Underperformance Flashcards

1
Q

What are the targets with regards to serving heifers?

A

Calving at 24m
Service at 15m
Weight 375kg
Height 132kg

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2
Q

What is the calving score?

A
0- no hand touches calf
1- hand touches but no rope
2- rope used, gentle pull
3- rope used, hard pull
4- C/S
Aim: <15% heifer
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3
Q

What is the live birth rate? Target?

A

% calves born alive and survive for 24hours

Aim: cow 97%, heifer 92%

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4
Q

How much colostrum should the newborn calf consume within 1st 12hr?

A

6L in first 12 hr. 6 pints in first 6hr. Absorption better when suckled from dam or consumed in dams presence.

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5
Q

If human intervention requirement what are the important factors of colostrum management in newborn calves?

A

2L within 1hr, 2L within 6hr, 2L within next 6hr. Collect from 1st and 2nd milkings, stainless steel bottle, check quality with colostrometer. Refrigerate 4’C for 24hr, freeze immediately, thaw in warm water

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6
Q

How can you monitor colostral intakes?

A

Blood sample healthy calves 2-7d. Take cltted red top tube for serum. Use refractometer or send to lab for TP or more reliably ZST (excl globulins)
TP- 55g/l or 5.5g/dl

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7
Q

Why could the TP of a sick calf be unreable indicator of colostrum intake?

A

E.g. if losing protein

Or if dehydrated- falsely increased

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8
Q

What is CMR and how much is required?

A

Calf milk replacer
125g/l. 2L bid
125 x 2 x 2= 0.5kg/d
Cold weather require more e.g. 2.5L/d

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9
Q

What is best practice with regards to concentrate feeding in calves?

A

Maximise calf concentrate intake by time of weaning. Must not be starved into eating concentrates. Keep it fresh, at least bid, clean out bucket and don’t let it accumulate. Guideline 1kg/d at weaning

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10
Q

What are the targets and interference levels for fertility indexes in cows?

A

Calving index- 365 (T), >380d (I)
Earliest service date- 50d (T), 75d (I)
Calving- 1st service interval- 65d (T), >75d (I)
Calving-conception interval- 85d (T), >95d (I)
Conception rate: first service- 60 (T), <50% (I)

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11
Q

What are the in calf/ not in calf rates and their targets?

A

120d in calf- % of cows pregnant at 120d post calving, >64%

210d not in calf rate- % cows not pregnant 210d post calving, <7%

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12
Q

What factors need to be considered with regards to milk? What conditions could be causing deficiencies?

A

Low MY
Fat- acidosis- SARA
Protein- long term energy deficiency- may be suitable ration but not suitable management e.g. trough space, palatability, silage face management, heating

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13
Q

How is reproductive performance measured in pigs?

A

Pigs/sow/yr- 24-26

Incl litter size (~14), no of litters (2.3), pre weaning mortaility (5-8%)

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14
Q

What is the killing out percentage in pigs?

A

Weight of the carcase in relation to the live weight immediately prior to slaughter.

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15
Q

What is the killing out weight for pigs in UK?

A

90kg- therefore boar taint not usually an issue as havent reached puberty. Therefore don’t have to castrate

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16
Q

What is the avg days to slaughter in UK pig production and what factors are involved?

A

~6m. Food conversion vs cost of feed (55% of production costs). Overhead costs. Faster doesn’t necc mean cheaper. Growth of pigs follows sigmoid curve- lag phase, exponential phase, stationary phase. Kill out just before stationary phase

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17
Q

What is phase feeding in the pig industry?

A

Matching requirements to stage of growth. Should support lean growth potential at least cost- amount of protein relative to energy should be reduced w/ incr liveweight (expensive and excess just excreted in urine as get older)

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18
Q

How does the amount of protein fed impact pigs?

A

Under-supply- fail to exploit lean growth potential

Over-supply- reduce growth and incr Nitrogen excretion

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19
Q

What is the feed conversion efficiency in pig industry?

