Husbandry Flashcards
Which areas are best suited for grass production?
Long growing season with significant rainfall with moisture-retaining soils of high fertiliser status
What is rough grazing?
Uncultivated, unimproved grassland with no fertilisers, may have poor drainage and steep slopes, good biodiversity
Which animals is rough grazing adequate for?
Sheep fine, animals for slaughter need higher quality
Definition of grassland management
Production and utilisation of grasses and other plants species such as clover and lucerne
What is permanent grazing also known as?
Pasture
Definition of permanent grassland?
Grass that is maintained without reseeding, at least five years old
What % of UK area is rough, permanent and rotational grazing?
23, 25, 5
How is permanent grassland created?
Gradual improvement of rough grazing by improving drainage and application of fertilisers
What is an alternative name for rotational grazing?
Grass leys
What happens if rotational grazing is not re-sown?
Reverts to the species mix of permanent grassland
What kind of farms is rotational grazing found on?
Mixed arable-livestock and dairy
What is the grass from young leys best suited for?
Silage and feeding to milking cows
What are the two types of grass growth?
Vegetative (tillering) and reproductive
What is vegetative production and when does it occur?
New shoots at ground level becoming new plants , occurs during the autumn
What stimulates vegetative growth?
Defoliation - grazing, mowing and cutting
What is reproductive growth and when does it occur?
Stem elongation and development of the flowering head in spring and summer
When are the most productive pastures grazed?
Spring to delay reproductive growth and autumn to stimulate tillering
What is the lowest possible and optimal temperature for grass growth?
5, 20-25
What is an example of a high yielding, low yielding and weed grass?
Italian rye grass, meadow grass, yorkshire fog
How do you classify grassland?
1 good to 5 poor, based on texture (moisture holding capacity) and rainfall between April and September
What are the principle nutrients that grasslands require?
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur
Where is there concern over the use of nitrogen?
Nitrogen vulnerable zones
What is a sward?
Expanse of short grass
What the three factors determining the nutritional quality of grassland?
Dry matter content, digestibility and energy, protein
What is the best way to control sward quality?
Measure the height around the field and take an average
Which management decision must be made when controlling grass quality?
Setting stocking rate, putting the right stock on the best fields, extending grazing season, optimizing fertiliser use, using restricted grazing, when to give supplementary feed
Why can mixed grazing improve sward quality?
Sheep can graze closer to the ground and stimulate tillering
What are some advantages of including clover in the sward?
Increase forage intake, has complementary growth curve, fixes nitrogen to increase fertility, improves soil structure, high mineral content
Why is topping swards tightly useful?
Encourages tillering, improves density
What are advantages of topping immediately prior to grazing?
Increases dry matter content and intakes
What are grass harrows used for?
To remove invasive species and dead material
What is set stocking and where is it found?
Livestock have access to one area for the whole season, found in extensive grazing areas like uplands
What are advantages and disadvantages of set stocking?
Grass growth in spring becomes mature and wasted, less intense pressure from livestock and reduced poaching, fencing and water troughs kept to a minimum, encourages dense sward rich in clover
What are advantages and disadvantages of paddock grazing?
Intensive management, higher capital costs, can accurately match nutritional demands with forage availability, can reduce parasitic worm burden, can use small areas for conservation where grass growth exceeds requirements
Where/why is strip grazing used?
When livestock access to larger area would result in trampling and spoiling - in the dairy and beef sector and with beef and sheep where root crops are primary forage
When is silage produced and which cut is the most important?
2-3 times per year, first cut in late may is the most important
How tall is grass used for silage?
60cm
During silage production, what are the names of the lines the grass is cut into?
Swarths
Why does lactic acid production stop at pH 4?
Bacteria did
What month is hay-making done?
Late june before flowering
Why is haylage more popular over hay for horses?
Reduced dust, more palatable (lower acids and higher sugar), higher nutritional value, production less weather dependent
Why does increased bale density reduce moulding risk?
Less air trapped
What are internal parasites of livestock involved in grassland management?
Roundworms, lung worms, liver fluke
What are the intermediate hosts of liver fluke?
Snails
What are the intermediate hosts of tapeworms?
Pasture mites
What is the gestation of a sheep?
147 days
How long before second stage of parturition does ewe separate from flock?
6-12 hours
What % of lambs are born in anterior presentation?
95%
What is the drug given under the tongue in lambs not breathing?
Dopram
What should the navel be sprayed with?
Iodine or oxytetracycline
How much colostrum does the lamb need in the first 6 hours?
