CATTLE 

Processes for rearing ruminants vary from intensive to communal grazing. Some farmers use their cattle as oxen for traction power in farm tasks such as ploughing. Male calves can be castrated. A castrated calf is called a steer. Steers are brought on to fattening pastures at weaning to receive a ration of hay and silage. The policy is to feed them all through the year.

Some heifers (female that has not yet calved) are castrated for slaughter and are bought for the local market. They carry more fat than steers of a comparable age and weight; which makes them unpopular in the meat trade. Cows culled for age, reproductive failure, or other reasons may also be castrated.

In practice, beef heifers are mated when about 26 months of age, but if well grown they can be mated earlier than that provided they are fed adequately until they reach maturity at about four years of age.

Puberty   is   attained   by   well-grown

- heifers at the age of eight to 10 months. The normal interval between oestrus (i.e heat periods when the female is ready to mate with a bull) is 20 days, and these cycles

, continue throughout the year or until pregnancy intervenes. Cows can be mated to calve every year; which is the aim of efficient management of a breeding herd.

Terms used in cattle management Cow: Adult female cattle that has calved at least once.

Bull: Adult uncastrated male cattle. Calf: young male or female cattle under one year of age. Stud: male cattle used mostly for breeding.

Calving: Act of parturition.

Heifer calf: Young female cattle that has not produce calf.

Dairy: Cattle reared for milk production. Beef: Meat from cattle, Bullock: Castrated bull.

Weaning: Calves are weaned when they are six to eight months old. Calves can safely be weaned at four months, provided they then receive good feed.

Feeding: Cattle are fed in several ways, including grazing or feeding hay and silage. Grazing is the least expensive way to deliver forage to animals. Animals typically graze on pastures, crop residues which remain in the field after crop harvests. Hay is harvested from the field and stored loose or in stacked bales. The feeding operation includes moving the hay from the stack to the open field or mangers to feed the animals. Some crops such as corn are converted into silage; and moved mechanically into mangers for feeding.

Diseases and parasites control: Timely vaccination against diseases and quarantining diseased animals are important. External parasites include flies, lice, mange, mites and ticks. Pesticides are applied by spraying or through insecticide-impregnated ear tags, dips (drenching) or as a feed additive. Internal parasites, including roundworms or flatworms, are controlled with drugs, antibiotics or drenches (oral administration of a liquid medication).

Sanitation is also a strategy for the control of infectious diseases and parasite infestations. Dipping tanks are used for parasite control in large sheep flocks.

  

Systems of rearing: Facilities used for raising cattle are generally considered to be intensive, semi-intensive or extensive. Intensive facilities include confinement houses, feedlots, barns, corrals (holding, sorting arid crowding pens), fences and working and loading chutes. Extensive facilities refer to pasture or range operations.

Feeding facilities include storage facilities (silos), haystacks, conveying equipment (including augers and elevators), feed bunks, water fountains and mineral and salt feeders. Other facilities include back rubbers for parasite control, creep-feeders (allows feeder calves to feed without adults feeding), self-feeders, calf shelters, cattle-guard gates and cattle treatment stalls.

Fencing may be used around made with barbed wire and electric fences. Woven wire may be required to contain goats. Free-ranging animals would require herding to control their movement.