Animal husbandry - identification

importance of identification

  • animals require different needs

  • variety of species are bought into the practice

  • correct names, kennel numbers, etc to ensure provided with correct care and administered correct medication.

cat breeds

  • the governing council of the cat fancy aim - advisers for the different breeds,/ requirements, looks at breed standards, improve standards and development of breed.

  • popular breeds : British short hair, Siamese, & Bengal

  • characteristics: behaviour, hair length, size, fur patterns, face shape

dog breeds

  • kennel club aim: designed to look at breed standards, improve standards and development of breeds.

  • characteristics: size, colour, hair, fur patterns, face shape, tail length

horses

  • characteristics : built for different activity’s e.g. draught horses for pulling, size

  • colours - true colours

  • markings - e.g. dorsal stripe

Birds

  • classifications : Psittaciformes = parrots

  • characteristics: pigmentation, structural colours, iridescent feathers, beaks, size, colour

dog tags

  • in public all dogs required to wear dog tags - “The control of dogs order 1992”

  • information: owners name, address (post code), advisable for number

  • advise not the dog names

  • fine = £5,000

  • exceptions: service dogs, working dogs, hounds

ear tags

  • legal requirement for farm animals

  • unique individual number : allows tracking of animals

Microchipping

  • legally to be microchipped: dogs, horses

  • injection under the skin

  • unique number

  • where depends on species?

Tattooing

  • occasionally used on horses -

  • disadvantage - can be changed, removed/amputated dependent on location

  • gives unique number, on registration, data base

Freeze branding

  • permanent unique mark on skin

  • can not be removed

  • hair grows back - cover the mark

Hot branding

  • irons placed on skin to burn & scar it

  • unique & permanent

  • disadvantage - painful & stressful

Basic genetics

  • contain genetic information - DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) provides specific DNA code

  • passed onto offspring

Inheriting traits - species obtain certain amount of chromosomes e.g. horses = 64, dog = 78, cat = 38, rabbit = 44

mutations - errors that occur during process of DNA replication.

= positive, negative, or make no difference

hereditary disease =

allele = dominant (single copy of that allele express the trait) & recessive (both traits in same order for trait to be observered)

DNA testing

  • how? - cheek swabbing, blood samples, hair follicle plucking.

  • identify parentage

  • breeding strategies - ensure desirable characteristics true to breed or those deemed useful or attractive

  • hereditary disease - prevention of hereditary disease, identification of animals carrying unwanted genes.

  • sexing for exotics

Animal Passports

  • microchip

  • vaccination

  • history

  • description of animal

  • equine passport - diagram, section IX, legislation