Husbandry and health in cattle Flashcards
At what age/weight does puberty occur in cattle
40% of adult body weight
10-12 months
Describe oestrus in cattle
cattle are polyoestrous
occurs every 21 days and lasts for 15 hours
What is the gestation of a cow
280-285 days
Describe the primary signs of oestrus in cattle
- standing to be mounted
- mouting other cows (especially the head and neck)
Describe the secondary signs of oestrus in cattle
- Chin resting
- Flehmen reaction (lip curling)
- Clear mucus string hanging from the vulva ‘bulling string’
Describe the tertiary signs of oestrus in cattle
- Restless and increased activity
- Dirty and marked flanks
- steaming back
- change of behaviour
- decreased milk yield
List common welfare problems
- decreased veterinary involvement
- Intensification of the dairy and beef industries
- Reduced resources available in the beef sector
- Reduced farm manpower
- Routine procedures
When does castration of cattle usually occur
0-8 weeks old
List the different methods of castration of cattle
- Rubber ring
- Surgical castration
- Burdizzo ‘bloodless’ castration
when must rubber ring castration need to occur
Must be applied in the first week of life
Describe surgical castration of cattle
testicles are surgically removed under local anaesthetic
Describe burdizzo ‘bloodless’ castration in cattle
spermatic cord containing blood and nerve supply crushed and destroyed
Who can perform castration on cattle
Anyone can castrate without local anaesthetic up to 2 months of age after this need to be performed by a vet using local anaesthetic
When does disbudding occur
first 2-3 months of life
What is disbudding
Removal of the horn bud to prevent horn from growing
Describe methods of disbudding
- Application of a caustic paste at <1week of age
- Burned out with a hot iron after injection of local anaesthetic over the nerve that innervates the bud
Describe the removal of supernumerary teats
Extra teats are removed with curved scissors usually under local anaesthetic.
Up to 3 months can be done by anyone with or without local anaesthetic after this it needs to be done b vets with or without anaesthetic
List common cattle diseases
Infertility Mastitis Lameness Calf scour Calf pneumonia
What are the 3 types of mastitis
- Contagious
- Environmental
- Summer
Describe contagious mastitis
spread from cow to cow during milking
e.g. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactia
Describe environmental mastitis
infection picked up from the environment e.g. Escherichia coli, Streptococcus uberis
Describe summer mastitis
spread by flies, only occurs in the summer months
What are 4 different causes of foot lameness
- Digital dermatitis
- White line disease
- Sole haemorrhage/ulcer
- Interdigital necrobacillosis
Describe digital dermatitis
bacterial infection of the skin behind the heel bulbs
Describe white line disease
small stones and dirt carry infection up the join between the sole and wall
Describe sole haemorrhage / ulcer
cells that produce the sole are damage and killed leading to a small area where the sole does not form. ‘ A pressure sore’ type lesion
Describe interdigital necrobacillosis
bacterial infection of the skin between the claws
What are the clinical signs of calf scour
Profuse diarrhoea, dehydration and collapse, reduced growth rates
What causes calf scour
Caused by a variety of different organisms e.g. Escherichia coli, rotovirus, cryptosprodia, coccidia, coronovirus, salmonella
What are the clinical signs of calf pneumonia
Coughing, inappetence, dull, pyrexia, tachypnoea (rapid breathing), dyspnoea (difficulty breathing), nasal and ocular discharge, reduced growth rate
What is the normal temperature range for a cow and a calf
Adult= 38-39 Calf= 38.5-39.5
What is the normal pulse of a cow and calf
Adult= 60-80 beats per minute Calf= 80-120 beats per minute
What is the normal respiratory rate of adult cows and calves
Adult= 15-30 Calf= 24-36
What is the reproduction efficiency
Target is to calve once ever 12 months. Most dairy farms use artificial insemination and most suckler herds use natural service
How do heifer replacements work
Approx 25% of heifers are culled each year, and half of the calves born are heifers so need double the amount of cows to be serves
Code of recommendations for the welfare of livestock
Contains all relevant legislation and relevant advice on cattle heath and husbandry
