Production systems 8 - 11 Flashcards
what is important for profitability on a pig farm and what day weight is the most important
- starts with consistent numbers produced each week and good milking sows producing heavy pigs at weaning.
○ These grow fast all the way to sale - Weight of pig at weaning most important for growth at 21 days - determined by weight of pig at birth
what is the piglet mortality after birth and what used to reduce this
first 3 days 80% die from being squished by mum
- use sliders which provide shelter for piglets and sow stall to prevent movement
in an average intensive herd in Australia and PNG what is average piglets weaned and piglets born alive in australia vs france
Australia - 10.5
PNG - 8
Australia - 11
France - 14
what is the lactation length (weaning length) of the pigs and what occurs with increasing length
21-28 d
- longer increase weaning weight also have more piglets next farrowing
what is the gestation length of pigs and and how long after weaning before pig goes back on heat
Gestation: 115 d - 3months, 3 weeks, 3 days
Weaning to service: ~6 d
- On heat within 7 days of weaning
what is the main way to test if pig on heat and what used to get pig pregnant
Back pressure test - once apply pressure pig should become rigid if in heat
- Yellow bands apply the pressure
AI - artificial insemination
Uteru contraction will suck up the semen from the cervix into uterus
how is profit calculated with pigs and what is the average FEC
Profit = fast growing pigs (reduce cost of further feed) + efficient conversion of grain + heavy pigs + <13mm fat (P2 position - end of the last rib, relationship between fat there and carcass lean - penalized for high levels of fat)
FEC - about 2.3
List 6 ways to increase profit gains on a pig farm
1) Start with the highest health status possible
2) Implement biosecurity practices
3) Vaccinate against key endemic disease - can raise animals free of diseases
4) Appropriate medications
5) High hygiene standards - animals ethics and production
6) Good air quality
List and describe 5 management issues in piggeries that can decrease production
1) Stocking rate, air quality, hygiene
2) Feeder space
3) Over mating and age at weaning - if too many pregnant then would have to wean pigs earlier - post weaning mortality rate increases
4) High turnover rates in sow herds - gilts don’t produce as much colostrum so increase mortality of the piglets therefore if have high turnover more gilts less mature pigs so increase mortality rate
5) Inspection and observation - if compromised (lameness) then more likely to fall onto and kill pigs
what are the main breeds selected for gilts and why
- Crossbred large white, landrace, duroc breeds
- Large white cross landarce - high maternal capacity
Selected for - Feed efficiency
- Growth rate
- Carcase composition
- Litter size in maternal lines
what is comparison between indoor and outdoor production
Indoor production
– High reproductive and growing pig feed efficiency
- Perceived lower welfare standards - all about the management and treatment of the animals
Outdoor
- High operation costs - more sow, weaner feed, large amount of straw,
- Lower profit but because capital costs are a lot lower (about 50%) than indoor
- Summer temperature significantly decrease reproductive efficiency
○ Pigs are seasonal breeders
outdoor system how are some arranged
1) some destroy the vegetation so arranged in gestation paddocks
2) houses within the paddock contain one sow and piglets
When are gilts selected, when exposed to boar, when mated and how what percentage of the herd should be gilts
- Selected at 20 wks.
- Exposed to boar from about 160 days, mated on second heat at 30 wk and 125 Kg.
- Need about 8% of the herd in the gilt pool at any one time.