50ml/kg
How much colostrum does the lamb need in the first 24 hours?
200ml/kg
Within what time period is the placenta normally shed in sheep?
4 hours
What are signs of retained placenta in sheep?
Off feed, raised temperature - need antibiotic cover
What is used to dilate cervix in ringwomb?
Calcium borogluconate
How can you tell if lambs are dead?
Dry and leathery foetal membranes, foetus crackly and doesn’t move
What should you do if a lambs temperature is less than 37 for less than 6 hours?
Keep them dry, 50ml/kg colostrum, warm them back up, return to ewe and monitor
What should you do if a lambs temperature is less than 37 for over six hours and it’s unable to hold its head up?
10ml/kg 20% glucose by intra-peritoneal injection, warm and return to ewe, monitor
What should you do if a lamb’s temperature is less than 37 for more than 6 hours and it’s able to hold its head up?
Feed colostrum, warm and return to ewe?
Which part of the ewe should you check if you find a hypothermic lamb?
The udder
What are symptoms of twin lamb disease?
Off feed, star gazing, failure to get up when approached, tooth grinding, blindness
What is the treatment for suspected pregnancy toxaemia? OR hypocalcaemia?
60ml propylene glycol orally and 50ml of calcium borogluconate 20% by subcutaneous injection
From highest to lowest, what is the fat content of sow, goat, cow and ewe milk?
Sow ewe goat cow
From highest to lowest, what is the protein content of sow, goat, ewe and cow milk?
Sow, ewe, goat = cow
How many litres of colostrum do calves and lambs require in the first six hours?
2 litres, 100 mls
Is protein higher is young or mature grass?
Lower in mature, higher in young
How is fibre content related to protein content?
Inverse
What does high fibre produce in the rumen which raises milk fat?
Acetate
What happens to nitrates in the rumen?
Reduced to nitrite
Which three vitamins is grass a good source of?
A, E and B
After which month does grass quality deteriorate?
June
What is fog fever and what causes it?
Interstitial pneumonia (acute bovine pulmonary emphysema and oedema), caused by tryotophan
What can clovers and lucernes cause?
Bloat
What is alfalfa high in and what can this cause?
Potassium - hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis (impressive syndrome) associated with mutations of voltage gated sodium channels especially in american quarter horses
What can fungally spoiled clovers produce and what can this cause?
Oestrogenic compounds (coumestrol) associated with infertility
What toxins do brassicas contain?
Nitrates, photosensitisers, haemolytic anaemia factors (S-methylcysteine sulphoxide), oxalates, glucosinolates (goitrogenic factors eg thiocyanates), sulphur and molybdenum
What are oilseeds good for and what toxins can they contain?
Good for protein and energy. Cottonseed can contain gossypol causing respiratory problems, linseed blue flowers can contain hydrogen cyanide, rapeseed yellow flowers can contain goitrin
What % DM content is needed in grass used for silage?
20%
What water content of grass is needed in haymaking?
20%
What is used to encourage drying in haymaking?
Crimps, rollers, crushers, tripods, racks
What % of beta carotene can oxidation in haymaking remove?
99%
Other than beta-carotene, what vitamin level is reduced by haymaking?
Vitamin E
What pathogens can poor quality silage/hay carry and what can they cause?
Listeria (abscess, abortion, iritis), aspergillus (mycotic abortion) and actinomycetes (farmers lung)
What can be done to straw to increase digestibility?
Alkali treat
What can excess concentrates cause?
Acidosis and bloat in ruminants
Which species are oats, barley and wheat or maize given to?
Oats to horses, barley to pigs and ruminants, wheat or maize to poultry
What is a problem caused by low calcium in cereals?
Poor Ca/P ratio which upsets bone growth, causes osteomalacia and big head in horses
What substances are limiting in concentrates?
Methionine in poultry, lysine in pigs and poor in some B vitamins
In what conditions are vitamin E levels low in concentrates?
When they are stored wer
Why are brassica roots (swedes and turnips) not given at or just before milking?
Can taint milk
What problems does light exposure in potatoes cause?
Increase content of solanidines which cause gastroenteritis
What age/weight are weaner pigs?
4-8 weeks, 7-20kg
What age/weight are grower pigs?
9-14 weeks, 20-50kg
What age/weight are finisher pigs?
15-22weeks, 50-100kg
What causes post-weaning scour?
E coli causing dehydration
What is the minimum age/weight for weaning pigs?
6kg or 21 days
What time period is the “immune gap” in pigs?
2-3 weeks
What is a good water supply rate for a weaner pig?
