Unit 7 - Breeding Management

Question 1

What are the key activities?

Answer 1

1) deployment of sire power: AI or natural service
2) management and health of natural-service sites (cow to bull ratio, service pairings, daily breeding checks)
3) Processing of the calf crop
(Identification, vaccination, castration, and dehorning)
4) Natural-resources management: soil, forage, and water

Question 2

Major functions of this period

Answer 2

1) support health and reproductive capabilities of bulls, heifers, and cows.
2) preserve and improve natural resources
3) prepare calves to enter marketing channels

Question 3

What month is the onset of the breeding season for spring calving herds?

Answer 3

June-July

Question 4

What month is the onset of the breeding season for fall calving herds?

Answer 4

December-January

Question 5

What does the use of AI + natural-service breeding represent to most beef producers?

Answer 5

The best balance of rapid genetic improvement and competitive overall pregnancy rate.

Question 6

How many beef producers, nationally, use AI?

Answer 6

Less than 10%
(Labor and time constraints = 40%
Degree of difficulty or complication = 20%
Unsuitable facilities = 7%)

Question 7

What is the relevance of a regional and scale difference in AI use?

Answer 7

1) defined calving season
2) product confidence
3) profit motive

Question 8

Besides financial benefits, what other benefits does AI bring?

Answer 8

1) AI progeny are likely to be born earlier
2) and genetically more capable of growth performance than natural-service progeny

Question 9

What is breeding capacity?

Answer 9

The time honored rule of thumb that bulls can breed a number of females equal their age in months up to 40.

Age of Bull vs. cow capacity
12 months = 10-15
18 months = 15-20
24 months = 20-30
36 months = 25-35
48-72 months = 30-40

Question 10

What can underestimating breeding capacity lead to?

Answer 10

Service overlap which increases risk of injury

Question 11

Who can you seek advice from when it comes to breeding capacity?

Answer 11

Seedstock supplier, extension agent, or veterinarian

Question 12

How many cows are bred when comparing oldest bulls vs. youngest bulls

Answer 12

Oldest bulls breed 60% and youngest bulls breed 15%

Question 13

What 3 things are closely related to the number of service opportunities?

Answer 13

1) Age
2) Size
3) social ranking

Question 14

Should bulls of different ages and size be paired in a breeding pasture?

Answer 14

No. Bulls of similar age and size should be paired.

Question 15

What prevents younger bulls from serving to their capacity?

Answer 15

Older larger socially dominant bulls

Question 16

What should be included as part of daily breeding checks for bulls?

Answer 16

1) libido
2) health
3) actively seeking and breeding females
3) injuries such as conjunctivitis, penis fracture, or dermatitis/foot rot

Question 17

What are 3 purposes of calf processing and who provides these?

Answer 17

1) preparing calves to enter market channels
2) vaccination and health maintenance
3) record keeping and permanent ID
-the ANIMAL WELFARE HUMAN HEALTH SECURITY

Question 18

When does calf marketing begin?

Answer 18

During breeding season

Question 19

How is product quality developed in calf marketing?

Answer 19

By eliminating calf characteristics that subsequent segments in the beef production chain find undesirable such as:
Horns: used as weapons against humans and peers
Testicles: result in reduced meat quality and in undesirable behavior

Question 20

When is the least traumatic time to remove horns and testicles?

Answer 20

Less than 60 days of age.
The horn bud is free floating and not attached to the skull and blood supply will be limited.

Question 21

What are 3 dehorning methods?

Answer 21

1) caustic paste
2) hot iron
3) surgical

Question 22

Describe caustic paste procedure

Answer 22

Hair is clipped and corrosive paste is smeared on and around the horn bud, where it is active for a number of hours. May need to reapply. Scarring can be extensive.

Question 23

Describe the electric dehorning method

Answer 23

The hot iron is applied around the base of the horn bud for 10 seconds until a brown, circular ring appears

Question 24

Describe surgical dehorning

Answer 24

This is the standard method. The dehorning shear is clamped around the base of the horn bud, excising it from the skull (1-2 seconds); bleeding may be controlled with a coagulating agent.

Question 25

What are the benefits of castration?

Answer 25

1) reduce aggressiveness and improved manageability
2) improved health and growth performance relative to later castration (especially with addition of growth promoting implant)
3) decrease in dark cutting beef
4) improved USDA quality grade and tenderness
5) greater live- or carcass-market price

Question 26

What cause the unacceptable dark coloring in meat?

Answer 26

Excitability can result in depletion of muscle glycogen immediately prior to harvest resulting in a dark meat color.