how are sows grouped and what is one way to house and feed a sow
1) Feed intake - cant supply at immediate needs
2) Bullying
3) Performance
- Feed can be allocated to the sow on recognition of her transponder (on the ear) and predetermined feed levels
what are the 2 main ways weaners are stored and characteristics
1) On straw
- Lower cost
- More room for the pigs to move
2) Fully intensive
- Better efficiency and easier to manage
- A lot more capital expenses
Differences between Deep Litter (DL) and conventional
DL
1) feed efficiency isn’t as good as conventional
2) individualised care is harder in DL
3) lower cost however cannot manage temperature
4) grow better but higher cost
Welfare perceptive both systems relatively the same
grower pigs outdoor system characteristics
- Not many reared outside - sows can be reared outside but then back inside
- Feed efficiency 20% lower than indoor system
- Sometimes present complex environmental problems
○ Severe parasite infections
○ If not managed then major erosion problems
castration of pigs where does it occur, alternatives and when given
○ North America and Europe heavier - also castrate so don’t have problems with boar taint
○ Vaccine need a booster, blocks gonadotrophic releasing hormones (hypothalamus) - direct effect release of LSH - to decrease boar taint - mediated by the immune system
○ Given generally at 15 weeks
○ Some are castrated to stop this however not widely done in Australia - welfare perspective
grower pigs in indoor systems death rate, weight and week sold, how much eat per day, FCR, what age start
- Deaths 0.5%
- 22-24 weeks = 90-100 kg live weight
- Eat: 2.3 kg/d
- FCR: 2.30
porker pigs - 16 weeks
what are the trends in the pig industry
1) number of pig producers decreasing
2) pork production increasing so herd sizes are getting larger
characteristics of the pig industry in developing countries
1) villages often own small number of pigs - production efficiency often poor
2) as wealth grows people eat more animal protein
3) women generlaly look after the pigs to get extra income
4) more efficient and cost effective production of pigs occurs in facilities close to grain or markets
5) countries with high health status able to export more easily
What is the problem with food supply for pigs in developing countries and what is a way to overcome this
- People and pigs compete for the same foods and protein is in short supply - generally malnourished
- In PNG making silage from sweet potato and adding protein premix
- data shows grow nearly as well as proper commercial diets
what are the 4 issues with disease control in developing countries
1) vaccine delivery program - may have to walk 8 hours to collect vaccination
2) cold chain control
3) vaccination logistics
4) village cooperation - politics, culture, attitudes, all about the village levels
what is the most valuable cut of pig for Australia and North America
- In North America the loin is the most valuable cut
- In Australia the leg (ham on the bone) is a valuable cut
what is energy and protein used for
Energy - Basal metabolic functions, reproduction, lactation, tissue accretion (growth, muscular activity
Protein - growth and immune function
what is the most important amino acid for pigs
lysine increases pigs grow faster - the most limiting amino acid
○ Balance everything against lysine - as a proportion based on ideal protein
what are 6 important things in a weaner diet
- Highly digestive raw materials
- High levels of digestive amino acids
- Low in fibre
- High requirement for lactose (10%) added as whey powder
- Some milk protein
- Usually include fishmeal (expensive) and cook vegetable protein - not too much
what occurs when you increase energy and what is the issue if give too much
As increase energy levels FEC improves for large and small pigs
- Surpassing their maintenance requirements
problem- reach limit of protein deposition then lay down fat
- Depends on genetics on where this line begins in terms of the energy intake
- Also depends on sex - female less efficient and generally lower point when reach protein deposition
Whole market is about creating LEAN meat - don’t want the fat
how much weight should pregnant sows gain, how much MJDE/Kg, lysine/MJ/DE, calcium and phorphorus
about 25 kg for piglets & placenta and 20-40 kg for growth depending on age (growth in gilt)
- 13.0 MJ DE/kg
- 0.4 g lysine/MJ DE
- calcium - 0.8%
- phosphorus 0.55%
what are the requirements for energy for lactating sows
1) allow for milk production
2) allow for maintenance and uterine repair
3) set the sow up for next pregnancy
4) avoid excessive weight loss
what is the minimum average intake of food for a sow during lactation and DE and lysine requirements to prevent comprise performance
6Kg per day during lactation
- 0 MJ DE/kg
- 55g lysine/MJ DE.
