Overview husbandry, welfare, management, production, and diseases of beef cattle

Question 1

Characteristics of native breeds

Answer 1

Early maturing

Shorter gestation periods and smaller birth weights

Easy calving

Suited to forage based extensive systems

Question 2

Characteristics of continental breeds

Answer 2

Large frame and late maturing

Better conformation (yield of meat)

High DLWG (possible range in DLWG)

More difficult calving

Suited to cereal based intensive systems

Question 3

Main cattle production systems

Answer 3

Intensive production systems- 12 to15 month cereal/barley beef
Rearing phase- often followed by a housed finishing phase

Semi-intensive- 18 to 20 months
Normally includes a store period (Winter)

Extensive- 24 to 30 months
May include two store Winters

Question 4

Rearing-

Answer 4

Rearing- the early phase of growth up to weaning when the calf’s diet includes milk

Question 5

Growing

Answer 5

a period of continuous growth lasting up to 15 months. Good frame growth is the aim

Question 6

Finishing

Answer 6

a short, sharp period of maximum weight gain, allowing well grown animals to maximise meat yield and optimise fat cover

Question 7

Pattern of growth- factors affecting growth rate

Answer 7

Breed
Continental breeds = fast growth rate
Native breeds = slower growth rate

Sex
Bulls = fastest growth rate
Steers = intermediate growth rate
Heifers = slowest growth rate

Nutrition
High plane = fast growth rate (concentrates)
Low plane = slow growth rate (forage)

Question 8

Meeting market specifications

Selection based upon:

Answer 8

Conformation class = E (best), U+, -U, R, O+, -O, P+, -P (worst)

Fat class = 1 (least % fat), 2 ,3, 4L, 4H, 5L, 5H (highest % fat)

Question 9

Suckler cow production targets

Increasing suckler herd fertility results in:

Answer 9

Increased number/weight of calves weaned-reduced calving period

Reduced calving interval- more calves per year

Heavier heifers at mating- increased fertility
Increasing the number of calves reared per 100 cows put to the bull by 2%- increase calf output by £1000-£1200

Increasing mean weaning weights by 10 kg- increase calf output by £2000

Question 10

Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis Causes

Answer 10

Cattle fed forage have a rumen pH of 6.0-6.5.
pH scale (0-14), pH 7 is neutral, <7 is acidic, >7 is basic
High concentrate diet = lactic acid production by lactic acid producing bacteria causing a drop in rumen pH.
Rumen pH below 5.0 = rumen stops contracting
pH below 4.5 = fluid is drawn from the blood into the rumen to try and dilute the acid, lactic acid leaks back into the blood stream, animal enters shock

Question 11

Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis Symptoms

Answer 11

Rumen pH below 5.0 = loss of appetite and decreased weight gain
Rumen pH below 4.5:
foul smelling yellow scour (diarrhoea) containing undigested grain
Late stages = dull, lethargic, panting, sunken eyes, start to stagger, and difficulty standing up
Laminitis??
Simply inflammation of the laminae (site of horn production)

Question 12

Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis

Treatment

Answer 12

A little to late (Prevention before cure)
Consult herd nutritionist:
Increase forage (fiber) content of the diet = grass silage/straw- stimulates rumination where the saliva produced (bicarbonate and phosphate) is swallowed and increases rumen pH
To feed artificial neutralising agents = Acid buff (rumen buffer)

Question 13

Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis

Prevention

Answer 13

Always offer long fiber (eg straw) to encourage rumination. Intake likely to be ~1.5 kg/day
Gradual adaptation to concentrate diets, over 2 weeks or longer
Do not feed finely ground cereals = powdery texture gives a greater risk of acidosis
If not feeding concentrate ad-libitum (all you can eat), avoid meal sizes greater than 2.5 kg/head
When feeding ad-libitum, never let feed hopers run out as animals can gorge themselves when they are refilled. If you do, you may have to restart adaptation.