Question 27

What are 3 castration methods?

Answer 27

1) Banding
2) Emasculation
3) Surgical

Question 28

Describe the banding method

Answer 28

An elastic band is placed above the testicles, sealing off the blood supply and spermatic cords (0.5-1 min.); tetanus vaccine should be administered concurrently

Question 29

Describe the emasculation method

Answer 29

An emasculation is clamped on the spermatic cord in 2 staggered locations on each testicle (10 sec / location); do not crimp the center of the scrotum or excessive swelling and sloughing can result

Question 30

Describe the surgical castration method

Answer 30

The bottom third of the scrotum is removed with a knife. Each testicle is freed from connective tissue, exposing the blood vessel and spermatic cord, testes are removed by blunt dissection (0.5- 1 min)

Question 31

Which vaccine should calves first receive?

Answer 31

Vaccine against clostridial diseases early in the suckling phase of life. 7 or 8 way vaccine provides protection against a host of clostridial diseases include black leg and tetanus

Question 32

What should you do if calfhood pneumonia is a problem?

Answer 32

Immunize them against IBR, PI3, BVD-type 1, BVD-type 2, and BRSV

Question 33

What can respiratory diseases lead to when calf has them early in life?

Answer 33

It can damage growth performance and carcass merit later in life

Question 34

When should you think about giving a growth promoting implant and why?

Answer 34

Giving them to steers during vaccination period. Will increase weaning weight by 25 lbs and is inexpensive

Question 35

When do routine health challenges occur in bulls?

Answer 35

Mostly during summer months for spring breeding.

Question 36

What conditions can lead to pink eye?

Answer 36

Eye irritant, corneal lesion, vector like a fly, and a pathogen

Question 37

What conditions can lead to foot rot

Answer 37

Wet conditions, softened hoof, and a pathogen

Question 38

Definition of etiology

Answer 38

The cause, or set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition

Question 39

Orderly record keeping is essential to good management and is the only way to identify what?

Answer 39

1) operation strengths
2) and weakness

Question 40

Within record keeping, what is a Cow ID tied to?

Answer 40

1) age
2) body weight
3) body condition
4) udder quality
5) reproductive status
6) annual calving date
7) health history

Question 41

Within record keeping, what is Calf ID tied to?

Answer 41

1) birth date
2) body weight
3) health history

Question 42

Cow/calf ID are usually in what forms?

Answer 42

1) visual
2) radio-frequency format

Question 43

Most visual and radio frequency ID technology are prone to what?

Answer 43

1) breakage
2) loss or failure with regular replacement

Question 44

Why are some forms of permanent ID desirable?1

Answer 44

1) protect the integrity of herd records
2) protect property against theft

Question 45

What supplies are needed to “freeze brand”?

Answer 45

• copper or bronze alloy irons
  -dry ice
  -denatured alcohol (95%) pure
  -cooler or ice chest
  -hair clippers and stiff bristle brush
  -plastic squeeze bottle

Question 46

Explain the method to Freeze Branding?

Answer 46

1) cool irons for a minimum of 20 minutes
2) restrain the animal. Clip the hair from the branding site and saturate the branding area with a denatured alcohol
3) apply the iron, press firmly, while rocking the iron gently top to bottom and side to side
4) contact time depends on animal age and hide thickness
8-18 months = 30-40 sec
Over 18 months = 45-50 sec
Mature or thick hides (Hereford) = 50-60 sec

Question 47

For the purpose of ownership ID, what branding method is an issue with animal welfare and BQA? And why is it an issue?

Answer 47

Hot Branding. It’s painful and destructive when applied. Damages the value of the hide for leather production

Question 48

If you choose to hot brand, where should you place it?

Answer 48

Shoulder, hip, rib, high hip ( preferred).

Question 49

Describe the hot branding technique.

Answer 49

-symbols should be simple, open characters at least 4 inches tall
-iron should be heated until it’s the color of ashes/gray (black is too cool, glowing red is too hot)
- apply the iron to the hide for 3-5 sec, while gently rocking it top to bottom and side to side, don’t attempt to brand animals with heavy hair coats or wet hides

Question 50

During breeding season ranch work is relatively light, allowing direct attention to what other tasks?

Answer 50

-maintaining and improving forage quality, soil health, water quality, ranch infrastructure.
Examples: noxious weed control, erosion control, fence repair, water development, rainfall monitoring, forage productivity and quality

Question 51

What should be recorded during drought monitoring ?

Answer 51

-monthly rainfall totals
-seasonal forage availability on pastures
-should have a written drought management plan on hand