what is an important driver for infertility of pigs
- heat is the major driver for infertility and smaller litter size (if gets above 30 degrees for the sows mated that day)
- gilts are more effected
- abortion rates double in summer
what are the 3 type of droughts and which most important
1) Spring deficiency: important because major production time for farms in southern Australia - important for management calendar as rely on high pasture availability for calving/lambing
2) Autumn deficiency: more common because autumn is highly variable anyway
3) ‘green drought’: recent rain but pasture quantity limiting
what are the 4 main issues with a drought
1) Less rain
2) Less feed
3) Fewer animals
4) Less products
what are the 4 effects of animals within drought
1) Declining then no feed - protein then energy deficiency
2) Prolonged supplementation - major cost as higher feed price
3) Decrease stock levels AND/OR feed more
4) Animal health problems from changes diets
what are the problems with pastures/soils in drought
- Over-grazing
○ Loss of pasture base
○ Weed invasion
Soil loss - reduced future productivity if poorly managed
what are the 4 problems with finances in drought
- Lost income as described above
- Lost genetic gain if breeding stock is sold
- High changeover price - if livestock sold
○ Sell cheaply and replacements at end of drought usually more expensive as everyone is trying to buy again
Increased cost
what is the option for saving pasture and soils during a drought
- Sheep in stock containment area (SCA) receiving full ration
○ Not a feedlot as not trying to feed them lots to gain weight
○ Just wanting to maintain them
diet for sheep and cattle in drought situation, how long take, starting rate and how much to feed how many times a week
• Takes 3 weeks to get ruminants safely onto full grain ration
• starting rate
- Sheep 50g/head/d
- Cattle 500g/head/d
• Then feed 2-3 times/week
• Add 15-20% roughage - fibre
• Add 1.5% Ca to cereal grain - calcium carbonate
what is the energy requirement for sheep stock in drought and therefore cow
assumes 1 DSE needs 5MJME/day
Dry cow = 9 DSE
- 9 DSE * 5 MJ/DSE/d = 45 MJ ME/cow/day
what is the cost of hay: $250/t, 8 MJ/kg DM, 85% DM per MJME
1) $/kg DM = $250/t ÷ .85 = $294/t DM = $0.29/kg DM 2) $/MJ ME = $0.29/kg DM ÷ 8 MJ/kg DM = 3.68 ¢/MJ ME
what is the cost /kg of feed /cow/week wheat - $320/tonne - Energy content from FeedTest analysis = 13 MJ ME/kg DM - 89% dry matter
1) Convert wheat energy content from dry matter basis to MJ ME/kg fed = 13 MJ/kg DM * 89% DM = 11.6 MJ/kg fed 2) Divide total animal ME requirement by ME content of feed = 45 MJ/day ÷ 11.6 MJ/kg = 3.9 kg wheat/cow/day ≈ 27 kg/cow/week 3) Cost: 1. Convert cost to $/kg $320/tonne = $0.32/kg 2. Multiply by kg fed 27 kg/week * $0.32/kg ≈ $8.70/cow/week
What are the 7 main livestock health problems in droughts
1) ineffective supplementation
2) pulpy kidney - intestinal overgrowth of clostridium due to soluble Carbohydrate diet
3) grain poisoning - rumen microflora overgrowth, decrease pH, increase soluble carbohydrate in diet
4) calcium deficiency/imbalance - bone deformities
5) Vitamin E deficiency - need supplement as absent in dry feeds leads to white muscle disease
6) water quality - overgrowth of algae
7) plant poisoning - toxic weed dominant over-grazed pastures, animals released too fast
water requirements for sheep and cattle and the 3 complications
• Allow ~10% BWT/day - Sheep: 5 L/day - Cattle: 50 L/day • Complications 1) Salinity 2) Blue-green algae poisoning 3) Fouling by organic matter
what are the 4 options with drought management
1) destock
2) keep and feed
3) agistment
4) do nothing
what are the benefits of keeping and feeding your animals in a drought
- Less cost overall as have high supplementary feed cost however low changeover cost and maintain genetics
- Can sell a few animals but still committing yourself to feeding and keeping some animals (younger animals - better genetically improved)
