Niche Livestock Flashcards
Lecture 14 & 15
1
Q
List all alternative livestock
A
- Cervids
- Bison
- Water Bufflao
- Camelids
- Rabbits
- Ratites
- Wild Boar
- Fur Bearing species
- Poultry
2
Q
What livestock are included in Cervids?
A
Elk & Deer species
3
Q
What livestock are included in Camelids?
A
Lllamas & Alpacas
4
Q
What livestock are included in Ratites?
A
Ostrich, Emu, Rhea
5
Q
What livestock are included in fur bearing species
A
Mink & Fox
6
Q
What livestock are included in poultry
A
Pigeons, Pheasants, Quail
7
Q
Common Themes in the Niche Livestock industry
A
- Limited Markets
- Many relay on producer marketing own products - Fragmented Industry Infrastructure
- Constant supply/qulity
- Lack of distribution, processing facilities - “Boom and Bust”
- Sometimes follow fads - Small # of producers
- Limited market info
8
Q
What are rabbits used for?
How many rabbits slaugtered in 2016?
How many producers in 2016 & how many in the provinces that produces them?
A
- Raised for meat
- Fryers < 2.34 kg
- Roasters > 2.34
- 172,500 meat rabbits in 2016
- Slaughtered 621,000 head in 2016
- ~3,800 producers in 2016
- ON: 950 producers
- QB: 539 producers
- AB: 470 producers
9
Q
When did the rabbit sector steady?
A
Sector generally steady after major decrease in 1980s
10
Q
What is the name for a female & male rabbit?
A
Female: Does
Males: Bucks
11
Q
WHat os the name for a young rabbit?
A
Kits
12
Q
What are the two breeds of rabbits?
A
- New Zealand White
- Californian
13
Q
What age is the market weight for fryers?
A
8 to 10 weeks
14
Q
What is a fryer?
A
young rabbit rasied for meat production
15
Q
What is the gestation period for a rabbit
A
- 30 - 33d
16
Q
What is a rabbit called when giving birth?
How many littters per year & how many kits in a litter?
A
Kindling
Produces 5 to 7 litters per year
8-10 kits per litter
17
Q
Strenghths of meat rabbits
A
- Established a traditional market
- Existing processing/ market infaststruture (~ 23 provincially & 1 federally licenced abattoirs)
- Nutritional attributes: lean protein
- Strong leadership in Ontario Livestock alliance
18
Q
What livestock is included in the Ontario Livestock Alliance?
A
- Rabbit
- Goat
Veal
19
Q
Challenges of meat rabbits
A
- Expanding demand?
- Canadian consumption is ~25 grams per capita
- Consumers accessing rabbit meat
- Product develpment (new consumer friendly/convenient products)
- Reduce mortality
Limited marketing options: 2 main buyers
20
Q
What is the livestock Bison used for?
A
-Raised for meat
21
Q
What nutritional values does Bison have?
A
- Low in fat and calories, high in protein, iron and Vitamin B-12
22
Q
What is considered a bull in bison livestock
A
-1,500 - 2,000 lbs (680-910 kg)
23
Q
What is considered a Cow in bison livestock
A
- 800 - 1,200 lbs (365 -545 kg)
24
Q
What is considered a calve in bison livestock
A
- 40-60 lbs (18-27 kg) at birth
- Marketed at 24-30 months of age
Marketed weight is 1,000-1,100 lbs (455-500 kg)
25
What is a fertile hybrid between domestic beef and bison called
Beefalo
26
What are the differences between a bison and a buffalo
Bufflao: Native to Asia & Africa
- No hump, big horns, not as furrie
Bison: Native to North America
- Hump on their back, smaller horns, hairyier
27
How many head of bison in north america in 1800?
60 million head
28
How many head of bison in north america in 1900?
1000 head
29
How many head of bison in north america in today?
400,000 head
30
When did bison farming begin to expand?
1990s
31
Which province has the most bison farms & how many in 2021?
Which province produced the most bison in 2021 and how many?
Alberta: 472
Alberta: 65,405
32
Does Bison have a national traceability program?
Yes, white RFID tags
33
Challenges in feeding bison?
- Bison are browsers, so its hard to feed grain
34
How are the handling facilities built for bison?
With strong fencing
35
What kind of breeders are bison and when do they calve?
- Seasonal breeders
- Calve in April - May
36
What are the grades of bison, and how is it graded?
Grades:
A, B, D
Grading requirments:
1. Muscling
2. Fat colour
3. Meat colour
4. Fat measure
NOTE: Bison is not graded on marbling
37
What are the characteristics of bison meat?
1. Leaner than beef
2. Higher moisture
3. Cooks faster
38
What are alpacas used for in the livestock industry?
- Breeding stock
- Fibre
- Pets
39
What are LLamas used for in the livestock industry?
- Livestock guard animals for sheep flocks
- Fibre
- Meat
40
How much fibre do alpacas produce?
5-10 lbs per year
good for blanket fleece
41
What are the two breeds of alpacas?
1. Huacaya
- More popular
- Fluffy
2. Suri
- Long silky and stright fibers
42
What are female, male, and young alpacas called?
Female: Hembra
Male: Macho
Young Alpaca: Crea
43
Describe the characteristics of Alpaca Fibre
- Strong, light weight, fine and warm
- "Oil free"
- Marketing raw fleece/fibre via producer cooperatives
44
What are the two alpaca fibre cooperatives
1. Alpaca Fibre cooperative of Ontario
2. Alpaca Fibre cooperative of North America
45
How is alpaca fibre graded?
- Graded by fibre size (microns) and staple length
46
What do small custom fibre mills process fibre into?
- quality yarn
47
What is the active association for alpaca fibre & how many active members?
