Facilities and Handling Flashcards
1
Q
What 4 factors does ease of handling depend upon?
A
- Temperament.
- Size.
- Experience.
- Design of handling facilities.
2
Q
What is the heritability of temperament?
A
Medium to high.
3
Q
Where is cattle temperament most easily evaluated?
A
During chute restraint.
4
Q
What is a 1 on the 4 point scale used to evaluate temperament?
A
Stands silently.
5
Q
What is a 2 on the 4 point scale used to evaluate temperament?
A
Is restless.
6
Q
What is a 3 on the 4 point scale used to evaluate temperament?
A
Struggles constantly.
7
Q
What is a 4 on the 4 point scale used to evaluate temperament?
A
Demonstrates frenzied activity.
8
Q
How does size factor into handling ease?
A
Smaller animals are easier to handle.
9
Q
How does cattle first experience with something impact them?
A
If they have a bad experience, they will have a negative association with the place and/or person and avoid it/them.
10
Q
Do cattle work better individually or in groups?
A
In groups.
11
Q
How long do cattle need to calm down after being agitated?
A
30 minutes, minimum.
12
Q
Can cattle be trained to come when called?
A
Yes, they can be trained to respond to horns, vocal calls, and whistles.
13
Q
What types of sounds disturb cattle?
A
- Clanging metal.
- Compressed air.
- Motors.
- Pumps.
- Yelling.
*Loud or unusual noises.
14
Q
How many degrees is cattle vision?
A
310-360.
15
Q
Where is the blind spot on cattle?
A
Directly behind them.
16
Q
Why are cattle sensitive to shadows?
A
Due to eye placement, they often lack depth perception and the ability to determine whether something is a hole or not. Therefore, they assume all shadows are holes.
17
Q
What do cattle tend to move towards, darkness or light?
A
Light.
18
Q
What 3 methods can be used to stimulate movement in cattle without equipment?
A
- Entering the flight zone.
- Touching the animal.
- Twisting the tail.
19
Q
What 3 methods can be used to stimulate movement in cattle with equipment?
A
- Hot shot (Avoid if possible).
- Noise makers (ex: Rattle Paddle).
- Small flag on the end of a stick.
20
Q
How do you use flight zones to move a group of cattle?
A
You consistently move back and forth across all of their flight zones.
21
Q
When moving cattle using a horse or vehicle, how should you make turns?
A
Away from the cattle.
22
Q
What is the most important job during sorting?
A
Getting the cattle into chute system.
23
Q
What is the major difference between moving cows and moving bulls?
A
Bulls are more likely to turn and fight when pressure is put on them, so they need to be handled with more care.
24
Q
Which is better when working with calves: Bring them to the corral or do it in the field?
A
Do it in the field.
25
Why should dams and calves be kept side-by-side at all times?
So that when the dam is driven, the calf will follow and learn from her.
26
Why should a hot shot not be used to get animals into the trailer?
It will give the animal a negative association with the trailer.
27
What 3 procedures is a chute used to accomplish?
1. Insecticide/Anti-parasitic/Dewormer.
2. Vaccination.
3. Physical exam.
28
What are the measurements of a chute with adjustable sides?
18-30 inches wide?
29
What are the measurements of a V-shaped chute?
14-17 in. wide at the bottom for the first 2 feet, then it flares to 24-30 in. at the hip and head height.
30
What are the measurements of a straight-sided permanent chute?
26-28 in. wide.
31
Why should exit and squeeze chutes have solid sides?
If they were made with bars it would provide the illusion of escape and the animal would likely be more difficult to handle.
32
What type of action does a straight-bar headgate have?
Generally automatic catch.
33
What is the advantages of a straight-bar headgate?
Protection against choking.
34
What is the disadvantages of a straight-bar headgate?
Allows the animal to move its head up and down.
35
What type of action does a positive-type headgate have?
Guillotine-like action.
36
What is the advantages of a positive-type headgate?
Complete head control.
37
What is the disadvantages of a positive-type headgate?
Choking risk.