- Better for post-drought recovery as don’t know when it is going to rain again so ready for that point
what are the benefits and negatives of destocking
- low supplementary feed cost and good pasture soil preservation
- however low post-drought recovery due to the need to buy in stock resulting in high change-over cost (stock prices increased after) and poor preservation of genetics also disease introduction is high
egg industry: rearing phage how old till and mortality, when reach sexual maturity, how old at laying phase, how many eggs and mortality
rearing phase: - day old to 16 weeks - mortality 2-3% sexual maturity 17-18 weeks laying phase: - 17 - (68-72) weeks 250-330 eggs in 12 months mortality - 2-15%
what are the two breeds used in the egg industry and what ancestor from
1) rod island red or new hampshire
2) white leg horn
Common ancestor for meat and egg chicken - red jungle fowl
what are the 5 different egg production systems
1) Cage
2) Enriched cage
3) Free-range
4) Barn
5) Aviary - same bird numbers as cage
traditional cage system what is the area required by law, how many birds
550cm^2 per bird required by law
Depending on size - 4-8 birds per cage
Experimental enriched cage how many birds, how long, what has within
larger cage 8-12 birds 1 meter long and higher small nest box - 4 can nest wooden perch sand bath on nest box - most don't have due to ventilation bottom wire to break oral faecal cycle
Free range system with eco shelter how many birds, what available and problem
20,000 - 30,000 chickens per shed - high density
perches and nesting boxes
Faecal load on the pasture is toxic - pasture will not grow
- Very quickly land degradation - large nutrient loading
- Nutrient run off - environmental problems - pollution
Most animals will stick around 50m around shed and not move
Avian influenza in birds increase risk - possible zoonosis
also predation
Free range system with mobile sheds characteristics and how much pay for eggs
Small scale system Low technology so high cost - Pay $12 per dozen Depending on time of year can also become dirt zoonoses and predation problem
Barn egg production system characteristics
- nesting boxes with slant to collect eggs
- restrained within the shed - manage nutrient loading and temperature, better bio-security
- automatic feeders and water
- question of density
Aviary system characteristics
- Limited use commercially in Australia
- European housing system
- High rise barn system combined with free range?
- Large farm of 120,000 birds plus free range
what are the disadvantages of barn system compared with cage
- social competition is increased
- reduced production in comparison to cages
- floor eggs.
- increased mortality compared to cages
what are the 3 main problems with underweight flocks and under weight birds
- Lower egg production
- High incidence of blood stained eggs (cloacal haemorrhage by predispose for cannibalism
- Higher mortality
What are some influences that lead to cannibalism in fowl
- Innate biology
- Learnt behaviour in young chicks associated with feather picking
- High temperature
- High humidity
- High light intensity ˃ 30 Lux
- Sudden increases in light intensity
- Pica or nutrient deficiencies
- Haemorrhage and tissue trauma
What are 4 management control of cannibalism
1) Improved control of feather picking in young pullets (3-6 weeks of age) highly correlated with life time control of cannibalism
2) Low light intensity used as management tool
3) Sudden changes in light intensity or high light intensity triggers feather picking and cannibalism
4) Beak trimming also used to control cannibalism
what are the two main ways to beak trim and impact of this
1) Hot blade beak trimmer - Inconsistency of break trimming (5-10days)
2) Infrared day old trim - Most common
- Mechanical inhibition
- Influencing behaviour
- Reversion to cannibalism following beak trimming can occur in predisposed flocks in 6- 8 weeks!!!
