| Term | Definition |
| ethology | ∙ study of behavior of animals in their natural surroundings, specifically focusing on instinctive or innate behavior
∙ instinct (present at birth) vs. habituation (learned conditioning) |
| fields of animal behavior | ∙ trial and error
∙ reasoning (intelligence and memory)
∙ imprinting (bonding for recognition) |
| ten systems of animal behavior | ∙ sexual, maternal, communication, social behavior with animals, social behavior with humans, feeding, eliminative, shelter-seeking, investigative, allelomimetic, maladaptive |
| most common cannibalistic behaviors (maladaptive) | ∙ pecking in chickens
∙ tail chewing in pigs
∙ debeaking and tail removal when young |
| factors in an animal's temperament | ∙ how an animal will react during handling - depends on genetics and environment
∙ fearfulness, previous experiences |
| training and habituating livestock to handling/restraint | ∙ gentle handling -> voluntary acceptance of restraint in a comfortable device
∙ stress on animal and handlers reduced, large animal handling is easier and safer |
| when is an animal in a good state of welfare? | ∙ it copes well with its conditions: it is healthy, nourished, safe, comfortable, able to act innately, and free of unpleasant states
∙ requires disease prevention and vet treatment, shelter, management, nutrition, humane handling |
| animal rights | ∙ philosophy that animals have rights on par with humans, and humans have no right to use animals at all for any industry, entertainment, sport, or recreation |
| five freedoms for all animals | ∙ freedom from: hunger/thirst, discomfort, pain/injury/disease, fear/distress
∙ freedom to: express normal behavior |
| types of restraint | ∙ psychological
∙ sensory diminishment
∙ confining alleys, chutes, barriers
∙ tools and physical force
∙ chemical sedation or immobilization (strongest) |
| major segments of poultry industry | ∙ broilers
∙ eggs
∙ turkeys |
| broiler industry operations | ∙ parent stock farm: broiler breeders produce fertile eggs
∙ hatchery: produce chicks
∙ broiler farm: raise birds to slaughter
∙ processing plant: process birds to final products |
| incubating chicks | ∙ 99*F, 70% humidity, 19 days
∙ rotate 45* every 2hrs. to keep chick from sticking |
| brooding chicks | ∙ the first 7-10 days of a chicks life - objective is to optimize appetite and feeding behavior
∙ need heat for 14 days - only down, no real feathers |
| age of modern broiler | ∙ 6-7wk at market |
| common dual-purpose chicken breeds | ∙ rhode island red
∙ sussex
∙ barred rock |
| dubbing/beak trimming | ∙ layers more active than broilers with stronger/more aggressive heirarchy
∙ dubbing around 7-10 days of age and trim beaks precisely |
| lighting program for layers | ∙ begins at 17 weeks of age after moving to laying house
∙ light and dark periods simulate summer to stimulate reproductive hormones -> egg laying |
| calcium and phosphorus for layers | ∙ limestone and oyster shells for calcium - 94% of eggshell made of calcium carbonate
∙ pre-laying Ca:P is 2:1, during production it is 10:1
∙ birds need more calcium with higher production age |
| feeding layers | ∙ formulated on digestible amino acid requirements as with broilers
∙ pre-lay: decreased protein and energy requirement
∙ laying: increased protein and energy requirement |
| egg production goals | ∙ 25hr for hen to lay 1 egg
∙ 280-300 eggs/year per hen
∙ laying period begins at 18wk, peaks 25wk, ends around 70wk with molt, resumes to 90wk |
| common layer breeds | ∙ single comb white leghorn: most common, best rate of lay, uniformity, size, and shape of eggs
∙ Hy-line brown: feed efficiency and interior egg quality |
| molt for layers | ∙ around 70wk: egg production drops for laying rest, feed restricted and lights turned off
∙ 23% reduction of bird weight over 2wk then 2 more weeks to bring them back
∙ hens come back into production until around 90wk |
| factors in egg quality | ∙ egg size/weight: increases with hen's age, manipulated through dietary amino acid content
∙ shell quality: decreases with hen's age - wrinkles, Ca deposits, weak spots, odd shapes, shell-less |