1 litre in 180 seconds
What should creep feeds contain?
Digestible cooked cereals and milk products, high protein and energy, palatable
What is the ideal temperature for pigs?
28 degrees
What are the main diseases of weaner pigs?
Scour and meningitis
What is feed conversion efficiency?
Amount of feed needed to produce 1kg growth
What is daily weight gain in a typical grower-finisher? And what is the genetic potential?
600g per day and 900g per day
What are some key performance indicators in pigs?
Weight of pig produced, mortality, feed conversion ratio, daily liveweight gain
How much higher than the outside temperature should ventilation be able to raise the temperature by?
3 degrees
What should air speed at pig height be?
0.1m per sec
What should pig humidity be?
60-80%
What % space do pigs need when lying down?
Stretched out plus 40%
How much floor space should be visible when pigs are standing?
Half
How long should a trough be?
Long enough for all pigs to feed at the same time
What is liveweight of fresh pork?
60-75kg
What is liveweight of bacon?
100kg
What is liveweight of heavy hog?
110kg+
What % of a pigs liveweight is its carcase weight? A bacon pig?
70-80%, 75%
What is average household spend on poultry in 2010 per week?
£2
What was 2012 poultry vs meat consumption per capita?
31.5kg vs 79.3kg
What was 2013 per capita consumption of eggs?
185
If poultry consumption rate continues increasing, what % production rate increase will be required?
5-16% from current 110 million tonnes
How much poultry meat is produced per annum?
1.64 million tonnes
How many eggs are produced per annum?
9755 million
What is poultry contribution to GDP?
£3.6 billion
How many people are employed in the poultry industry?
73900
What % of total livestock production is poultry? Eggs?
23 %, 10%
Number of broiler chickens?
950 million
Number of commercial layers?
33 million
Number of turkeys?
19 million
Number of ducks?
18 million
In 2012 how much poultry was produced?
1.6 million tonnes
What is expected growth of poultry industry?
1% per year
Average weight of meat bird?
3.7-3.8kg
Average weight of egg layer?
1.7-8kg
How much feed does a meat bird need for 1kg body weight?
1.5kg
What is male:female breeding ratio for chicken breeding?
1 male breeds with 10 females
How many years does it take for traits in pedigree chickens to get into production?
5 years
How many birds in a standard broiler house?
30,000
What % of broiler houses have windows?
90%
Age at slaughter for broiler chickens?
33-38 days
Bedding in broiler house?
Woodchip or chopped straw
Temperature of broiler house when chickens enter and when they leave?
33 to 20 degrees
How much time outdoors to qualify for free-range?
50%
What age at slaughter for free range broiler chickens?
12 weeks (84 days)
What year was battery cage outlawed?
2012
Minimum number of birds in caged house?
80
What % of turkey production does QBT (quality british turkey) cover?
85%
At what age are turkey hens slaughtered and how much do they weigh?
12-14 weeks, 10kg
At what age are male turkeys slaughtered and how much do they weigh?
24 weeks, 25kg
How many turkeys slaughtered annually?
19 million
How many million ducks are slaughtered annually?
18 million
What age are ducks slaughtered at?
38-40 days
At what age can you not pluck ducks?
50-70 days
What breed of duck in the UK?
Pekin
How many geese slaughtered annually?
500,000
How many weeks is the growth period in geese?
24-30 weeks
How many game birds slaughtered per annum?
30 million
Common zoonotic diseases of poultry?
Salmonella, campylobacter
How wide a field of vision do sheep have?
300 degree
How much does a mature ewe weigh?
50-115kg
How much can a mature ram weigh?
80-150kg
At what age does a sheep get its first pair of permanent incisors?
12-15 months
At what age does a sheep get its second pair of permanent incisors?
21 months
At what age does a sheep get its third pair of permanent incisors?
27 months
At what age does a sheep gets its fourth pair of permanent incisors?
33-36 months
What is the minimum age you should castrate a lamb?
24 hours
How soon after birth must castration using a ring be done?
One week
After which age must open castration in lambs be done by a vet?
Two months
When were cats domesticated?
10,000 years ago
How many sheep are there in the UK?
32.2 million
How many breeding ewes are there in the UK?
15.2 million
How many people are employed in the sheep sector? Or allied industries?
33,000, 111,000
What is the net benefit of sheep to the UK economy?
£465.9 million
What age sheep produces lamb?
Less than 1 year
What age sheep produces mutton?
Over 1 year
What age sheep produces yearling mutton?
1-2 years
Where does the UK rank for its sheep meat production?
