Production Systems - 1 - 3 Flashcards
what is meant by a closed system, give an example
don’t bring on live animals to the farm or animals have been quarantined first
- laboratory and some intensive systems
what are the 5 levels of focus
1) Individual animal
2) Herd or flock (family pets)
3) Regional or statewide - local industry
4) National
5) International
what does the farmer control in terms of money and what don’t they
some control over CoP (cost of production) - amount of food, staff costs, etc.
less control on income as external forces control prices
how are sheep/wheat used together in australian systems
- Crops may be grazed during winter and even early spring
- They are then harvested in early summer
- Sheep can then graze the stubble over summer - when nutrition is low
- Allows increase in sheep stocking rate with minimal reduction in overall grain production.
research why do most industries have a research body and where does money come from
1) research can produce significant returns on financial investment
2) Research is vital to maintaining industry competitiveness
Some industry funds are matched by public monies (eg. some funding to MLA and AWI)
Organization of industry and collection of money as a levy when sell animal
- money sometimes matched by government funding
CRCs what are they, what do they aim to achieve and give an example
Cooperative Research Centers - experts coming together to conduct research
1. build critical mass in research ventures between end-users and researchers
2. to tackle clearly-articulated, major challenges for the end-users
3. pursue solutions to these challenges that are innovative, of high impact and capable of being effectively deployed by the end-users
Current examples – Dairy futures
What are the two regulatory bodies of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals
FDA (Food and Drug Administration), APVMA (Australian pesticides and veterinary medicine association)
peak councils - agro-political bodies what is their role and give an example
- Representative structure to liaise and influence government or regulatory bodies for benefits of producers
- Improve communication with other peak bodies (eg Sheep meats council and Cattle council in Australia)
- Funding model – compulsory v. voluntary levy - can make large difference to the funding model
What is the gestation length for each of these species bovine ovine caprine (goat) cervine (deer) equine
bovine - 283 ovine - 145 caprine - 150 cervine - 250 equine 336
gestation length for each of these species canine feline avian porcine
canine - 63
feline - 63
avian - 22
porcine - 115
List and describe the 5 main impacts of reproduction on a farm
1) maintain herd size - replace dead and cast for age animals
2) allows for genetic selection for male and female - higher selection pressure
3) impacts on management - increase feed and attention pregnant and lactating animals
4) impacts on production - must give birth to produce milk (dairy)
5) impacts on animal health - sexual transmissible disease, increase risk disease during or after pregnancy
define prolificacy
- Number of progeny per pregnancy (or laying season)
eg. Pig 25-26 v cow 1 calve
first breeding age for females and males, how to determine when animals will produce first progeny
females - 15 months (Bovine) needs to be 60-70% bodyweight to get good pregnancy
males - 1/2 adult body weight and about half the joining rate
Gestation period and first breeding age determine the date when an animal will first produce progeny
reproductive cycle
1) juvenile - not receptive to breeding
2) adult - able to breed by only receptive when in oestrus
3) when in oestrus only a few days
4) if not successfully mated may have continued oestrus cycles
- some species only receptive at certain times of the year
seasonal breeders give examples, why this occurs and list 3 ways to move breeding season
- Horses, temperate deer, goats, long wool British Breeds (eg Border Leicester)
Come into oestrus so that young will be born in favourable time of year (Spring)
1. Lights - expensive
2. Regulin ® - artificial drugs effecting the brain
3. Genetic selection within breed - select for non-seasonal breeders
what increases and decreases oestrus frequency
reduced
1) post-partum - after birth - cattle hard after 30 days, horses within 2 weeks - month
2) low condition score and low feed consumption - if gives birth at CS2 may take 60-70 days to cycle - 30 with CS4
increased
1) presence of male may increase - rams and ewes
what are the 5 ways to measure reproductive rate
1) ovulation rate
2) fertilization rate
3) birth survival, neonatal and weaning
4) lamb survival to weaning
5) weaner survival - weaning to adult
what is an easy way to estimate loss at a farm
number of females bred, multiplied by industry standard for progeny per female
○ What is the difference between this number and the actual number of animals that are produced each year – reasonable “guestimation” of post birth deaths (doesn’t account for loss during conception/gestation)
what are the 5 causes of loss on a farm
1) Genetics (size, shape etc)
2) Nutrition
3) Infectious disease
4) Predation
5) Environment
list ways genetics causes loss on a farm
1) birth weight - lambing ease - also related to physical shape of the calve and cow
2) breeds with larger heads or high muscling - belgium blues - nearly always C-section
3) genetic defect reduce reproductive rate such as curly calf syndrome - calves limbs born at different angles
list ways nutrition causes loss on farm
1) multiple pregnancies need lots of feed to get to adequate weight
2) not too much feed for singles as may get too large
3) lactation mothers need high energy to produce milk
4) weaner must adapt to adult type diet and needs to be balanced
4) adequate trace element nutrition
list ways infectious disease can cause loss on farms
1) reduce ability to successfully rear progeny - may be transferred from male to female
Eg - EVH1 - abortion
2) poor condition score for female or male can reduce reproduction
what are the main predators in australia and ways to control them
primarily wild dogs, foxes, pigs and less commonly birds of prey & crows
- Control methods
1. guard animals (dogs or camelids mostly)
2. shooting/baiting (co-ordinated) - need to ensure doesn’t get into non target species
3. “safe” containment areas
4. dog proof fences
what are the problems with aligning pasture and nutritional requirements
○ Whose nutritional requirements are best to try and match
○ Peck of pasture production - align with breeding lactation female or with offspring weaning
what are the considerations with time of lambing/calving
1) align pasture with nutritional requirements
cattle - go back 9 months
sheep - go back 5 months
2) minimum time of joining with maximum pregnancy % but not too long as then get variability in gestation times and nutritional requirements
3) does the season affect fertility
what are the considerations when to wean
1) balance between dam CS and growth of young
2) in dairy immediately
3) in meat may wait to increase growth of offspring
what are the two equations for stocking rate and what are they called
○ SR = 1.3 x (R-250) ÷ 25 (French Model) - R=rainfall
○ SR = 3.4 x G (length of growth season - months) - 7 (Saul Model)
what are the two typical production systems and what are the characteristics of each
1) autumn born
- seal fast-growing vealers in spring - lots of money per head
- Total (per hectare) meat production is limited as each paddock has less food therefore lower stocking density possible
○ Cows often need lots of supplementary feeding - expensive
2) late winter-spring (August) born
- Better matches nutritional demands to pasture production - Tends to avoid metabolic disease
- Produce more beef per hectare as increase stocking rate as each paddock can hold higher DSE ratings
what occurs 2 weeks after lambing on lambs and what is given to sheep to break parasite worm life cycle
- Lambs are vaccination, tail docked, mulesed/clipped 2 weeks after lambing ends
- Giving sheep 2 ‘summer drenches’ breaks the parasite worm life cycle from one year to the next
Psittiformes give examples and special characteristics
cockatoos, galahs, eclectus, budgie, lovebirds, macaws, lorikeets
- prehensile feet - lateral and medial digits caudally and other toes cranially
- syrinx - 3 pairs intrinsic muscles, vocal mimicry
- upper beak hooked - main weapon of defence, prominant cere