Question 14

Respiratory disease

Causes

Answer 14

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs which then fill with fluid
Caused by a combination of organisms (pathogens) including bacteria and viruses in isolation or as a group:
Bacteria- single celled microorganism
Virus- parasite that hijacks the hosts cells
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD)
Organisms that are otherwise harmless can become dangerous in certain environmental conditions:
High stocking density- high pathogenic load
Lack of ventilation (humidity and lack of air movement increases pathogenic load) and/or wind chill (stress)

Question 15

Respiratory disease

Symptoms

Answer 15

Slight discharge from the eye dampening the face
Chesty cough and panting
Posture- head down and back arched (Feeling sorry for oneself)
Not eating
High temperature = greater than 39.2oC. Remember normal range = 38.0 to 39.2oC

Question 16

Respiratory disease

Treatment

Answer 16

If coughing and eye discharge are the only symptoms, may not need to treat, let the infection run its course
If treatment is necessary, use an antibiotic under veterinary guidance
Even if the infection is viral, the antibiotic will remove secondary bacterial infections, freeing the immune system to focus on the virus
Remove and isolate chronically infected animals- recurring treatment with long acting antibiotics may be necessary

Question 17

Respiratory disease

Prevention

Answer 17

Well ventilated to reduce atmospheric load of pathogens
Avoid mixing animals of different sizes
Appropriate stocking density
Vaccination to combat viral diseases:
Consider source of finishing stock- do you know the previous health status of purchased growing animals or have they come from a dealer = disease risk
Biosecurity- isolate incoming animals to ensure they are disease free

Question 18

Enteric diseases- Ostertagia

Causes

Answer 18

A roundworm (nematode; Ostertagia ostertagi)
Results in PGE (parasitic gastro-enteritis)

Question 19

Enteric diseases- Ostertagia

Symptoms

Answer 19

Mild cases - semi-solid faeces
Severe cases - profuse, watery, bright green diarrhoea
Bottle jaw
Weight loss/reduced growth

Question 20

Enteric diseases- Ostertagia

a) Type I Ostertagiosis

Answer 20

Occurs from mid-July to October

Question 21

Enteric diseases- Ostertagia

Control of Type I Ostertagiosis

Answer 21

Benzimidazole (1-BZ) drench or Levamisole (2-LV) injection/drench/pour-on
Macrocylic lactones (3-ML) pour-on/injection eg. ivermectin at 3, 8 and 13 weeks after turnout
Pulse release bolus (1-BZ - Autoworm)
Slow release bolus (1-BZ - Panacur)
Dose and delayed move in mid-July just before peak larval infection
Turnout onto clean/safe pastures

Question 22

Enteric diseases- Ostertagia

Type 2 Ostertagiosis

Answer 22

September: larvae inhibited in gut
February - May: larvae can hatch out

Treatment and control
Dose cattle at housing with anthelmintic (1-BZ or 3-ML) that will kill inhibited larvae

Question 23

Respiratory diseases- lungworm

Causes

Answer 23

Caused by the worm Dictyocaulus viviparus
Generally affects young calves in first grazing season
Outbreaks are common in mid-summer

Question 24

Respiratory diseases- lungworm

Symptoms

Answer 24

Husky cough
Difficulty breathing
Reduced weight gain/weight loss
Loss of condition
Lung damage
Death (in severe cases)

Question 25

Respiratory diseases- lungworm

Treatment

Answer 25

Anthelmintic

Question 26

Respiratory diseases- lungworm

Prevention

Answer 26

Vaccination (POM-V)
Dairy-bred calves - two doses, 6 and 2 weeks before turnout
Beef calves - before they eat significant amounts of grass
Anthelmintics (see Ostertagiosis)
Grazing management - rotation

Question 27

Zoonotic/ notifiable diseases of beef cattle- bovine Tb

Answer 27

Bacterial infection of the lungs caused by mycobacterium bovis
Lesions develop and spread across the lungs
Resulting in cell necrosis, and the eventual death of the animal
Treatment
No effective treatment in cattle

Question 28

Bovine Tb transmission

Answer 28

Movement of infected cattle
Consumption of TB infected colostrum or milk
Wildlife
Contaminated feed or water sources
Contaminated pasture
Dam to calf in the womb

Question 29

Financial impact of bovine TB in the UK

Answer 29

Financial impact
Bovine TB has cost the GB over £500 million in a 10-year period (2003-2013)
The cost to industry, with regards to loss of income, was estimated to be £50 million
Each new breakdown costs an estimated £37,000, £22,000 is incurred by the government, the remaining £15,000 is incurred by the farmer (DEFRA, 2018)

Question 30

Zoonotic/notifiable diseases of beef cattle- bovine Tb

Prevention

Answer 30

Badgers and other wild species act as reservoirs for infection
Fence grazing cattle away from badger setts
Ensure cattle water and feed troughs are not accessible to badgers
Prevent badgers from gaining access to livestock buildings and feed stores
Test and cull strategy- skin test