Calf Management - Faculty Website Listing
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Transcript Calf Management - Faculty Website Listing
Calf Management
Cow-Calf Management
Definition-
breeding of cows and raising of
calves.
commercial or purebred
stockers
facilities
shelter
fence
working
equip. and facilities
From Birth to the Bank
The
most important item in the beef cattle
industry is insuring that a cow weans a calf
& is able to rebreed in a reasonable time
Yet, first make sure the calf is born alive
keep the calf alive and healthy to weaning
provide favorable environment to manage
the calf at weaning to reduce stress
market the calf to its advantage
Keys to profitable production
of calves
Provide
adequate forage
common
causes of inadequate forage is
overgrazing and poor stocking rate
Care
at calving
Dystocia
Use
a maternity pasture
calving shed, clean pasture
provide assistance only when needed
Calf Management
1/2
the calf loss occurs at calving
most of the trouble is with heifers
size and weight is important, not age
breed to easy calving bulls
Immunization
Vac
45 program
Growth
Promotants- ralgro, synovex,
compudose, etc.
Feeding and Management of
Calves
Orphans
whole
Early
milk, replacer, or whole with a starter
Weaning
Creep Feeding
Replacement heifers
Calf Management
Management
Practices
Identification
Weaning
castration
vaccinations/
dehorning
implanting
immunization
Calf Management
creep-feeding
weaning
management / pre-conditioning backgrounding
Backgrounding - feeding and managing calves
for 45 + days after weaning in order to be more
healthy and bunk ready
Pre-conditioning- a way of preparing a calf to
withstand the stress and rigors of weaning
Calf Management
Pre-conditioning
use
minimum excitement
work early (dehorn)
wean 30 days early
creep
vaccinate
control parasites
health certification
Dehorning, Castration and
Identification
Dehorning
What is dehorning?
process of removing or preventing the growth of horns.
Why?
improve appearance
reduce injuries
increase feeder space
improve value.
Two methods
non-invasive
invasive
Restraint
Very
important
Remember safety
Restrain
head
Non-Invasive
Bloodless
Young
animals
Types
Chemical
Hot
iron
paste
Invasive
Blood
flow
Older animals
Involves cutting or scooping the horn off of
the animals skull.
Types
Barnes
dehorner
Scoop dehorner
Keystone
dehorner
Reasons for dehorning
Less
barn, shed or feeding space
less injuries
easier to handle
feedlots prefer dehorned cattle
sometimes bring more money
Disadvantages
sets
the animal back due to stress
cost and labor as well as equipment
death loss due to bleeding
disease spreading
scurrs may occur if not properly done
Time to dehorn
genetically
calves,
early as possible
older cattle, colder weather
Dehorning yearlings or older
clippers,
saw or surgical wire
Clippers
restrain
the animal
stand on the opposite side of the head from the
horn to be removed
spread the clippers open and place over the
horn with the bevel next to the head.
remove 1/4 “of the hide and tissue below the
base of the horn
Clippers
advantages
fast
neat
job
disadvantages
severe
bleeding
danger of cracking the skull
Saw
restrain
the animal
stand in front of the head and a little to one
side
saw into the skull removing 1/4” of hide
and hair
if anesthetic is used, use a 1”needle and
place in the hollow spot above the eye
Saw
Advantages
smooth
job
less bleeding than clippers
Disadvantages
much
slower
Surgical Wire
cut
the wire at arm span length
restrain the animal
place the wire at the base and back side of
the horn
start with short strokes until wire is imbeded
use long smooth stroke to remove the horn
Surgical Wire
advantages
smooth
job
less bleeding
less set back
disadvantages
cost
of the wire
slow
may need more than one piece of wire/animal
Control of Hemorrhage
perform
dehorning early in the morning
handle quietly as possible
use forceps or hemostats to pull out the
veins or use a hot iron to sear them
stuff cotton in the hole
use sterile equipment
never dehorn when cows are eating sweet
clover
Dehorning calves
polled
bulls
chemicals
bell irons
tube
spoon
barnes
elastrator
Chemicals
basic
substance such as KOH or NaOH
restrain the animal
remove hair around the button
scrape button so that it is raw
put ring of mineral oil around base of button
apply chemical on button in liquid, paste, or
stick form
Tube
different
sizes
Tube
restrain
the animal
place the tube over the horn
start at clockwise motion and push
get below the tissue and pry out
Spoon
restrain
the animal
cut skin with spoon with back and forth
motion and get below the tissue
gouge it out
much more slowly and causes more
bleeding
Hot Iron (Bell Iron)
restrain
the animal
place iron over horn and press with rotating
motion
when the entire circle around the button is
not brown in color, quit
button will fall off in a couple weeks
Barnes type
secure
the animal
place the barnes over the horn at the slope
of the head
press down and quickly spread the handles
adv. - fast, can dehorn larger calves
disadv. - more bleeding, danger of infection
and easier to make slips
Castration
Inactivation
of primary sex organs for the
male
the younger the better
methods:
surgical,
emasculator (burdizzo), elastrators,
ethiopian style
Castration
What
is castration?
process
of removing the testicles from a male.