A

Weight of food that goes into pig for every kg produced. Impact on carbon footprint and greenhouse gases

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20
Q

What are the mortality targets in the pig industry?

A

Pre weaning mortality- 5-8% (10% interference)
Post-weaning mortality- 3-5%, before PCV-2 was about 2%
Adult mortality- 1% (doesn’t incl culls)

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21
Q

How is carcase quality of pigs graded?

A

Depth of back fat at abbatoir

Lean meat %. P1 and P3% and calf avg or P2%.

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22
Q

How does parity affect litter size?

A

Lower parity don’t produce as many pigs/litter

Culling rate- would hope about 40%

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23
Q

How do you measure underperformance in the UK pig industry?

A

Feed/ weight
Output- weight and days to slaughter
Abattoir payments
Herd monitoring/ recording programme

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24
Q

How is productivity measured?

A

Total value of outputs per unit time/ total value of inputs per unit time

25
Q

What is the region of rational production?

A

Defined by relationship between input and output. Region is before an incr in input results in a decrease in output

26
Q

What is the technical vs economic optimum and how are they related?

A

Technical optimum- max amount of production
Economic optimum- maximum profit
The lower the unit price of an input relative to an output the closer the technical and economic optimums are.

27
Q

Which diseases of pigs are identified in the lungs at the abattoir?

A

Enzootic pneumonia
Pleuropneumonia like
Viral type distribution

28
Q

Which diseases of pigs are identified in the liver at the abattoir?

A

Milk spot

Hepatic scarring

29
Q

Which diseases are identified in the cavities at the abattoir?

A

Pericarditis
Peritonitis
Pleurisy

30
Q

What is the impact of disease on pig production?

A

Financial- tx, vaccine, vet, mortalities

Reduced FCE, suboptimal growth, 2ry infection

31
Q

Which diseases should be considered in the neonate, weaner, grower in pig production?

A

Neonate - E Coli, cocci, PRRS, PED
Weaner- resp eg APP, EP
Finisher- late onset PCV-2

32
Q

What is the presentation of PRRS?

A

Multiple ages affected: abortions, incr pre weaning mortality, resp dz in growers. Circulating in UK but not high pathogenic strain

33
Q

What is the impact of PRRS on pig production?

A

Decr p/s/y- litter size, no litters, pwm

Immunosuppressive, reduced markets to sell, boar stud shut down

34
Q

What is PED?

A

Porcine epidemic d+- coronavirus (no cross protection from resp coronavirus). 100% mortality in neonates. Scour in other age w/ varying severity. Not in UK yet. Voluntary ban on import of live animals/ feed/ semen e.g. from US

35
Q

What is mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae?

A

Consolidation of Cr lung lobes- mild cough. Endemic, often just accepted. But great economic impact- many lesions at slaughter,impact on trade. Weaned pigs, decr FCE, 2ry infection incr mortality.

36
Q

How does PCV-2 impact on pig production?

A

Highly immunosuppressive. Vaccine doesn’t create sterile immunity. Hides in BM so can escape normal immune mechanisms. Late onset- whole load just before slaughter dropping down dead. Much more impact than a dz at neonatal stage.

37
Q

How does disease in adults impact the pig industry?

A

Boars- lack of sale of semen, closure of boar studs

Sows- repro failure, death, spread of dz

38
Q

What is the basic structure of the meat bird system?

A

Breeding birds- egg> hatchery> day old chick> broiler fattening- young (0-20d), grower (21-30), finisher (31-45)

39
Q

What is the basic structure of the table egg bird system?

A

Breeding birds- eggs> hatchery> day old chick> rearing (0-20wk), pullet to layer system, laying hen (21-55wk)> table egg

40
Q

What is the process of egg pruction by bird repro tract?

A

Produced in ovary. As travel down oviduct egg white (albumen) added, then shell membranes added, then shell added, then bloom added, then laid through vent

41
Q

What are signs of underperformance in the egg producing poultry industry?

A

Reduction of egg nos/ size compared to breed standard, incr sub standard eggs, higher than normal hen mortality, reductions in profit

42
Q

What factors influence poor egg production?