- Study evolution of picking behaviour
what is the hormone use in meat and egg chickens
- No hormone used since 1960
- Oestradiol compound used called Hexon
- Capsule injected in the neck of male laying cockerels
Never applied to modern Meat Chickens
what are the 4 main broiler industries
1) Ingham’s - 23%
2) Bartter/steggles and la lonica - 31%
3) Baiada poultry - 33%
4) Hazeldene’s - 13%
How much does the average broiler way and how many eggs in 12 months
About 4Kg
180 eggs in 12 months
What is the trend with Australian consumption of chicken meat and why
- per capita consumption of poultry meat growing rapidly
○ risen from 4.4kg in 1950-‘51 to over 40 kg in 2013 - price competitiveness has been the major factor
- perception that poultry is a healthy, low fat food which is easy to prepare
- increased emphasis on convenience foods
How many days of incubation for fertile eggs and the ideal temperature and humidity
- 21 days incubation
- Placed in cool room with sensor monitoring - ideal 12-15degrees celcius, 75% humidity
what occurs in chick counting and assessment
- Automatic course spray vaccination
- Dead in shell breakout and microbial monitoring
- Fertile egg candling - lamp that allows you to see inside of the egg to the embryo
growth cycle of broiler chickens: how long grown, how many batches per year, how many chickens per batch and how many chickens processed per week in Victoria
- 5-8 weeks (35-49 days)
- annually about 5.5 batches
- each batch 100,000 chickens
- Victoria processes about 2 million birds/week
how are broiler chickens killed
Electrical Stunning
- Defined Current and Duration
- Some gaseous stunning using Carbon Dioxide
what are the main mortality reasons in broiler chickens and what age do they arise
1) yolk sac bacterial infection - 1-5 days
2) acute death syndrome
3) ascites/water belly 14-35 days
4) respiratory disease and bacterial septicaemia - 7-14 days
5) ventricular enlargement - 5-14 days
Generally all occur with bad management and nutrition
what are some causes of recumbency in 4 week old chickens
- Feed - nutrition
- Toxicity in the food or water
- Infectious diseases
- Injuries - broken legs
- Other diseases
- Genetic development
what is a breast blister, what species found and cause
- Burnt tissue - penetrates into the muscle tissue - economically bad as abattoir doesn’t want to process this meat - broiler chickens
Cause - Increase ammonia - can be severe on the breast while laying down
- Other volatile molecules
- Very wet litter - fermentation of litter -
Can be due to being uncomfortable on their feet so laying down on the litter more often
what is ideal litter moisture and cause of wet
25-30% litter moisture is ideal (rice holds and the faeces)
- Can get wet due to enteric disease - large amount of diarrhoea
○ Coccidia infections result in direct damage to the gut and will result in wet droppings
- Can be influenced by stocking density - if have drier good quality litter then can have higher stocking density - higher animal welfare - high lesions lower density needed
○ Due to airflow needed to evaporate the moisture
Bone growth plate enlargement what main name, what are possible causes
rickets
- vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus deficiency or too much
○ faster growth rates the more severe the problem also influenced by genotype of the bird so different strains may have different prevalence
horses what type of breeders, gestation length, what do you want
- seasonal long-day breeders
- gestation length is 11 months, 320-365 days
- really want one foal per year
what are 3 things that represent readiness for birth
- Pelvic ligaments relaxed
- Full udder; waxing (first drops of milk)
- Milk Ca increases 24 to 48hours pre-partum (cervix allows more than 2 fingers)
what occurs with stage 1 in horses foaling and how long does it last
Uncomfortable, walk around a lot, agitated, sweating, same signs as colic (is basically a colic)
May last a few hours
- Older mares short duration
4 hours usually up to 12 hours - longer if stressed
what occurs with stage 2 in horse foaling and how long does it last, what can go wrong
Cervix dilates and amnion - white, ruptures itself before birth of the foal or during birth, normal to see
Red bag chorioallantois - needs to rupture itself, should not see - emergency - if see need to rupture as foal will suffocate
Explosive birth - Very short duration
what occuring with stage 3 in horse foaling and how long does it last
Foetal membranes usually delivered with 30-90 mins after end of stage II
