Quiz 1 Animal Management Flashcards
What are ruminants?
Herbivores with a four-chambered stomach that can digest fibrous plant materials
What is a monogastric?
Animals with a single-chambered stomach typically requiring grain based diets
How much of grain product is fed to animals and how many people could this feed?
1/3-1/2 which could feed 3.5 billion people
What is blue water?
Water in rivers and lakes and groundwater
What is green water?
Water found in plants, the soil and rain
What is more efficient meat or milk?
Milk
What also impacts the efficiency of animals?
Maturity
What are legumes beneficial for?
They counteract depletion of nutrients in soil
What are the four key contributions of livestock production to society?
Food supply, economic value, cultural significance, and ecosystem services.
How do intensive livestock production systems differ from extensive systems?
Intensive systems have high inputs/outputs and are often controlled, while extensive systems use larger areas with lower inputs and rely on natural environments.
What is a mixed livestock production system?
A system that integrates both crops and livestock, where animals contribute to soil fertility, and crops provide feed.
How do different livestock species utilise feed resources?
Ruminants (e.g., cattle, sheep) digest fibrous material like grass, while non-ruminants (e.g., pigs, poultry) require grains.
What are the major resource requirements in livestock production?
Feed, water, and land usage.
Why is waste management important in intensive livestock systems?
To prevent pollution from large amounts of waste and to use manure as fertiliser responsibly.
How can livestock production impact greenhouse gas emissions?
Ruminants produce methane, but feed efficiency improvements and breeding for lower-emission animals help mitigate this.
What are three environmental management practices in livestock production?
Rotational grazing, waste management, and water conservation.
What are dual-purpose livestock production systems?
Systems designed to produce more than one product, such as dairy cows that also provide meat.
What are controlled environments in intensive livestock production?
Systems with regulated temperature, humidity, and light to optimise production, often with automatic feeding and waste management.
What are the infrastructure demands of intensive livestock systems?
Buildings, ventilation, sanitation, feed storage, and biosecurity measures
What are some animal welfare concerns in intensive livestock production systems?
Overcrowding and lack of stimulation, which can lead to stress, despite high production efficiency.
What characterises extensive livestock production systems?
Use of natural pastures, forests, or rangelands, with fewer inputs and more resilience to environmental changes.
What are the potential environmental impacts of extensive livestock production systems?
Overgrazing can cause soil erosion and loss of vegetation, but well-managed systems promote soil health and biodiversity.
Why are husbandry procedures like castration important in the Australian beef cattle industry?
Castration helps prevent indiscriminate breeding, improves management and handling, and reduces aggression. However, it is painful, and different methods cause different types of tissue damage.
What are the purposes of ear tagging and ear notching in beef cattle and what do they involve?
They are used for identification purposes. Ear tagging involves colour-coded tags based on the year of birth, while ear notching involves a unique cut-out pattern in the ear.
What is the difference between disbudding and dehorning in beef cattle?
Disbudding is performed at a young age before the horn tissue attaches to the skull, while dehorning happens after the horn attaches, causing open wounds and significant pain.
What is the purpose of branding in the beef cattle industry, and what are the associated welfare concerns?
Branding is used for identification purposes, but it is known to be extremely painful for the animals.
What is the most significant cost for cattle production related to health management in Australia?
Cattle tick infestations are the most significant cost for cattle production.
How can clostridial diseases, like tetanus, be prevented in beef cattle?
Vaccinating annually is the most effective way to prevent clostridial diseases.
What are the symptoms, location, and treatments for cattle ticks?
Symptoms include anemia due to blood consumption, they are common in Eastern and Northern Queensland and NT, and treatments include chemical treatments, paddock spelling, and genetic selection.
How does the buffalo fly affect cattle, and how can it be managed?
Buffalo flies feed on blood, causing intense irritation. Management includes using traps, dung beetles, and minimising chemical treatments to prevent resistance.
What are the symptoms, locations, and management methods for BVDV (Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus) in cattle?
Symptoms include conception failure, abortion, and calf mortality. It is found wide spread in Australia, and management involves culling carriers and vaccinating.
What is dystocia and how is it managed in beef cattle?
Dystocia is calving difficulties and is managed by mating well-grown heifers with low birthweight bulls to reduce the risk of large foetuses.
What causes neonatal calf mortality, and how can it be mitigated?
Causes include insufficient milk production, especially in Northern Australia. It can be mitigated through proper nutrition and environmental management.
What are the symptoms and treatment methods for internal parasites like worms in beef cattle?
Symptoms include anaemia in cattle up to 2 years of age. Worms are more common in southern cattle, and treatment includes drenching and managing weaning at 6-8 months.
How is bloat in beef cattle caused and treated?
Bloat is caused by excessive gas accumulation in the rumen, often from lush legumes or grain diets. Treatment includes managing at-risk pastures and using a stomach tube or rumen incision.
What is bovine ephemeral fever, and how is it treated?
Bovine ephemeral fever is spread by biting insects, causing fever and lameness, particularly in northern Australia. Treatment involves drugs to reduce the fever.
What are the key components of pasture management in beef production?
Pasture management includes soil and water management and the use of fertilisers.
What is TMR management in feedlot systems?
Total mixed ration management involves selecting appropriate feed mixtures for cattle in feedlots.
What is a calf?
A young cow, either male or female under one year of age
What is a weaner?
A calf that has been weaned from its mother’s milk, usually between 6-8 months of age in cattle and earlier in dairy
What is a heifer?
A young female cow which has not yet had a calf
What is a cow?
A mature female bovine that has given birth to at least one calf
What is a steer?
A castrated male cow
What is a bull?
An intact male cow
What is a vealer?
A young cow that is generally under 8-12 months raised specifically for meat
What is a cull cow?
A cow that is removed from the breeding herd
What is the importance of the 5-in-1 vaccine for beef cattle?
Protects against clostridial diseases such as blackleg, pulpy kidney, tetanus, black disease, and malignant oedema.
What is the general procedure for weaning in cattle?
Minimum 100 days and maximum 6 months