Lecture 13 (17)

Question 1

What’s the name for one of the first ruminants, and what’s so significant about it?

Answer 1

Aurochs (original ox)

Extinct 400 years ago

Ancestor to our domestic cattle

Large animal- up to 2 metres tall at the shoulder

Domesticated 10,000 years ago

Question 2

When did farming come to Britain?

Answer 2

Around 5000 years ago.
Brought domesticated cattle
Early cattle where very small, selection for large size

Very few, if any got as large as the auroch

Question 3

How are cattle farmed in the U.K.?

Answer 3

Cattle houses for 6 months during winter to avoid damage to pasture and ease of feeding.

Question 4

How to cattle go from a milk diet to grass?

Answer 4

Newborn is adapted to milk. The calf will start to eat grass whilst still taking milk from the cow

If calfs are taken from the mother at a young age, farmer must manage the transition to solid food

Question 5

What challenges face the dairy cow?

Answer 5

Lactating requires huge energy demands
Selective breeding resulted in high yields of milk. 6-10,000 in 10 months
High yields cause production diseases
Beef cows produce 1,200kg of milk to feed calf.

Question 6

How much greenhouse had is produced on livestock farms?

Answer 6

14.5% of annual greenhouse gasses

Question 7

Define domestication

Answer 7

The enfolding of animals into human society together with genetic changes implying selective breeding

Question 8

How does ruminant digestion take place?

Answer 8

Grass enters rumen.
Food is regurgitated and chewed again as cud.
The cud is swallowed and goes into the omasum and finally the abomasum

Question 9

Why feed calves milk powder?

Answer 9

It’s cheap
Can be stored for long periods
Convenience
Surplus milk in summer can be made into powder