Overview husbandry, welfare, management, production, and diseases of beef cattle Flashcards
Characteristics of native breeds
Early maturing
Shorter gestation periods and smaller birth weights
Easy calving
Suited to forage based extensive systems
Characteristics of continental breeds
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
Main cattle production systems
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
Rearing-
Rearing- the early phase of growth up to weaning when the calf’s diet includes milk
Growing
a period of continuous growth lasting up to 15 months. Good frame growth is the aim
Finishing
a short, sharp period of maximum weight gain, allowing well grown animals to maximise meat yield and optimise fat cover
Pattern of growth- factors affecting growth rate
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)
Meeting market specifications
Selection based upon:
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)
Suckler cow production targets
Increasing suckler herd fertility results in:
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
Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis Causes
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
Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis Symptoms
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)
Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis
Treatment
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)
Enteric disease-ruminal acidosis
Prevention
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.
Respiratory disease
Causes
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)
Respiratory disease
Symptoms
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
Respiratory disease
Treatment
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
Respiratory disease
Prevention
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
Enteric diseases- Ostertagia
Causes
A roundworm (nematode; Ostertagia ostertagi) Results in PGE (parasitic gastro-enteritis)
Enteric diseases- Ostertagia
Symptoms
Mild cases - semi-solid faeces
Severe cases - profuse, watery, bright green diarrhoea
Bottle jaw
Weight loss/reduced growth
Enteric diseases- Ostertagia
a) Type I Ostertagiosis
Occurs from mid-July to October
Enteric diseases- Ostertagia
Control of Type I Ostertagiosis
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
Enteric diseases- Ostertagia
Type 2 Ostertagiosis
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
Respiratory diseases- lungworm
Causes
Caused by the worm Dictyocaulus viviparus
Generally affects young calves in first grazing season
Outbreaks are common in mid-summer
Respiratory diseases- lungworm
Symptoms
Husky cough Difficulty breathing Reduced weight gain/weight loss Loss of condition Lung damage Death (in severe cases)
Respiratory diseases- lungworm
Treatment
Anthelmintic
Respiratory diseases- lungworm
Prevention
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
Zoonotic/ notifiable diseases of beef cattle- bovine Tb
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
Bovine Tb transmission
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
Financial impact of bovine TB in the UK
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)
Zoonotic/notifiable diseases of beef cattle- bovine Tb
Prevention
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
