Food Animal Lab Final Exam

What is the percent yield that a farm should attempt to achieve when breeding stock? What is the biggest factor in achieving this goal?

95% calf-crop. 95/100 cows should be producing calves to either raise for slaughter or use as replacement stock. The biggest factor in achieving this goal is proper nutrition.

How does feeding beef cattle differ from breeding dairy cattle? How are they similar?

Beef cattle can be raised free range and allowed to graze on grass or in a feedlot with hay and grains. Dairy cattle’s purpose alternatively os to produce large quantities of high quality milk. Each are raised to maximize their production purpose.

Describe the proper technique used for tail jacking. When is tail jacking most commonly used?

Slowly lift the tail up, and over the back of the cow, and continue applying firm pressure forward once the tail has been raised, to ensure it remains jacked. This is most commonly used during coccygeal venipuncture.

How can the herding instant be used to move cattle? Why does the collective flight zone help the handler move cattle in a specific direction?

Handlers can use the herding instinct by moving the cattle in groups, using a collective flight zone by applying controlled movements outside the herd to keep the cattle moving.

How would you restrain a 2-year-old Jersey bull for a physical examination?

In a squeeze chute and with nose tongs or a halter

What method of restraint would be ideal for hoof trimming and why?

Hobbles/rope used to force the leg up for access to the hoof

What are the drawbacks of branding? What identification methods are most reliable?

Damage to the hide and pain to the animal. Tattooing or RFID

Why are RFID tags being phased in by the USDA?

Because it is an electronic form of identification for each individual animal, allowing information to be quickly captured and shared, regarding disease traceability.

How does housing for calves differ from that of other cattle?

Depending on the facility, calves are housed individually in small groups. Calves are susceptible to diseases due to their lower immunity, so while it is important to house them in groups, they need to be separated to control the spread of diseases.

What nutritional changes occur for beef cattle when moved to a finishing lot? Why?

They are taken off of pasture or milk and are fed a concentrated feed to get them to appropriate slaughter weight.

The technician is obtaining vital signs on a sick cow. The heart rate is 28 bpm and the respiration is 72 per minute. Are these a cause for concern? Why?

Yes. The normal HR and RR are 40-80 and 1-30 bpm. This means there is a severely low HR and an extremely high RR.

Why is the milk vein use as a last resort when performing venipuncture?

It is prone to hematomas and bleeding and is also in an undesirable location for performing venipuncture.

How are rumen contractions important when monitoring vital signs?

The normal rate of rumen contractions is 2-4 per minute. more frequent contractions can mean hypermotility and less frequent contractions can mean hypomotility. These can be heard/checked when monitoring other vital signs.

How does the castration of beef cattle affect the favorability of the meat?

Removing the testicles or the source of testosterone changes the taste of the meat and makes it more flavorful while also reducing the high muscle pH and and increasing marbling, tenderness, and the overall quality of the meat.

How does a fistula help cattle with chronic bloat or cattle in need of a fistula?

It creates an immediately accessible pathway from the rumen to the outside of the body. A transfaunation can then be done easily and can help aid in the growth of healthy microbes in the rumen.

How does a Frick speculum ease placement of an orogastric tube?

It eases the placement by creating a straight passageway through the mouth and prevents the animal from being able to chew on the tube.

Why is it recommended to disbud claves before 2 months of age? Why is dehorning a riskier procedure for an older calf?

From birth to 2 months of age, the horn buds are free-floating and are not attached to the skull. After 2 months of age, the horns attach and develop a blood supply. Disbudding should always be done at the earliest age possible to prevent unnecessary pain.

Dehorning is done after the horn buds attach to the skull, requiring amputation of the horns. Dehorning at this stage involves greater blood loss, more pain, and exposure of the frontal sinuses.

Why does the Burdizzo method of castration require more experience for success?

The animal must be still and precise clamping is required to ensure success.

How does the dental conformation of cattle differ from that of equines?

Ruminants do not have any upper incisors but rather a dental pad. A thick, hard, gum surface that serves the purpose of teeth.

What type of injection can result in assesses forming if done incorrectly? How can this be avoided?

IM injections. The animal should be securely restrained to avoid unnecessary movement that may cause damage to the muscle. IM injections should be given with a needle no larger than 16-gauge. For potentially fractious animals, the needle can be inserted first without the syringe and then the syringe attached when the animal is calmer and more still.

Because of the high incidence of ___________ in caprines and ovines, a vaccine should be given before castrstion.

tetanus

When disbudding kids or lambs, if the horn bud is not completely removed then _____ can develop.

scurs

If a goat’s spine is not prominent and there is an even layer of fat covering its ribs, what body condition score would you assign?

3

___________ is the most common and important vaccine for both sheep and goats.

CD/T

Goats and sheep can be accurately aged until about ____ years. After that, age can be estimated by looking at the teeth.

4

Small ruminants should be fasted, or have food withheld for ___ __-__ ____ hours before anesthesia if possible and lambs should not be fasted.

12-24

Docking a sheep’s tail reduces the probability of _______ and prevents fecal accumulation near the hindquarters and tail.

flystrike

When under general anesthesia, small ruminants are not able to eructate and gas can accumulate in the rumen causing excess gas, an _____ tube is sometimes inserted.

orogastric tube

The gestation period for goats ranges between _____ __-__ _____ days.

145-152 days

Sheep are particularly prone to _____ _______, which often occurs when sheep consume feed meant for cattle, poultry, or even goats.

copper toxicity

What size needle do we use for jugular venipuncture?

18 gauge 1 1/2 inch

Calves are more susceptible to pathogens if the do not receive adequate what?

colostrum

What disease affects dairy cows udders and teats?

mastitis

How long can colostrum be kept frozen?

6 months

Calves should receive 4 quarts of high-quality colostrum within ______ hours of birth.

4

At 12 weeks of age, the reticulum and rumen will make up more than ___ of the total stomach capacity.

2/3

________ is a infectious disease predominately affecting dairy cattle. This disease may be mild with few clinical signs or it may be severe with inflammatory changes to the udder and teats/

Mastitis

Calf scour can quickly cause deterioration in claves and contribute to significant economic loss to producers. ______________ is a common bacterial cause for diarrhea in calves.

E. coli

___________ mastitis must be confirmed by the diagnostic testing of the milk.

Subclinical

Calf starter can be offered to calves as early as day _________.

3

In calves, milk travels down the _________ _________ and directly to the abomasum.

esophageal groove

What is crutching?

Removal of wool from around the vulva and udder to facilitate passage of lamb and allows the teats to be more easily found for the lamb.

Liquid medications in sheep should be limited to a volume of ______.

30 ml

At least ________ of rumen liquid should be administered to unhealthy patients receiving a rumen inoculation.

1 quart

What size needle is used for IV injections in sheep?

18-20 gauge 1-1 1/2 inch

What size needle is used for catheterization of adult sheep?

14, 16, or 18 gauge, 3 1/2 to 5 1/4

What size needle is used for catheterization in lambs?

18, 20, or 22 gauge, 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 inch

At least _____ sutures should be placed to secure a catheter.

2

Cather and IV lines should be changed every ____ days to prevent thrombophlebitis and infection.

3

The catheter should be flushed every _____ hours with heparinized saline to help keep the catheter patent.

4

How do you initiate urination in sheep?

pinch the nostrils closed

Kids will start ingesting hay and grasses about ___ weeks after birth.

2

Kids are typically weaned when they reach _____ times their birth weight.

2\.5

Goats typical breeding season is

March through July

Typically, a minimum of ____ sheep must be in a group for true flocking instincts.

5