 major breeds)
Ayrshire Brown Swiss Guernsey Holstein-Friesian Jersey
Castration
Usually done before 3 months old
How many mammary glands does a cow have?
4
Aveoli
contain cavities that product milk, raw material are brought from the body to the aveoli for milk manufacturing
milk collects in the
gland cistern
emasculator-
spermatic cord is cut and crushed
elastic band is placed over the scrotum and nerve and blood supply is eliminated (not commonly done) testicles atrophy (waste away) and slough off in 3-4 weeks
how is medication administered?
balling gun or dosage syringe
inserted into back of mouth and plunger is pushed
can also use a stomach tube if necessary
Average natural Cow Life Spans
15-20 years
beef cattle life span
1-2 years
breeding stock lives for 5-6 years
dairy cattle life span
6 years
milk production slows down after 3rd calf
endoparasites
fluke works, tapeworms, roundworms, coccidian
ectoparasites
fleas, lice, mosquitos, mites
tuberculosis + -
test means quarantine or culling
mastitis
infection of mammary gland treated with ab’s