Efficiency in Livestock Production #1

Question 1

What is efficiency?

Answer 1

Minimize what goes in, maximize what comes out

Question 2

Cycle of a breeding program

Answer 2

Definition of breeding goals, recording & identification of animal with desirable traits, utilization of selected animals for reproduction, evaluation of the obtained response

Question 3

What are the goals?

Answer 3

Improve production (growth and feed conversion), improve health (animal well being, soundness, reproduction (fertility and parturition performance)

Question 4

Production traits

Answer 4

Animals with faster growth, high egg or milk production, improved feed conversion, leaner or fatter animals, carcass traits tend to be highly heritable

Question 5

Are production traits relatively easy to select for or not?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

High egg or milk production in ducks and cows

Answer 6

Ducks is 13-30 over 300
Cows is 18k to 24k lbs/cow/year (1.5%)

Question 7

Health traits

Answer 7

Selecting animals with high health status, avoiding recessive disorders, selecting for disease or environmental resistance, avoid making selections that lead to unintended consequences

Question 8

Examples of selecting animals with high health status

Answer 8

Genes for immunocompetence in pigs, lameness or mastitis in dairy cows

Question 9

Examples of avoiding recessive disorders

Answer 9

Osteoporosis and dwarfism in beef

Question 10

Examples of avoiding making selections that lead to unintended consequences

Answer 10

Birthing, trouble, lameness, breast abnormalities

Question 11

Reproduction things to consider

Answer 11

Terminal vs maternal breeding, selection for litter size/birth weight, teats and milk production (weaning weight), poultry breeders (egg size and #)

Question 12

Is reproduction highly or lowly heritable?

Answer 12

Lowly heritable

Question 13

How are litter size and birth weight a double-edged sword?

Answer 13

Inversely related. The bigger the litter, the smaller the weight and vice versa

Question 14

EPD stand for..?

Answer 14

Expected progeny difference

Question 15

What is EPD?

Answer 15

Predictions on the performance of an individual as a parents

Question 16

How is EPD measured?

Answer 16

Based on measurements of its own performance and that of relatives

Question 17

Regarding EDP, what values are given?

Answer 17

Values given compared to breed average for the year

Question 18

Order of genetic lines from biggest to smallest

Answer 18

Broilers, parent stock, grand parent stock, grade grand parent, pedigree elite stock

Question 19

Where are pigs situated?

Answer 19

Somewhere in between

Question 20

How does breeding happen regarding pigs?

Answer 20

Genetic lines maintained, but selective pairings still happen (can be from one male or a pool)

Question 21

Different types of livestock reproduction

Answer 21

Natural vs artificial

Question 22

Advantages of natural breeding

Answer 22

Low labor and cost

Question 23

Disadvantages of natural breeding

Answer 23

Less control

Question 24

Advantages of artificial insemination

Answer 24

Very controlled

Question 25

Disadvantages of artificial insemination

Answer 25

Associated cost and greater handling

Question 26

Which animals usually breed naturally?

Answer 26

Broiler breeders, beef cattle, sheep and goats, small farms

Question 27

Which animals usually breed through artificial insemination?

Answer 27

Turkey breeders, dairy cows, swine, layer breeders, beef cows

Question 28

Why is estrus synchronization done?

Answer 28

Breed all together, babies come together, less work determining estrus

Question 29

How to do estrus synchronization?

Answer 29

Use exogenous hormones to get all females to ovulate close together

Question 30

In which animals is estrus synchronization common?

Answer 30

Cattle and sheep

Question 31

Additional advancements

Answer 31

In vitro fertilization/embryo implantation, laparoscopic AI, deep uterine AI

Question 32

IVF/embryo implantation facts

Answer 32

Multiples from 1 cow, go to better maternal cows, bring in new female genetics for less

Question 33

Laparoscopic AI is used in which animals? For what reason?

Answer 33

Small ruminants that have complicated cervixes

Question 34

Laparoscopic AI can use ______ _______ for _______ sucess

Answer 34

Processed semen; high

Question 35

What is deep uterine AI?

Answer 35

Depositing semen far past the cervix

Question 36

Why is deep uterine AI beneficial?

Answer 36

Lower semen loss (less semen needed) and higher conception rates

Question 37

What happens if you feed adults cows?

Answer 37

They are fully grown so they are not going to grow more lean tissue, only fat

Question 38

Goal when feeding adult cows

Answer 38

Need to maintain them, but support the work they are doing

Question 39

What are the stages of adult cows?

Answer 39

Early gestation < late gestation < lactation

Question 40

What happens when you feed sows?

Answer 40

They will continue to gain lean tissue, but fat is still an issue

Question 41

How can you feed sows precisely?

Answer 41

Gestation crates or group housing

Question 42

What are the stages of sows?

Answer 42

Early gestation < late gestation < lactation

Question 43

What should be given to sows?

Answer 43

Less dense feeds such as wheat middlings and soy hulls

Question 44

Regarding feeding, poultry breeders have similar issues to production animal? In what way?

Answer 44

Dairy cows, must maintain but support external production

Question 45

Should poultry breeders be fed for fast or slow growth? Then what?

Answer 45

Slow, then maintain at constant weight

Question 46

Is there ever a down period for poultry breeders?

Answer 46

No (although there are exceptions?)

Question 47

What should be given to poultry breeders?

Answer 47

Lower nutrient dense feeds