Cow Husbandry Flashcards
What is rumination
Food broken down by chewing and blouses are regurgitated &I chewed 40-50 times before swallowing again
Time spent laid down
12-14
Time spent ruminating
7+ he
- 5 laid down
- 5 stood
Rumen pH
6-7
Feed types
Forage
Concentrates
Age of cull cattle
Over 30mnth
What cows are used for beef
Purebred dairy bull
Dairyxbeef
Purebred beef calf
What is innate behaviour
Instinctive unlearned behaviour
What is acquired behaviour
Learnt actions
What poor husbandry can cause off behaviour
Inadequate trough space
Inadequate lying time
How can exploration lead to issues
They lick smell and attempt to eat new things so can eat wire batteries plastic etc
Problems with the cattle hierarchy
Excessive competition
Intro of heifers to the herd
Mixing at markets
Why is good quality housing important for reproduction
Usually better demonstration of sexual behaviour so better reproduction efficiency as easier to identify on heat
Calving interval/index
365 days
Gestation period
282 day
9mnth
Calving-conception interval
83 day
Oestrus intervals
21 day (17-25)
Oestrus duration
16hr
Ovulation
12hr after oestrus ends
Oestrus signs
Restless Bellowing Grouping Scoff marks flanks and tail head Standing to be mounted
+ve AI
Accurate breeding record
Precise calving date
Good herd management
Beef v dairy insemination
Beef mainly natural
Dairy mainly AI
Who can do AI
Trained operator
Trained farm staff
What diseases may AI contain
Venereal
-ve AI
Correct ID of cow in oestrus
Way to enhance oestrus detection
Incr freq & duration of observation
Good records
Heat detection aids
Sync oestrus
Freq of oestrus observations
3 x 30 min esp post 10pm
Way to confirm pregnancy
No oestrus within 18-24 days
Rectal palpation 6-8 wk post conc
Ultrasound 4wk post
Hormone assay 24 day after
AI choice characteristics
Milk yield Milk composition Confirmation Disease resistance Calving ease
What is estimated breeding value
Measure of expected performances of animal relative to pop average
What is predicted transmitting ability
Transmission of the genetic merit of EBV
Profit index
Expected incr in revenue per lactation
Profitable life index
Like PIN but takes lifespan into account
Total overall performance
Takes into account overall view of breeding program
NOT a financial index
Levels of farm assurance schemes
Baseline
Higher/premium
What is Red Tractor
Provide retailer and consumer with confidence about safety and quality of milk
Failures have 90 days to address the failure
Standard of red tractor assessment
Hygiene Food safety Housing Equipment Feed Water Herd health Staff training Contingency plans Enviro measures
Organic conversion period
2yr
Organic farm standards
Artificial chemical not used
Organic food ration (60% of dry grass/conserved forage)
Closed flock
Set housing etc standard
Routine medical allowed only treatment of one off specific prob
Disease prevention on organic farms
Select breeds
Husbandry practices
High quality feed, exercise, pasture etc
Livestock density
What is a ruminant and what is special about them
Microbial fermentation of food in reticulorumen before exposure to body’s digestive enzymes
They can digest fibrous plant matter
Calving patterns
All yr
Autumn calving
Spring calving
Summer calving
+ve to autumn calving
Higher milk price oct/nov
(Though feed price higher)
Nutritional imbalance minimised
High milk yield on spring to use spring grass
+ve spring calving
Spring grass at peak lactation so lower feed costs
+ve summer calving
Higher milk price August-dec, but poor UK weather
Silage used to buffer grass quality variation
Can become too fat as dry on spring grass
Housing aims
Clean dry bedding
Clean comfortable cows
Free access to feed water
Freedom of movement
Consideration for choosing housing types
Building layout Space req for lying cow, etc Bedding mat availability Slurry system Labour Costs
Straw yard space allowance
1.25m2 per 1000l per cow + 2m2 feeding area for each cow
Straw yard dimensions
Max 7.3 m deep bedding area
Max 3.7m wide loafing/feeding area
Barrier straw yard
30cm tall
1:60 slope for drainage
Water/feed accessibility straw yard
Only from loafing area
Straw yard complete clean out freq
4-6 wk
Daily straw yard clean out
Bed with fresh straw
Scrape loafing area (2x daily)
Cubicle space allowance
6-7m2 per cow
Conseq of incorrect cubicle design
Decr lying time Reduced rumination time Dirty beds Injury Mastitis
Cubicle dimensions
Determined for largest cows of herd
700kg 2.4m long (2.25 in double fronted cubicles)
1.2m wide
Partition of cubicle design
Not verticals bars at rear
Lunging space
Lower rail 55cm from base
Head rail in cubicle
At least210cm from rear on the diagonal
Brisket board in cubicle
Base should be 1.7m from rear kerb
Kerbstone height
No more than 13cm
Bedding options
Straw
Mattresses
Sand
Sawdust
Passageway in cubicle shed
2.4 m wide
Cleaned 2x aday
Cubicle numbers
10% more than cow number
No of Calving boxes for an autumn calving herd
5/6 per 100
Cow track features
Good drainage
Surface
Robust surface
Planning
Standard lactation
305 day
Dry period
60day
First post calving service
45day
Peak yield
About 5th wk/40 day
Peak yield calc
1.1xyield at 2wk
Annual yield calc
200xpeak yield = annual yield
Weight loss post calving
Max 0.5kg a day (30-50kg in total)
Body cond at calving
2.5-3.5
Body cond at service
No less than 2
Clear cow ID
Freeze branding
Tagging
Transponders
Short term ID with colour tape/paint
Essential records
Milk yield
Fertility
Health
Herd health objective
Incr efficiency
Incr longevity
Reduced culling