- Retained when FM not released by 4 hour post-partum
If not released have to remove as can release toxins which can prove to be fatal
what are some radio-graphic and behavioral signs that a mare is ready to be bred
- Ovulatory follicle: usually +/- 5mm of same size each cycle; can be large individual differences between mares, need to be >30mm
- Increasing oedema
- Cervix relaxes in oestrus open until ovulation then it closes
- Sings of behavioural oestrus
○ Teaser stallion interest
○ Squealing, vulval, ‘winking - clitoris extends from vulvar
○ Urinating regularly
what are the limitations of natural breeding in the horse industry
- Stallion can only breed limited number of mares
- Mare and stallion have to be in same location - movement restrictions make this difficult like the equine influenza outbreak
- Risk of disease and injuries
- Difficult to assess semen quality (dismount sample) - unlike artificial insemination
what are the 4 pregnancy diagnosis techniques and at what days
1) Ultrasound - from as early as D 10 ( D 14 routine) - important to determine whether have twins
2) Rectal palpation - from D 18 (too late for twins)
3) Oestrone sulphate - from D 44 (peak 80)
4) eCG - from D 40 to 120 (false positive if fetal loss)
routine pregnancy exam when occur and why
D 14 post ovulation (before D 16)
D 25-28 post ovulation (viability) - as can hear the heartbeat
D 40 often time when stud fee is due
D 60-70 fetal sexing - after about 2 months
when is the best time to crush a twin, which one and why do you need to
Mobility phase - within 16 days
- If twins detected -> crush one manually before fixation
- Does not matter which one if same size
- need to due to surface area needed for foal to gain nutrition that is effectively with twins
what occurs after fixation (unilateral) when crushing a twin and options on doing this
After fixation (unilateral)
- 83% should reduce to singleton pregnancy with crushing
- Re-examine days 33-34
Options
- PGF2alpha - early is season better
- Transvaginal - us guided needle aspiration
○ 50% success that one goes to term
- Manual crushing - not very successful after fixation - can destroy both
what occurs after fixation (bilateral) when crushing a twin
- Spontaneous reduction extremely unlikely
- Crush immediately
- Might still lose both
- Keep teasing mare
after D 40 what occurs in terms of crushing a twin
- Season is lost -
- Owners decision - inform about risk (dystocia, premature foals, non-viable/-athletic foals)
- If owner wants to take on risk
○ Twin termination can be done later
○ Modified wait and see approach
clitoral swab when done what does it indicate and problems
- not done in standard breeds
- Testing for contagious equine metritis
- Confirmed, recurrent cases of pseudomonas (uterine and clitoral sinus swabs)
Many opportunistic pathogens like strephs and commensals are present, therefore NO routine clitoral swabbing
testicles how suspended and what do you measure
- Testes are suspended in a horizontal plane
- Measured using scrotal calipers across their width (average 80-100mm) and length (80-140mm)
1) sperm output
2) total scrotal width
foal management what treatments give and when
- Worming coprophagic - early as 1-2 months (6-8 weeks)
- Vaccination around 3 months of age when maternal antibodies waning - tetanus, strangles common
- Hendra virus vaccine - foals from 4 moths 2 doses 21-42 days apart
What are the 3 structures of racing and examples of companies and how much does it contribute to the Australian economy
1) International federation of horseracing authorities (IFHA)
2) National bodies - racing Australia (RA)
3) Principle racing authorities (PRAs) - racing Victoria (RV)
$1.5 billion
What is the role of principle racing authorities and the 3 main groups within
- Control and supervise TB racing in its state or territory
- Registering and supervising race clubs
- Licencing trainers, jockeys, bookmarks, industry participants
1. Major racing associations - county racing Victoria
2. Major race clubs - VRC, MRC, MVRC
3. Industry bodies and associations - Thoroughbred breeders Australia
- Australian trainers/jockey association
What are the 5 major departments in the Racing Victoria company
1) Integrity services
- Horse welfare and veterinary services
- Stewards
- Compliance assurance team
2) Strategy and development
3) Corporate services
4) Racing
5) Infrastructure and club support
What are the responsibilities for veterinarians, trainers and stewards