Why?
prevent
mating or fighting,
improve carcass quality
gentle them
Two
Methods
Non-invasive
Invasive
Restraint
Calves
On
side
Older
In
bull calves
chute
Young
On
lambs and kids
back
Assistant’s arms
V-shaped table
Non-invasive
Bloodless
Tetanus antitoxin
Crimps or contracts the blood vessels and spermatic cord
resulting in loss of blood supply.
Young calves or weanlings
Types:
Burdizzo
Elastrator
Calicrate bander
Short-scrotumed
Chemical castration
Burdizzo
Elastrator
Calicrate
smart bander
Invasive
Blood
flow
Sanitation is key
Do
not reach into the wound because it could
cause infection
Types:
Knife/Scalpel
Emasculator
Knife
Scalpel
Emasculator
Surgical Method
restrain
the animal
examine the calf to see if testes have
descended in to the scrotum
disinfect equipment, hands, and scrotum
grab the end of the scrotum with one hand
and pull down. cut off the lower 1/3 of the
scrotum
surgical cont.
pull
testicles down one at a time / scrape if
necessary
trim excess fat and membrane carefully
disinfect the area again
Incision method is performed much the
same way, but make an incision on each
side of the scrotum first, then pull down
each testicle through the incision
Burdizzo
restrain the animal
do one at a time
push teste down into scrotum and over to the side
place the lips of the instrument over the cord 1/2
the distance between the teste and abdomen
push handles together until the cord is crushed
Elastrators
bloodless castration method
restrain the animal
place the rubber band over the prongs
spread the rubber band and push both testes down
through it
release the band above the testes
check later for the scrotum to fall off
disinfect
Animal
Identification Systems
Identification Systems
• Branding
cattle
• Ear Tagging
cattle
goats
• Ear Notching
swine
• Tattooing
cattle
rabbits
Branding
Used
mainly for cattle
Two types
Freeze
Branding
Hot Iron Branding
Uses
a metal instrument to burn or freeze a
mark on the animal’s hide
Originally used to show ownership
Angle Brand System
Angle Brand System
What would be the
number of this
animal?
Answer:
95
Angle Brand System
Answer:
What would be the
number of this
animal?
140
Angle Brand System
120
What would be the
angle brand of this
animal?
Answer:
Ear Tagging
Use
special pliers to attach pieces with
numbers on them
Easy
to read from the front view
Not permanent
Can be lost or removed
Ear Tagging
Tattooing
Uses
a special tool to put inked numbers in
an animal’s skin
Most commonly found in the ear
Can be used on the lips or other locations
Permanent
Simple and relatively painless
Hard to read from a distance
Tatooing
Tatooing
Ownership ID- Branding
Branding
- hot iron
Chemicals
Cold Branding - freeze
Branding
heat
the irons to red hot
restrain the animal
place brand on hide
check it until the surface of the brand is a
shoe brown color
selection of the brand should be simple and
ventilated with the face smooth
Fluid Branding
uses
potash or acids
kills the hair follicles
must be more careful because their is more
room for accidents and error to animals and
humans
Freeze Branding
super cold iron will burn
dry ice and alcohol or liquid nitrogen or spray can
restrain the animal
clip the brand area
clean the area and place irons to get cold
place iron firmly until the area is sl. Harden
Usually
50 seconds for dry ice /alcohol method
25-30 seconds for liquid nitrogen
3-4 weeks hair will grow back
Tatooing
Rotary type- nos. are on a roller
Standard type- nos. are loose
secure the calf
clean the ear
check the numbers
place the instrument between the first and second
ribs of the ear and clamp down
place ink on the ear
Other Methods of ID
Eartags
Horn
Branding
Earmarking
Wattles - cutting a strip on the jawbone and
letting it hang down
Dewlaps - cut a strip on the brisket
Buds - cutting on incision through the nose