A

Poor rearing, poor environment/ management, poor nutrition, dz

43
Q

How do you assess production in rearing birds (0-16wks)?

A
Daily feed and water intake
Daily mortality/ culls
Weekly bird weights- skeletal development in first 6 wks, gut in wks 9-12
Even flock
Variation from breed standard
44
Q

What hx should you gain when assessing poor production in rearing poultry?

A
Chick factors- breeder flock, vaccines
Day old management
Temp/ humidity
Feed/ water quality/ quantity
Mortality/ cull figures
Biosecurity risks
45
Q

What clinical signs should you observe when assessing poor production in rearing poultry?

A
Shed environment, temp, humidity
Chick appearance- hunched, quiet, lively
Bunching/ huddling, spread out
Morbidity
Feeding/ drinking habits
Litter quality, faeces
46
Q

What diagnostic sampling techniques can be used when assessing poultry performance?

A

PME- select poor moribund birds. Sample for histopathology
Parasitology- coccidiosis
Bacteriology- yolk sac infection
Serology- viral infections

47
Q

What factors indicate poor performance in layer hens?

A

Reduced egg nos and size
Incr nos of rejections/ 2nds
Incr mortality

48
Q

What hx should be taken to investigate poor performance in layers?

A

Production %, egg quality, no and types of 2nds, total mortality in last 7d
Ages on site, vaccination, bodyweights, lighting/ ventilation, power/ nest box failures
Feed source, changes. Water provided and consumed
Other avian sp on farm, free range, fly rodent mite control, predators and other stressors
Tx, products used

49
Q

What clinical signs should you look at when assessing underperformance in layers?

A

Activity, noise, feathering, aggression, pale folded combs and wattles, sneezing, snickering, discharge, faeces
Air quality, ventilation, temp, lighter, feeder/ drinker access, perching, litter quality

50
Q

What are the egg indicators of poor performance in layers?

A

Misshaped- IB, stress (10-14h before lay)
Ca splash- in shell gland too long, stress at lay, pullets
Rough shelled- 2 eggs in oviduct
Soft shelled- older flock, in tract too long, Ca supply, IB etc

51
Q

What are the common diseases in layer hens?

A

Viral- IB, ART
Bacterial- mycoplasma gallisepticum, m.synoviae, bracyspira, e.coli, p.multocida, e.rhusiopathae
Protozoal- blackhead, coccidiosis
Parasitic- internal (worms), external (red mite)

52
Q

How does mycoplasma gallisepticum?

A

Coughing. Nasal/ ocular discharges. Airsacculitis. Pericarditis. Poor productivity- egg drop. High mortality. Catarrhal inflamm.

53
Q

What are the common diseases in rearers?

A

IB
Infectious bursal disease
Coccidiosis
Mareks Dz

54
Q

What is infectious bronchitis?

A

Loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing, snickering, wet litter/ d+, 2ry infections. Oviduct damage, renal damage. Can lead to egg peritontis, Caused by coronavirus.

55
Q

What is infectious bursal dz?

A

Birds at 5 wks most severely infection (time of develpment of bursa of B lymphocytes). Causes immunosuppression. Spread by fomites and in faeces etc, highly contagious. Survives well in environment. High morbidity and mortality. Incubation period 2-3d, excretion by bird about 2wks.

56
Q

What are the 7 sp of coccidiosis which cause dz in chickens and what is their relative pathogenicity?

A
In broilers up to +/- 6 wks: Tenella- highly pathogenic
Acervulina- medium
Maxima- medium
Praecox- low
Mitis- low
Older chicken, 2 more:
Brunetti- high
Necatrix- high
57
Q

What is Mareks dz?

A

a-herpes virus. Affects chickens from around 6 weeks of age. CS normally around 12-24wks. Incubation varies from weeks to months. Several forms seen- visceral, cutaneous, neurological

58
Q

What are the common diseases in broilers?

A

Campylobacter!!