11th
How much of the EU’s total sheep meat production is from the UK?
1/3
How many lambs, ewes and rams are slaughtered each year in the UK?
14.7 million, 2.4 million
How many tonnes of lamb and mutton were produced each year?
333,000
How much lamb and mutton is exported and how much imported?
94,000 tonnes, 138 million tonnes
What is the fat content of sheep milk compared to cows milk?
9% compared to 4%
How many sheep breeds are there in the world and in the UK?
1,000 world, 60 UK
What are some hill breeds?
Scottish blackface, swaledale, welsh mountain, speckleface and cheviots
What are some common crossing sire breeds?
Bluefaced and border leicester
What breeds are within the upland breeds?
Longwool crossing and longwool ewe
What are some terminal sires?
Texel, charollais, suffolk
What are some shortwool ewe breeds?
Polled dorset horn, Lleyn and clun forest
What are the ram and ewe in a mule?
Blueface leicester and swaledale
What are the ram and ewe in a grey face?
Border leicester and scottish blackface
What are the ram and ewe in a scottish half breed?
Border leicester and cheviot
What are the ram and ewe in a masham?
Wensleydale/teeswater and swaledale
What are the ram and ewe in a welsh mule?
Blueface leicester and welsh mountain
What are the ram and ewe in a welsh half bred?
Border leicester and welsh mountain
What is a terminal sire?
Offspring all sold as meat
What are some tail types?
Fat tailed or fat rumped, short or rat tailed
What % of breeding ewes are in hill or upland areas?
51%
What % of slaughtered sheep come from the lowlands?
66%
What month is the ewe put to ram?
Oct
What is the definition of a hill farm?
Over 90% rough grazing, steep terrain, 300m above sea level
What is stocking rate on hills and lowlands?
Per hectare: less than 1 ewe (hill), 17 ewes (lowlands)
How many lambings can hill ewes stand before they are moved to upland flocks and crossed with longwool breeds?
3 or 4
Which sheep breeds are found in the uplands?
Hill ewes crossed with upland longwool rams (border and blueface leicester) giving mules, greyfaces and half breds
What are some upland breeds?
North country cheviots, clun forest, hill radnor, kerry hill, blueface and border leicester
Which terminal sires are used in the uplands to make fat lambs for slaughter or for draft to lowland farms?
Down rams, texel, suffolk, charollais, oxford down
What sheep breeds are found in the lowlands?
Dorset horn, kent, romney marsh or suffolk, sometimes texel
How do lowland sheep contribute to other farming enterprises?
Improving fertility of grassland and crops by promoting tillering and fertilising), using by-products such as beet tops and straw and using root break crops in a cereal rotation
What is the oestrus period of a sheep?
17 days
What is the gestation period of a sheep?
147 days (5 months)
How many ewes per ram?
40-50
How often should you change raddle colour?
7-14 days
Which breeds have more than one crop of lambs per year?
Dorset Horn and Finnish Landrace
How long are progesterone sponges used for?
12-14 days
When do ewe lambs reach puberty?
6-9 months
What % adult weight must be reached before lambs can breed?
60%
At what stage of gestation in ewes in scanning done?
70-100 days
What % accuracy is number of lambs identified to?
90-95%
By what % can space allowances be reduced by for winter-shorn sheep?
10%
What size groups should pregnant ewes be kept in?
Less than 50
How much trough space do hill and lowland sheep need?
30cm, 45cm
How much hay and silage trough space does each ewe need?
10-12cm
What is flushing of ewes?
Feeding ewes so they gain weight 2 weeks before breeding, may increase ovulation rate
What time period does the placenta develop in?
30-90 days
When does ewe milk production peak?
3-4 weeks
When lambs are 4-6 weeks old, how much nutrient intake do lambs get from their mothers milk?
50%
At what age should lambs be started on creep feed? When will they start eating significant amounts of feed?
1-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks
When are creep-fed lambs weaned?
Less than 90 days
When is castration using rings permitted without anaesthetic in lambs?
Less than 1 week old
Above what age must castration be done with an anaesthetic in lambs?
3 months
When is flystrike season?
May-September
What are the two membranes called in the placental sheep?
Allantochorion and amnion
In sheep how long does the first stage of birth last?
6-12 hours
How soon is the afterbirth passed in sheep?
3-4 hours
How soon should a lamb begin looking for milk?
20 mins
Within which time period can antibodies cross the intestinal wall in lambs?
24-36 hours
24 hours after birth, what % of their body weight should lambs get in colostrum?