38
What is the disadvantages of a curved-bar headgate?
Allows for lying down and choking.
39
How is the disadvantage of a curved-bar headgate mitigated?
Using it in conjunction with a squeeze chute.
40
What 3 factors does the type of fencing used depend upon?
1. Purpose.
2. Animals.
3. Location.
41
What are the 5 fencing options?
1. Net wire.
2. Electric.
3. High tensile (electric or non-electric).
4. Barbed wire.
5. Virtual.
42
What are the 3 alternate names for net wire?
1. Page wire.
2. Woven wire.
3. Hog wire
43
What other 2 types of wire is it recommended that net wire is used with and why?
a. Barbed or electric.
b. To prevent reaching over.
44
What is 1 disadvantage of using net wire?
It is expensive.
45
With electric fencing, how long do animals take to learn that the fences are hot?
12-48 hours.
46
What is the natural reaction of most animals to being shocked for the first time?
To jump forward (especially if shocked behind the head).
47
How far apart do the wires need to be to hold untrained animals?
The nose to the poll.
48
What are the 2 grounding systems for electric fences?
1. Hot/ground wire return.
2. All hot.
49
What areas are hot/ground wire return systems used in?
Low rainfall (<35"), stony, dry soil.
50
How is an animal shocked in a hot/ground wire return system?
By touching both a live and the ground wire simultaneously.
51
What areas are all hot systems used in?
Even rainfall (>35"), green vegetation most of the year, conductive soil.
*Weakened by drought conditions.
52
How is an animal shocked in an all hot system?
By touching the wire, thereby allowing current to pass through the ground and shock the animal.
53
How many rods are placed in the ground in an all hot system?
3 rods, 6 feet apart.
54
What are 2 advantages of high tensile fencing?
1. It can have a longer life than conventional fencing.
2. It can have a lower cost than conventional fencing.
55
How is the tension in high tensile fencing maintained?
In-line stretchers and tension springs.
56
How often should wires be re-tensioned in high tensile fencing?
1-2 times/year.
57
How many strands of barbed wire are used for cattle?
4-5, sometimes 3.
58
How does virtual fencing work?
The collar shocks the cattle to create a virtual fence.
59
What is a breeding box?
A dark, quiet, solid-sided box with a rear restrainer that is used to artificially inseminate cattle in a low stress manner.
60
Why are breeding boxes used?
They have been shown to improve conception rates.
61
What is a vertical tilt table?
An addition to most chutes that allows for them and the animal inside of them to be tilted for easier access during procedures.
*Can be very stressful if done fast.
62
What 4 procedures are usually done using tilt tables?
1. Branding.
2. Vaccination.
3. Castration.
4. Dehorning.
*Sometimes hoof trimming.
63
What is a grooming chute?
A metal frame with a wood floor, simple headgate, and removable sidebars that gentle calves that are lead trained can be placed into.
*Remove only 1 bar at a time.
64
What is fence line weaning?
Placing a single fence between cows and calves during weaning to reduce the stress placed on calves.
*Can place a dry, mature cow with them during this process.
65
Why should dirt lots be avoided for weaning?
Due to the risk for respiratory disease.
66
What occurs during the preconditioning of calves?
1. Vaccination against common diseases.
2. Both cows and calves are given antiparasitic treatments.
3. Fed a high protein diet with adequate vitamins and minerals.
4. Minimize stress.
67
When does preconditioning start?
45-60 pre-weaning.
68
How long does it take for a vaccine to be fully effective at minimum? Safely?
a. 40 days.
b. 65 days.
69
What are the requirements for a feedlot?
1. Adequate water.
2. Adequate bunk space.
3. Mounds.
4. Well-drained pens.
70
What is the purpose of mounds in a feedlot?
To keep cattle dry and out of the mud.
71
What are the 2 purposes of well-drained pens?
1. Waste control.
2. Disease prevention.
72
What is a buller-steer?
A steer that keeps being mounted by the other steers in a pen.
*Move him to a new pen.
73
What are the 2 most important considerations when designing the layout of a feedlot?
