Poor Thrift Investigation

Question 1

What is poor thrift?

Answer 1

Failure to gain adequate weight by a certain age. Can be seen by poor BCS

Question 2

What does growth rate vary with?

Answer 2

Species, Breed, age (pre-weaning vs. post weaning), feeding and management strategies

Question 3

What are the problems of poor thrift in the following adult animal groups?

a) mating
b) early pregnancy
c) late pregnancy
d) lactation

Answer 3

a) increased anoestrus length, reduced conception and ovulation rates
b) decreased placental development
c) metabolic disease risk
d) reduced milk production

Question 4

How is poor thrift assessed?

Answer 4

Weighing

BCS

Question 5

What is the thought process if poor thrift is detected?

Answer 5

Is it individual or whole group?
Is appetite normal or abnormal?
YES: adequate nutrition?

Question 6

What are the things that can cause poor thrift?

Answer 6

Maldigestion/Malapsorption
(parasitism, johnes etc.)
Under feeding (quantity or quality) or trace element deficiency
Parasitism
Dental problems and lameness

Question 7

How can the problem of poor thrift be defined/quantified?

Answer 7

Numbers e.g. weights, time to slaughter
Age/group affected
No. animals affected, severity and time

Question 8

What questions need to be asked to determine the history of poor thrift?

Answer 8

Farming system/feed management
times to calving/weaning etc
Reproductive rate/spread
Worming regime/anthelmintics used
Previous mineral deficiencies and supplements used
Duration of treatments/clinical signs