10%
For how long should lambs get liquid feed for after they are born?
4 weeks
Where does the UK rank as a wool producer?
7th
How many tonnes of wool are produced and how much is exported?
60,000 tonnes, 1/3 exported
How much money does sheep shearing generate per year?
£10 million
How much wool do sheep need before they are turned out in the spring?
15-20mm
What are “dags”?
Dried dung stuck to hind of sheep
What is a “down breed” of sheep?
A sheep belonging to the short wool group
What is a draft ewe?
A ewe too old for hill and upland to moved to gentler ground
What is a gimmer/theave?
A female sheep in her second year before she has her first lamb
What is hefting?
Hill breeds stay in a small area without fences
What is a hogg/hoggett/teg?
A young sheep from the january after its birth until it cuts 2 teeth at 18 months?
What is rooing?
Removing fleece by hand plucking
What is a shearling?
A sheep that has been shorn once
What is a a store?
A sheep not ready for slaughter that is sold for fattening
What is a top knot?
Wool from forehead or poll of a sheep
What is a wether?
A castrated male sheep
How many cattle are there in the UK?
8.89 million
How many dairy and beef cows are there in the UK?
1.97 million, 1.86 million
How many premises hold cattle in Great Britain? What % are on permanent holdings or grazing common land?
77,774, 97%
What % of premises hold more than 500 cattle? How much of the total cattle population does this account for?
3%, 21%
What % of premises hold less than 50 cattle, what % of the total cattle does this account for?
50%, 7%
How many different cattle breeds are registered in the UK?
95
How many pure bred and cross bred cattle are there in the UK?
4 million, 4.8 million
For what angle in front of them do cattle have binocular vision?
25-50 degrees
What’s the flight zone in beef cattle not handled regularly?
100m
How far from the calf’s body should the umbilical cord be cut?
10cm
How much does a HF calf weigh?
40kg
What mother:father % split determines a calf’s birth weight?
60% mother, 40% bull
How much higher is a male calf’s birthweight than a female’s?
3-5kg
How much does a calf’s birth weight increase per day?
0.5kg/day
How soon after birth should a calf suckle?
3 hours
How many times will a calf suckle during the first day? What does this increase to over the next few days?
5 times, 8 times
How long does a calf’s sucking period last?
2-25 minutes
For how long after birth can antibodies pass through a calf’s intestinal wall?
24 hrs
How soon after birth does a calf’s own immune system develop?
10 days
What are some recommendations for colostrum feeding in calves?
6 pints in 6 hours, 3 litres in 6 hours, 8% body weight within 12 hours, 2 litres within 2 hours and then a further 2 litres after 6 hours
How long must a calf suck for to consume 2 litres of colostrum?
20 mins
How soon is meconium usually expelled in calves?
28 hours
How soon must cattle have tags in both ears?
20 days
How soon must dairy calves have at least 1 tag?
36 hours
For how long can rubber ring castration be used in calves?
7 days
Over what age must anaesthetic and a vet be used to castrate calves?
2 months
Over what age must supernumerary teats on a calf be removed by a vet?
3 months
Under what age can calves be disbudded chemically without anaesthetic?
7 days
Above what age is debudding done using a hot iron and anaesthetic?
7 days
Above what age must calves be housed in groups?
8 weeks
What is the minimum temperature a new born calf should be kept in?
7 degrees
By what age can a calf withstand temperatures around freezing?
One month
How long and wide should a calf pen be?
At least the withers height wide, nose to hip plus 10% long
What is the maximum group size calves should be kept in?
12
What’s the maximum amount of calves that should share the same air space?
30
What’s the minimum slope for cow housing?
5%
At what age are single suckler calves weaned?
9 months
How many calves can each nurse cow suckle per lactation?
12
What is the weaning age for nurse cows?
8 weeks
In the early weaning system, when is the calf taken from the cow?
24 hours
In the early weaning system, what is milk volume restricted to and why?
4 litres to encourage them to eat other things
From what age is a concentrate mixture offered to early weaned calves?
1 week
When does weaning begin in early weaned calves?
5 weeks
At weaning, how much concentrate should calves be consuming?
1kg
What is the rule for twice per day bucket feeding?
2 litres, 2 times per day from 2 weeks to 2 months
Why should milk for calves be warm?
Otherwise groove in rumen doesn’t close and milk gets fermented
Where does the UK dairy industry rank in the EU? The world?
3, 9
What % of the UK’s agricultural output does dairy account for?
16.1%
How many litres of milk are produced per year?