1. Feed delivery from the feed truck.
2. Getting the cattle from the pen to the working facility.
74
What are the 5 possible methods of identification?
1. Ear tags.
2. Tattoos.
3. Electronic.
4. Brands (Hot or Freeze).
5. Other.
75
Which identification is most common for individual identification?
Ear tags.
76
What are 2 disadvantages of ear tags?
1. Not permanent.
2. Loss rate of 2-10% per year.
77
What groups usually require animals to be tattooed?
Breed associations.
78
What are tattoos commonly used as a back-up identification method for?
Ear tags.
79
How old are animals when tattoos are applied?
Less than 3 months of age.
80
What are the steps of applying a tattoo?
1. Clean the ear.
2. Apply the ink to the ear.
3. Apply the tattoo with moderate pressure.
4. Reapply the ink.
5. Rub ink into the tattoo mark.
81
What are the 3 types of electronic identifiers?
1. Ear tag.
2. Implant.
3. Bolus transmitters/reticulum transmitters.
*Some monitor the animal's physiological and behavioral information.
82
What are the 2 ways that electronic identifiers can be read?
1. Radio frequency.
2. Bar code.
83
What kinds of tags are approved for use in food animals?
Ones that go in the ear.
84
What does branding do to the hide of the animal?
It damages the hide and reduces the value of the leather.
85
How is a burn brand applied to the hide?
Using brands dipped in a chemical compound or most commonly heated.
*Some states require it for identification.
86
What happens to the area where the burn brand was applied?
Scarring.
87
How is a freeze brand applied to the hide?
Using brands cooled with dry ice and alcohol or liquid nitrogen.
88
What happens to the hair in the area where the freeze brand was applied?
The hair turns white.
89
What 3 advantages does freeze branding have over burn branding?
1. Less hide damage.
2. Better readability.
3. Mature cattle accept the process better.
90
What 3 disadvantages does freeze branding have over burn branding?
1. More time-consuming to apply.
2. Poor results on light-colored cattle.
3. Some states will not accept it to establish ownership.
91
Where is the brand usually placed?
On the hip.
92
What is the USDA required identification method for animal disease traceability?
EID tag.
93
What year was traceability put in place?
2013.
94
What 2 things are required for cattle and bison to be moved across state lines?
1. Official identification.
2. An interstate certificate of veterinary inspection.
95
What are the 5 exceptions to the interstate transport rule?
1. Moved directly to custom slaughter facilities.
2. Moved as a commuter herd.
3. Moved through a state to a second location in the original state.
4. Moved directly to an approved tagging site.
5. Cattle under 18 months age unless moved for exhibitions, recreational events, rodeos, or shows.
96
Are USDA backtags accepted?
Only if the animal(s) is/are moved directly to the slaughter establishment.
97
What are the 4 USDA goals concerning animal disease traceability?
1. Encourage the use of electronic identification.
2. Enhance electronic sharing of basic animal disease traceability data.
3. Enhance the ability to track animals from birth to slaughter.
4. Increase the use of electronic health certificates.
98
What is the bare minimum you need in terms of facilities?
1. Something to catch their head.
2. A pen to hold them.
99
What is the most important thing when working with cattle in a chute?
Never leave them unsupervised.
100
Why do most chutes have one or more emergency exits?
In case something happens to an animal while it is in the chute.
ex: Pulling a calf in the squeeze chute.
*Test before putting at risk cattle in the chute.
101
What is the minimum facilities an operation needs to work cattle?
1. A self-catch (small operation).
2. Holding pen for a maximum of 2 cattle.
102
Why is it better to have someone working the head catch?
Some cattle will figure out how to get through the self-catch.
103
What does a 1 weight animal refer to?
A 100 pound animal.
*Can replace the 1.
104
What is the shape that all crowd pens should make?
A full half-circle.
105
How far ahead should the cattle be able to see when they are being moved?
2 body lengths.
106
Why should access gates along the sides of the cattle alley be spring-loaded?
To allow for a quick exit by workers when necessary.
107