Alpaca Canada & Alpaca Ontario (~160 members)
48
What is the historic name for Llamas
Lama glama
49
What is the histotic name for Alpacas
Vicugna pacos
50
Has the # of Llama & Alpacas increased from 2001 to 2006 in Ontario?
Yes, it has increased by 70% from 2001 to 2006
51
Has the # of alpaca and llama farms increased from 2001 to 2006?
Yes, it has increased 59% from 2001 to 2006
52
What is the total number of Alpaca and LLamas in 2016?
20,927 animals
53
What are the challenges with Alpacas?
- High breeding stock prices
- Limited markets for value added sales to artisans
- Producer oftern must do marketing
- Breeding prices in the long term (should reflect fiber prices, budget based on fiber sales with minimum breeding stock sales)
54
What are Ostriches used for in the livestock industry?
- rasied for....
1. Meat
2. Leather
3. Oil
4. Featers
5. Eggs
55
How much do adult weigh?- Ostrich
115kg - 165 kg
56
How many eggs do ostrich hens lay per season and when?
- Hens lay 40-100 eggs per season
- Season: late Feb - Oct
57
How many ostriches in 2006 and what is the trend from 1996?
- 2700 birds in Canada
- Trend down from: 15,000 in 1996
58
Where are Emu from
Native to New Zealand
59
Where are Rhea from?
Native to S. America
60
What are Emu and Rhea raised for?
Oil, meat and leather
61
How many emu and rhea in 2006 and what is the trend from 1996?
- 4000 in Canada in 2006
- Down 59,000 in 1996
62
Where are Emu and Rhea found in Canada the most?
Ontario
63
What are mink used for in the livestock industry?
Fur & Oil
64
What was the world production number of pelts (pre-COVID)
85 million pelts
65
What is the percent breakdown of the world production of mink pelts?
1. China (38%)
2. Denmark (20%)
3. Poland: 10%
4. Neterlands 7%
5. USA 4%
6. Canada 3%
7. Russia 2%
8. Finland 2&
66
What was the production number of mink pelts created post COVID (2020-2022)?
- Post covid: 33 million (2020) to 17 million (2022)
67
How many mink production farms in Canada?
Farms: 71 - 2021
98 - 2018
213 - 2015
68
What province has the most pelt farms and how many pelts are created yearly?
Novia Scoia: 43 farms
# of pelts created: 749,000
69
What is the total # of pelts made in 2018? and has it decreased since 2015?
#: 1,763,800 (2018
2015: decrease
70
Explain the diet of minks
- Minks are carnivores
- 80 - 90% of diet is meat/meat by-products/dariy by-products
- 10 - 20% of the diet is cereal based
71
Explain the feeding process of minks
1. Feed is transfered from mixer to a feed cart
2. Feed is then pumped from the feeder to wire on tops of pens/nest boxes
72
Explain how the food consistancy should be of the mink food
- If the food is too wet : will fall through the wire onto the ground
- If food is too dry: will bridge up on top of wire & mink will not be able to access it
73
Explain what mink sheds are?
- Long open sided --> width 2 to 8 rows of pens --> 4 to 6 row most common
- Natural and artifical light
-Natural ventilation '
- No supplemental heat
- High biosecurity
74
What are the facilites and equipment used for minks
- Perimeter fence: Prevents escapes and minimizes:
1. Revenue loss
2. Disease transmission to wild life
3. Cross breeding with wild mink
- Enhanced farm bio-security & secuirty:
1. Minimize contact with dogs, cats, wildlife & trespassers
75
When is mink breeding season?
- Breeding season isnthe first 3 weeks of March
- Ratio of 4 to 5 females: 1 male
- Long- photoperiod, delayed implantation
76
When is the mink gestation period?
- 40 to 75 days- due to delayed due to delayed implantation
- gestation can be shortened by extending day length using artifical lighting after breeding season
- 51 days average
77
When is the whelping and weaning period for minks and what is it?
Whelp: Birth
weaning: June (kits weaned at 6 to 8 weeks)
- female taken from kits, so kits remain in breeder pens until separation to reduce stress of weaning
78
What are mink pelts graded for and what are the traits that are selected for?
Traits: Litter size, litter weight, animal health, temperament
Grading:
- Size
- Fur quality
- Fur colour
79
When is the grading and pelting period of minks?
Late november & early december
- euthanized on farm using mobile euthanasia box charge w carbon monoxide
80
Explain what breeding whelping pens are and their characteristics
- Raise kits until weaning/splitting of litters
- It is a comprised of pen and nest box
- Reccommended code of practice:
1. Use of pens
2. > 12" high
3. 325 in^2 including nest box
Ontario pens:
- 12 or 15" high
- 24" long
-14-18" wide
- Pen diveres are either solid or wire
81
In order to prepare for whelping season what beeding do minks have and other charatceristics in the cage?
- Bedding: Chopped straw, shavings for nests
- Plastic or wire "false bottoms" put in pens, so kits wont fall through wire--> maure will build up on false bottoms (needs to be removed regularly)
82
Where are kits born in minks? How many kits per litter?
- Kits boirn in nest box
- Average of 5-6 kits/liter
- Litters can range from 1 to 12 kits/litter
- Kits can be readily fostered to other females
83
When are false bottoms removed from mink cages?
- Removed at 4 to 5 weeks--> kits heads are large enough not to fall through wire
- Cleaner enviroment for mink as manure will fall through wire
84
What does pelted mean?
Skinned to separate pelt from carcass
85
What does fleshed or scraped mean?
- Fleshing machines remove remaining fat from pelt
86
What does drummed mean
remove residual fat
87
Boarded meaning
For drying 36- 48 hours
ready for shiping to market
88
How are pelts sold?
- Marketed by 2 main fur auctions in North America - both producer owned
89
