Animal Husbandry Year 1

Define “animal husbandry”

The breeding, rearing and daily care of domestic animals

List some key decisions that are made relating to animal husbandry

Bedding, Stocking density, Ventilation, Hygeine, Indoors vs Outdoors, Food, Water, Breeds and reproduction, Biosecurity, mutilations, handling

List some consequences for animals if husbandry is poor

Death, spread of disease, less productivity, fear and distress, inability to express normal behaviour, abnormal behaviour, hunger, thirst

List some consequences for humans if animal husbandry is poor

Loss of income, reduced productivity, emotional toll, zoonotic disease, poor performance, legal prosecution

Give some examples of diseases/ conditions that poor husbandry can lead to

Colic, Obeisity, Tail biting, Lameness

What factors influence the choice of animal husbandry?

Availibility of labour, legal requirements, food avaiability, behaviour of animals, consumer demand and expectations, seasonality, environment, technological advances, culture and ethics, Economics, owner preferences

What factors should you take into account when doing an audit of husbandry?

Bedding, Training, General health, Stress, Routine procedures, stocking densities, environment, enrichment, diet, hygeine, handling, provisions for illness/injury

What are the advantages of analysing the farm records to assess husbandry?

Specific information on health, disease and production levels

Changes can be measured over time

What are the disadvantages of analysing the farm records to assess husbandry?

They are easy to falsify

relies on the owner to properly identify and record disease

Complications around different people caring for the animals

time cost to owner

variation in data records

What are the advantages of evaluating resources when assessing the husbandry system?

It uses objective measurements

The assessor doesn’t need expertise

What are the disadvantages of evaluating resouces when assessing the husbandry system?

Certain factors may not be captured in the evaluation

It doesn’t take into account how well animals cope

The minimum requirements could be poor

Not applicable to pets

What are the advantages of assessing the animals when assessing a husbandry system?

Direct assessment of animals within their normal environment

What are the disadvantages of assessing the animals when assessing a husbandry system?

Some animals e.g. ruminants are stoical and won’t show signs of distress

Changes over seasons

Relies on qualified vets

Only an estimate based on a sample

What should be estimated and assessed when carrying out animal assessments?

Signs of health and disease or abnormal disease

You should estimate the percentage of the population affected, how severely and for how long

What are the different ways of assessing a husbandry system?

Analysis of records

Evalutation of resources

Animal assessments

Automated monitoring of behaviour

People assessments

What is the acronym for assessing a husbandry system?

CARE (client, animal observations, records, environment and resources

Give some key behavioural considerations for cats

They generally tolerate handling and examination

Can be sensitive to past experiences

Let them remain where comfortable

Body language can be difficult to read

What is the importance of farming?

Large GDP benefits (economy)

Directly employs 0.5 million people

What are the advantages of intensive farming?

Shorter growth period, High stocking density, High input/High output

What are the disadvantages of an intensive system?

More susceptible to disease, and decreased animal welfare standards

What are the advantages of Extensive farming systems?

Low input/output, low stocking densities, higher animal welfare

What are the disadvantages of extensive farming?

Longer growth period

Give some key information about dairy production

1.85 million dairy cows in the UK

Mainly freisian cows

The average milk yield has increased despite herd sizes decreasing

Half of milk is used as liquid milk and half is processed in products like cheese and butter

Give some key information about beef production

There are 1.3 million breeding cows in the UK

There are various breeds and crosses

Cows are generally slaughtered from 13-24 months typically

How big is the average beef herd size?

28 Cows

Give some key information about sheep production

31 million sheep in total

What is stratification?

Utilisation of different breed characteristics and climate dependent husbandry types/ matching the correct species to the correct environment

Give some information about pig production in the UK

Mainly on the east coast of the UK

4.7 million pgs in total

92% of pig products consumed in the UK are produced here

What are the components of the pig pyramid?

Breeder, weaner/grower, finisher

Give some key information about poultry farming

1.1 billion broilers per year

40 million laying hens

14 million breeding hens

12 million ducks/geese/turkeys

Give some key information about aquaculture

£1 billion income

Employs 2800

460 companies

What is the gross margain?

Output - Variable costs

What are the potential future challenges for farming?

Environmental impact, cost sharing, animal welfare standards,, supermarket dominance, cheaper imports, urban-rural divorce

Give some examples of products that link arable and livestock farming

By-products, substandard products, bedding, manure and slurry

What is biological efficiency influenced by?

Reproduction effieciency, lactation ability, growth and development, longevity/replacement rate

What is biological efficiency?

how effectively an organism, system, or species converts physical inputs into a useful biological output

What is fecundity?

litter size

What factors influence reproduction efficiency?

Fertility, fecundity, breeding frequency, peri/post-partum problems

What is the target % weight for puberty in females?

45-50%

What is the target % weight for mating in females?

60-65%

What factors is peak lactation yield influenced by?

Number of offspring and nutrittion

What indicates the milk quality in the colostrum of the milk?