13 billion
How much is the dairy industry worth to the UK?
£3.3 billion
How many dairy holdings are there in the UK?
15,716
How many litres of milk are produced per year in the UK?
7315
Approx how many dairy cows are clinically lame?
1 in 5
How soon should a cow be pregnant after calving?
85 days
How long in the lactation period in calves?
305 days
How long before calving is drying off?
60-80 days
How long is a cow’s gestation period?
280 days
At what age is a heifer old enough to breed?
15 months
What is the replacement rate for cows each year?
20-30%
What % of their adult weight should heifers reach before breeding and calving? Second calving?
65-70%, 85% then 95%
By what age are cattle fully grown?
4 years
What is the difference between calving interval and calving index?
Interval is for an individual, index is the herd average
What is the voluntary waiting period?
Interval from calving to start of breeding
What is the submission rate?
Likelihood eligible cows are bred - number of inseminations in 24 day period / number of cows at or beyond first service rate
What is conception rate?
Cows pregnant / total number of services
What are some endemic diseases in cattle?
Infectious bovine rhinotrachietis, bovine viral diarrhoea, leptospirosis, campylobacter
What % of dairy cows get whites?
20%
How long after calving does milk become “whole”?
4 days
How does the ideal lactation last?
305 days
At what % of the yield of mature cows do heifers peak at? What about second-lactation cows?
70-75%, 90%
How soon after calving is peak lactation reached?
4-10 weeks
What proportion of total yield is the peak daily yield?
1/200
After the peak, how fast does milk production decrease?
10% per month, 2.5% per week
In a grass based system, what months do cows graze?
February to late November
How many more cubicles should there be than cows?
5-10%
If milking frequency is increased from two to three per day, what can yield increase by?
10-12%
What is the maximum amount of time a cow should spend in the milking shed?
Two hours
What is the pulsation rate of a milking machine?
45 to 65 times per minute
What is the ratio of the milking:massage phase?
60:40
How long a contact with the dip is needed to kill organisms?
30 seconds
How many cups of milk should be left in the udder after milking?
2-4 cups
How many tonnes of beef are produced in the UK?
876,900
What is the value of the beef produced in the UK?
£2.1 billion
What is the import vs output weights of beef in the UK?
Import 292,000 tonnes, export 94,000 tonnes
How long do calves from suckler herds suckle for?
7-10 months
Are british breeds early or late maturing?
Early
Are bulls and heifers early or late maturing?
Bulls late, heifers early
Are holstein friesians early or late maturing?
Medium to late
In beef suckler calves, how old are calves when they are weaned? What are they called at this stage?
8-10 months, store cattle
What age are dairy cattle when they are brought into the beef system?
One week
When are beef calves from dairy herds weaned?
8 weeks
At what age do beef calves from dairy herds enter the fattening system?
12 weeks
At what age and weight are veal calves slaughtered?
14-16 weeks, 180kg
What is the killing out % of veal?
Veal
What is the growth rate in intensive beef production?
1.4kg/day
What is the slaughter age for barley beef?
14 months
What’s the youngest age calves can go to market?
7 days
When can calves travel?
When their navel has healed
What kind of cows are most commonly used for 18-month beef production?
Castrated males or heifers
What feed is used for 18-month beef production?
Silage and concentrate
What kind of cows are used for grass beef production?
Early maturing cattle and heifers
What is the yield of a carcase?
Salable meat / carcase weight
What’s the average UK suckler herd size?
28-50 cows
How long do suckler calves suckle for?
7-10 months
What % of suckler cows are in the uplands?
40%
What % of suckler cows are in wales?
85%
What is the calving season length for a suckler herd? What is the actual average?
9-12 weeks, 5 months
What % of costs of a suckler herd does feed account for?
75%
What has the greatest influence on meat yield of a carcase?
Fat
What is a bobby calf?
Calf slaughtered at only a few days old
What is a bullock?
Mature castrated male for meat production
What is a freemartin?
Female with a male twin (usually infertile)
What is a multiparous? Primiparous?
A female that has had two or more pregnancies with viable offspring, primiparous is just one pregnancy
What is a stirk?
A half grown animal, heifer or bullock, six to twelve months of age
What is a steer?
Castrated male over one year old
What are straights?
Single feedstuffs of animal or vegetable origin, can be bought in or grown on the farm?
What is a diadromous fish?
Salt and fresh water but mostly salt eg salmon
What is a catadromous fish?
Salt and freshwater but mostly fresh eg eel
What is the most common food trout?
Rainbow trout
What are tilapia fish?