| internal egg defects | ∙ blood spot: vessel severed when yolk released from ovary and retained in egg
∙ meat spot: part of ovarian tissue breaks off with yolk and is retained in egg
∙ yolk: double yolk in jumbo eggs, no yolk |
| post production layers | ∙ sold for very low price, often to make dog food and other canned products - very little meat yield |
| equine TPR | ∙ temp: 99-101*F
∙ pulse: 30-40 beats/min
∙ resp: 10-20 breaths/min |
| swine industry trends | ∙ industry consolidating into fewer farms but with larger inventory |
| types of swine operations | ∙ farrow-to-wean
∙ finishing
∙ farrow-to-finish
∙ purebred/seedstock
∙ integrated corporate production |
| farrow-to-wean operations (pigs) | ∙ consists of breeding herd
∙ produced early-weaned pigs at 10-15lbs or feeder pigs at 35-50lbs (mainly feeder pigs) |
| finishing operations (pigs) | ∙ feeder pigs grown to market weight and size - ~280lbs at 6months old |
| farrow-to-finish operations (pigs) | ∙ breeding herd maintained
∙ pigs produced and finished for market at same farm |
| purebred/seedstock operations (pigs) | ∙ similar to farrow-to-finish except product is mainly breeding boars/gilts or show pigs
∙ main goal is to produce purebred genetics |
| integrated corporate operations (pigs) | ∙ generally farrow-to-finish with seedstock too
∙ various phases generally located at different sites - sow facility, nursery facility, finishing facility
∙ caused several industry changes: more pigs owned by fewer people, specialization and contracting |
| phases of swine operations | ∙ breeding
∙ gestation
∙ farrowing
∙ nursery
∙ grower
∙ finishing |
| which pigs have erect ears? | ∙ those whose breed name ends with -shire |
| maternal swine breeds | ∙Yorkshire
∙ Landrace
∙ Chester White |
| terminal swine breeds | ∙ Hampshire
∙ Duroc
∙ Berkshire
∙ Poland China
∙ Spot |
| pros and cons of swine confinement housing | ∙ pros: less labor, more stable environment, less parasites and disease, increased productivity
∙ cons: expensive buildings and equipment, energy costs, waste disposal |
| processing piglets | ∙ clip needle teeth, treat umbilical, administer iron, dock tail, identify, treat splaylegged piglets, provide nutrients, castrate |
| records to keep for swine | ∙ birth date
∙ number born alive and dead, date and cause of death of piglet
∙ pedigree info
∙ # weaned and piglet/litter weight at weaning
∙ feed intake during lactation
∙ medications and withdrawal periods |
| creep feeding piglets | ∙ start around 10d for piglets weaned 3wks old and later
∙ sow milk usually plateaus at 12-16d lactating without nutrients to sustain piglet growth
∙ use proper diet, supply water, keep feed fresh and easily accessible |
| why raise small ruminants? | ∙ less acreage required vs other livestock
∙ less investment
∙ reproductive efficiency
∙ grazing behavior - goats clean up brush |
| structure of sheep industry | ∙ producers, lamb feeders, lamb processors, wool buyers/warehouses, shearers, other support industries
∙ usually either range or farm flock production |
| range production (sheep) | ∙ migratory (usually intermountain states) or fenced (Texas and other SW states)
∙ produce majority of lamb and wool in U.S. |
| farm flock production (sheep) | ∙ defined by size, found anywhere
∙ very diverse with differing production goals - profit may not be most important - purebred sheep, club lambs, high quality wool
∙ produce lambs for traditional meat market or for emerging ethnic market trade |
| lamb feedlots | ∙ feeder lambs fed high-energy diet
∙ enter at 60-110lbs, finish at 130-140lbs |
| fine wool sheep | ∙ wool has smallest fiber diameter - most valuable in market and make up 50% of world's sheep population
∙ adapted to hot, dry climates, hardy, long-lived, gregarious, less seasonal breeders
∙ Rambouillet, Merino |
| medium wool, dual-purpose sheep | ∙ cross between fine and medium wool
∙ white faced
∙ raised for meat but have better wool quality than medium meat-type breeds
∙ Polypay, Columbia, Finnsheep |
| medium wool meat sheep | ∙ wool is intermediate in fiber diameter and length