- For racing safety and welfare for racehorse, horse participating in a race must be fit, healthy and properly conditioned to race
- Trainer responsible to present horse in suitable condition to race
- Stewards may order an inspection of any horse they believe may be presented to a race in an unsuitable condition
what are 5 conditions that stop a horse from racing
1) Blindness - block to a point to which cannot see enough to race
2) Limb desensitisation - cannot nerve block before race
3) Tracheostomy - difficulty of breathing
4) Pregnant beyond 120 days
5) Firing - provide irritant to leg to help injury
what is the timeframe for which horse cannot race for the following: stomach-tube, injection, vaccination, race day treatment
1 day
1 day
5 days - hendra virus
prohibited
what is a bleeder and what is the reporting in horse industry
- Exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage
If have blood from one or both nostrils then considered a bleeders
1st episode - 3 months race, cannot train for 2 months - take 3-4 months training to get to race
2nd episode - ineligible to race for rest of their life
atrial fibrillation what occurs and reporting
- Sudden death in racehorses often attributed to heart failure, ventricular fibrillation being a likely cause
- AF may be present without cardiac pathology and may be transient
- Cause of the condition are not clearly understood
- Potential risk and consequences are very signification
One episode need ECG
Second episode exercising and ECG and echo
3rd episode - barred for life
what are the 6 highly regulated and reported in horse racing
1) biosecruity and infectious disease
2) farriery and shoes
3) use of whip - [padded, cannot on consecutive strides
4) use of spurs
5) cruelty
6) medication and doping - screening, mandatory disqualification
what are the 2 levels of breaking the rules in the racing industry
1) Stewards inquiry
2) Racing appeals and disciplinary (RAD) board - major breech
○ Interdependent board
What are the 4 types of races and describe
1) Handicap race - benchmark 70 race - any horse rated 70 heavies weight and everything under that get smaller allocation of weight
○ There is a minimum and maximum weight
○ Try to give horses equal chance of winning
2) Maiden race - horse that has not won a race
3) Weigh for age
- Set weights race in which weights are given to horse based solely on age and sex
4) Groups and listed
- Describes the highest quality races
Group 1 - highest level
Group 2 then Group 3 then listed (black type)
what are the 4 race distances and their names also what track rating due you want
1) Sprints - 1400m or less
2) Mile - 1600m
3) Middle distance - 1800 to 2400m
4) Staying - more than 2400m
track rating - - Scale for 1 - 10 - Don’t want 1-2, 3-4 ideal and 3-6 alright
when need to freeze brand new foal and registration needs
- Freeze brand foal by 31st March To register need - Service declaration (stallion owner) - Mare return Foal identification card - DNA sample for parentage - Visible brand - Microchip - Performed by a registered vet
where is the identification through branding on thoroughbred horses in what states
Left shoulder - breeders brand
Right shoulder - sequence number of year
- All states except to Queensland and ACT
○ Everything on the left hand side - breeders brand at top over sequence number over year
two year old racing what are the regulations
- No 2YO races before 1st October
- Not any further than 1600m, generally no further than 1400m before March
- Only 13% start at this age
- Generally have much longer racing careers - adapting bones, tendons and ligaments at this age
- Start of season - no more than 20 races in first season
what occurs on race day for the horses
- Horses arrive on course 1-3 hours before the nominated race time
- Identified, papers and microchip
- +/- pre-race sampling
- +/- pre-race veterinary inspection
- Saddles
- Enter parade ring/mounting yard
- To the barriers and inspection of barriers
Race - Inspection on return to mounting yard
- +/- post race veterinary inspection
- +/- post race sampling
retirement with Thoroughbred’s
The retirement rule - requires owners to notify authorities the reason why their horse has been retired and its whereabouts post-racing
- More than 90% of horses leaving the racing industry are re-homed directly to equestrian, pleasure or breeding industries
Off the track thoroughbred
- An initiative that involves different equine sports and events providing incentives for people who have a retired thoroughbred such as first class prices for second place