Immunoglobulin concentration and availability

What indicates the milk quality?

Nutrients present, somatic cell count, bacterial load

What is hyperplasia?

cell numbers increase

What is hypertrophy?

increase in cell size

What is compensatory growth?

If feeding is restricted at times and is later restored, the animal will still grow to the same weight

What is the average daily weight gain in a sheep?

250-350g

What is the average daily weight gain in a cow?

1-1.2kg

What is precocial development?

It is where offspring are born in a relatively mature, independent state. There is a long gestation, immediate ambulation, lesser maternal care needs and smaller litter sizes

What is altricial development?

It is where offspring are born relatively immature, requiring much more maternal care. The litters are large with a short gestation period, but there is slow ambulation

What is the advantage of late maturing?

Grown and finished rapidly without too much fat deposition

Which vitamins are fat soluble?

A, D, E, K

Which vitamins are water soluble?

C,B

What is the name of vitamin A?

Retinol

What is the name of vitamin D?

Calciferols

What is the name of vitamin E?

Tocopherols

What is the name of vitamin K?

Quinones

What is the name of vitamin C?

Ascorbic acid

What is the name of vitamin B1?

Thiamin

What is the name of vitamin B2?

Riboflavin

What is the name of vitamin B3?

Nicotinic acid

What is the name of vitamin B5?

Pantothenic Acid

What is the name of vitamin B6?

Pyridoxine

What is the name of vitamin B7?

Biotin

What is the name of vitamin B9?

Folic acid

What is the name of vitamin B12?

Cyanobalamin

What is a provitamin?

They act as a vitamin only after undergoing a chemical change

What can affect the vitamin requirements of an animal?

Growth rate and rate of food passage through the gut both increase vitamin requirement

How do you express concentration of vitamins?

mg/kg

What is avitaminosis?

The coomplete lack of a specific vitamin in the body

What is hypovitaminosis?

A partial lack of a specific vitamin in the body

What is hypervitaminosis?

An excessive provision of a specific vitamin

What is retinol important for?

Formation and integrity of the epithelia and the mucous membranes, retinal function (by combining with opsonin to form rhodopsin, bone growth, immune function

What is provitamin A?

Beta carotene

Why do animals not require a daily supply of retinol?

Because they can store it in the liver

List some sources of Vitamin A

Liver, egg yolk, milk fat

List some retinol deficient foods?

Cereal grain and meat

What are the mild symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in cattle?

Rough scaly skin

What are the symptoms of prolonged vitamin A deficiency in cattle?

Night blindness, still birth, retained placenta, infertility

What are the symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency in dogs?

Scaly skin, night blindness, abnormal skeleton growth

What are the symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in cats?

Foetal defects, complete infertility

What are the symptoms of vitamin a deficiency in poultry?

Symptoms appear quickly, pale combs and wattles, ruffled plummage, general unthriftiness, weakened immune system

What are the symptoms of hypervitaminosis A in dogs and cats?

Abnormal bone deposition, lameness, vertebral spondylosis

What is vitamin D important for?

It promotes Ca2+ absorption from the digesta in the gut lumen

When blood Ca2+ concentration decreases, it enhances the intestinal absorption of Ca2+

Stimulates the uptake of phosphorous in the gut and reabsorption of both Ca2+ and P from the bone and the kidney

What are the sources of vitamin D?

Sunlight on the skin, egg yolk, hay, colostrum

What is the reaction that forms the biologically active form of vitamin D?

Cholecalciferol and 7-dehydrocholesterol react to form cholecalciferol, which forms 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (in the liver), which then forms 1,25 dehydroxycholecalciferol (in the kidney)

What can result in a deficiency of vitamin D?

Lack of sunlight exposure, high milk diet

What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?

Rickets - soft, weak deformed bones and poor egg shell quality in poultry

What are the sources of Vitamin E?

Green fodder, cereals

What are the functions of vitamin E?

It is a biological antioxidant that acts in combination with an enzyme containing selenium, glutathione peroxidase, to protect cells from oxidative damage from free radicals

What are the symptoms of vitamin E deficiency?

Nutritionl myopathy (white muscle disease in calves and stiff lamb disease), cardiac disease, brain damage, lameness and muscle stiffness

What are the sources of vitamin K?

Green leafy material, egg yolk

What is the function of vitamin K?

Essential for normal clotting of the blood and bone and kidney function

Which species do not have a dietary requirement for vitamin K and why?

Ruminants, because their microbial population can synthesise it

What are the symptoms of vitamin K deficiency in chicks?

Anemia and delayed blood clotting

Why are there minimal reserves of Vitamin B?

Because it is water soluble

What are the sources of vitamin B?

Liver, yeasts, green foods, cereals, milk

What is the function of vitamin B1?

It is important for the initiation and propagation of nerve impulses

What are the signs of vitamin B1 deficiency?

Progressive dysfunction of the nervous system, paralysis, blindness, muscular dysfunction, loss of appetite, emaciation