∙ excel in meat production - growth and carcass traits
∙ mostly of British origin, make up 15% of world's sheep population
∙ Suffolk, Dorset, Hampshire, Southdown |
| long wool sheep | ∙ wool has largest fiber diameter, staple length, and yield - popular among hand spinners
∙ best adapted to areas with high rainfall and abundant forage
∙ Lincoln, Romney |
| hair sheep | ∙ bodies covered with hair or mix of hair/wool that is naturally shed - does not require shearing or tail docking
∙ resistant to parasites and growing in popularity - 10% of world's sheep population
∙ Katahdin, Dorper |
| minor sheep breeds | ∙ vary in type and quantity of wool and characteristics - usually unique, "heritage-type" breeds
∙ Gulf Coast Native: adapted to hot, humid conditions of southeast U.S. |
| lamb vs. mutton | ∙ lamb is from sheep <1yr old - milder flavor and easier to digest than beef
∙ mutton is from sheep >1yr old |
| sheep dairy production | ∙ concentrated in Europe and Middle East
∙ higher solid content than goat or cow milk -> most processed into cheeses
∙ produce less milk than goats and much less than cattle -> milk much more expensive |
| sheep wool production | ∙ harvested in spring - avg 7.2lbs/fleece
∙ grade: avg fiber diameter and length of individual fiber
∙ value: based on suitability for specific end uses |
| pre-breeding management for sheep | ∙ cull broken mouths, check feet, shear wool, vaccinations, parasite control
∙ ewes: "flush" (boost nutrition) to increase fertility
∙ rams: breeding soundness exam |
| lambing | ∙ mid Feb-late March, usually born 30-45 minutes after water breaks
∙ dystocia seen with high birth weights and twins
∙ lambing care: dip navel, colostrum, dock tail and castrate in first week, vit.E and selenium |
| lambing jug | ∙ small pen for ewe and lambs shortly after lambing - at lease 4x4ft in size
∙ remain here for 12-24hrs to encourage bonding |
| shearing sheep | ∙ hair sheep do not require shearing, crutching, or docking
∙ other sheep require annual shearing and lambs' tails should be docked
∙ hair crosses may require shearing but fleeces should be discarded |
| goat industry structure | ∙ larger operations primarily in Texas and operate similar to fenced range production of sheep
∙ smaller operations more numerous in south and increasing in eastern ethnic population centers
∙ majority of harvesting from small facilities and farms |
| goat production systems | ∙ project: show goats, some replacement females kept, exceptional male kids left intact
∙ commercial: produce meat type kids for slaughter, replacement females
∙ purebred production: females and males for other producers, replacement females kept |
| meat goat breeds | ∙ Boer
∙ Spanish
∙ Myotonic
∙ Savannah
∙ Kiko |
| dairy goat breeds | ∙ La Mancha
∙ Alpine
∙ Nubian |
| fiber goat breeds | ∙ Angora
∙ Cashmere |
| miniature breeds | ∙ Nigerian Dwarf
∙ Pygmy |
| small ruminant reproduction | ∙ puberty: sheep at 5-12mo, goats at 3-7mo
∙ estrous cycle: sheep 17d, goats 21d
∙ estrus: sheep 24-36hr, goats 24-48hr
∙ both seasonally polyestrous, short-day breeders, 5mo gestation, 1-3 offspring, 1male:35female |
| internal parasites in small ruminants | ∙ most common cause of anemia diagnosed with FAMACHA test (3 or better for no anemia) - Haemonchus contortus, barberpole worm
∙ deworm only when necessary for individual animal to avoid anthelmintic resistance |
| Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) in small ruminants | ∙ thiamine deficiency -> blindness, ataxia, weakness
∙ treat with dose of thiamine, only feed hay for 5 days then gradually return to high energy diet |
| goat production practices | ∙ kidding: dip navel, ID, weigh, colostrum
∙ castrate 1-4wks old, dehorn 3d-3wk old
∙ tail docking: don't cut too short - predisposes to rectal prolapse
∙ hoof trimming: trim so that sole is parallel to coronary band
∙ vaccination and deworming |
| predator control for small ruminants | ∙ all sheep and goats very vulnerable to predators - horns do not protect goats and predators are a significant threat to the operation
∙ guard dogs (Great Pyrenees), donkeys, electric fences, night confinement |