Warm water, will grow in bad conditions
What kind of salmon are in the UK?
Atlantic not pacific
What is the most common aquaculture system woldwide?
Extensive ponds (get in but can’t get out)
How many tonnes of salmon are produced per year in the UK?
120,000 tonnes
What is the salmon produced in the UK worth?
£300 million
What % of the world’s salmon is from the UK?
25%
What is the table trout industry worth?
£25 million
At what age are salmon transferred to the sea for growth?
14-24 months
What is the world and UK wholesale value of ornamental fish?
£2,000 million, £16 million
What is the UK retail value of ornamental fish?
£203 million
How common are fish as a pet?
1st in numbers, 3rd in households
What number and % of households keep ornamental fish?
3.5 million (14%)
How many fish are imported per year?
300,000
How many deer farms are there in the UK?
250
How many deer are there on farms in the UK?
33,000
What % of farmed deer are red?
77%
What are male, female and baby red deer called?
Hind, stag and calf
What are male, female and baby fallow deer called?
Doe, buck and fawn
How quickly is the deer market increasing?
25-30% per year
What are the two UK deer production systems?
Park and farm
For farm deer production, when are calves usually weaned?
Autumn
What is the gestation period of deer?
236 days
What is the conception rate of mature hinds?
90-95%
How many hinds can a mature stag rut?
30-40
What is the slaughter age for deer?
18 months
How much do deer calves cost at 21.5 kg
£105-£110
What is killing out % for deer?
60
What is wool in llamas/alpacas called?
Fibre
What is the llama and alpaca population in the UK?
5,000 and 10,000
What are the two alpaca subspecies?
Huacaya (shorter fibre, sharp-tipped ears) and Suri (ringlets, round ears)
What is the average UK alpaca herd size?
Less than 10
How many different alpaca colours are registered?
22
What’s the maximum height and weight of llamas?
145cm, 180kg
What are the four types of llamas in the UK?
Ccaras (short wooly coat), curaccas (longer wooly coat), tapadas (heavy coat but none on head or legs), laruda (heavy coat everywhere)
What phalanges do camelids walk on?
P2 and P3
What is unique about the camelid digestive system?
Foregut fermenters but only 3 compartments (C1,2,3)
What is stocking density for llamas and alpacas?
2-3 per hectare for llamas, 3-4 for alpacas
How high should camelid fencing be?
120cm
What diseases should camelids be vaccinated against?
Clostridisl
When do female and male camelids reach puberty?
12 months for females, 24 months in males
How long is mating in camelids?
20-45 minutes
What is the gestation period of camelids?
350 days
How much milk does a camelid dam produce at once?
60ml
When are cria weaned?
6 months
What kind of herbivores are rabbits?
Crepuscular
What % of a rabbits diet should be high fibre?
90%
Why do rabbits need access to sunlight?
Osteodystrophy - vitamin D3
When is rabbit socialisation period?
Between 3 and 7 weeks
What kind of herbivores are guinea pigs? Chinchillas?
Diurnal, nocturnal
What is the maximum fat a chinchilla should have in its diet?
3.5%
What group sizes do syrian hamsters live in? Mongolian gerbils?
Solitary, tribal
What should ferrets be vaccinated against?
Canine dystemper
What supplementation do budgies need?
Iodine
What health problem is common in obese cockatiels?
Type two diabetes mellitus
How close should strip lights be to reptile basking area?
20cm
What % green leaf material should tortoises have?
90%
How often should you replace tortoise supplement?
Every 3-4 months
How much body weight does a healthy tortoise lose during hibernation?
1% per month
What is the causal agent of taeniasis and cysticercosis?
Taenia solium
Where does the UK rank in the EU for pork consumption?
Last
How much more pork do people in Austria, Germany, Poland and Spain eat than people in the UK?
2-3x
How many pigs are slaughtered in the UK each year?
8 million
How many UK abattoirs process pigs?
100
What % of slaughterings do the largest 8 abattoirs account for?
75%
How much were UK pig meat sales worth in 2011?
£8.7 billion
What % of pigs are breeder/finisher, breeder/weaner and finisher?
71%, 21%, 8%
Which two pig breeds are the basis of all commercial pigs?
Large white and landrace
Which pig breeds are used only in boar lines?
Duroc and pietrain
At what age are new gilt first serviced at?
7 months
How long is the oestrus cycle of a pig?
21 days
How old are piglets when they are weaned?
21-28 days
How long between piglets being weaned and female being bred again?
4-7 days
What year were gestation stalls banned in the UK? EU?
1999, 2013
What is the maximum rainfall for keeping pigs?
760mm
What’s the maximum height above sea level for keeping pigs?
245m
What is the farrowing index and what is a target value?
Litters per sow per year, about 2
How many litters should a sow produce in her productive lifetime?
6
How many previous oestrus cycles should a sow have before first service?
3 or 4
What should a sows body weight be at first service?
130kg
How much backfat should a sow have at first service?
20mm
How long does oestrus last in pigs?
2-3 days
How long before oestrus does ovulation occur in pigs?
36 hours, can be 24-60 hours
In pigs, how long must sperm be in tract before fertilisation?
6-8 hours
For how long after ovulation are ova viable in pigs?
12 hours
How old should boars be at first mating?
230 days
When does boar sperm volume reach a maximum and when does it begin to decline again?
18 months, 5 years
How long do boar sperm take to develop?
36 days
How much sperm per ml in pigs?
0.3x10^9
How much semen per ejaculate in pigs?
100-500ml
How many sperm needed for fertilisation in pigs?
2x10^9
How many times per week can pigs achieve adequate sperm level?
3-4 times
How long does ejaculation last in pigs?
5-15 minutes
What % of boar sperm is morphologically normal?
85%
How many sows per boar in indoor and outdoor herds?
20, 12
How many boars in a “team”?
3-4
How much extra weight must sows have to compensate for being outdoors?
0.5kg
How long before her due date must should sows be moved to farrowing house?
5-7 days
How long before farrowing will a sow start to show increased restlessness?
12-24 hours
How long before farrowing is milk first present in udder?
8 hours
How long before farrowing are bloody fluids expelled from vagina and sow lies down?
2 hours
How long does farrowing take?
2-3 hours
What is the interval between piglets?
15 mins
How soon after birth should piglets get colostrum?
6 hours
How soon is teat order established?
24 hours
What is milk let-down rate in pigs?
20 seconds every hour
At what age should piglets have iron injections and tag/ear notch/tattoo?
5-7 days
What % proteins should feed be for the first 10 days after lactating?
18%
How many times per day should lactating sows be eating?
2-3 times
What water supply should lactating sows have?
1.5-2 litres per minute
What temperature should lactating sows be at?
16-18 degrees
What is the ideal piglet birthweight?
1.5kg at least
What should sows be vaccinated against?
E coli, clostridia
What temperature do piglets need?
28-30
What should the replacement rate be in breeding pig herds? Why?
40%
What are female/male horses under the age of 1 called?
Mare and stallion
Where is a microchip placed in a horse?
Crest of neck, left hand side, middle third
What information does a horse passport include?
Breed, age, colour, markings and drawings of markings
How high is a pony?
14.2 hands high or smaller
How tall is a light or sport horse?
Over 14.2 hands high
What is the standard length of a hand?
4 inches
How tall is a miniature horse?
Less than 38 inches
How much can a heavy horse weigh?
Up to 1000kg
How much does a riding horse weigh?
450-500kg
What is the appetite of a horse?
2-3% of body weight
What are the three pairs of incisors in horses called?
Central, lateral, corner
How many molars and premolars do horses have?
3 molars, 3 premolars + wolf tooth
What age does Galvayne’s groove appear?
10
What age is Galvayne’s groove the full length of the tooth?
20
What age does Galvayne’s groove fade from the top?
25
What age does Galvayne’s groove disappear?
30
How many million years ago was hyracotherium?
50
How many million years ago was mesohippus?
25
How many million years ago was hipparion?
8
How many million years ago was pliohippus?
4
What is the order of evolution of the horse?
Hyracotherium, mesohippus, hipparion, pliohippus, equus
How much time do horses spend foraging?
80%
What age are horses raced at?
2-3
What is the typical appetite of a horse?
2-3% of bodyweight in 24 hours
At what age does a horse get its first permanent teeth?
6 months
At what age does a horse have all its temporary teeth?
9 months
At what age does a horse have a full mouth?
4.5 years
At what age does a horse have a full mouth and wear?
6 years
When is the official breeding season of thoroughbreds?
15th Feb - 15th July
Since when have british thoroughbred foals been microchipped?
2000
Which horses mature earliest?
Hot blooded eg thoroughbreds and arabs
Why should lower jaw be used to age horses?
Upper teeth wear more slowly
Above what age are upper incisors useful for ageing horses?
16
How many geese slaughtered annually?
500,000
Growth period of geese?
24-30 weeks
Game birds slaughtered annually?
30 million
