Animal Science Basics: Production Key Concepts

Overview

Essential Questions

1. What is the importance of livestock selection and marketing in production practices?

2. What is the relevance of livestock production practices on operations?

3. How do proper handling techniques impact the livestock industry?

Animal Science

· Is the concentration of the biological science and _____________ of producing domestic livestock, primarily for consumption and their benefits to humankind

- _____________ livestock can encompass beef and dairy cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry and horses

- focus of animal science is the food produced from livestock animals including _____________, dairy foods and eggs

- livestock also provide labor, _____________, leather, wool and other raw materials

· Is a vital part of a _____________ food system, economy and world

- global demand for animal food products is rapidly growing because the _____________ population is expected to reach close to 10 billion people by 2050

- sustainable livestock production practices aim to protect natural resources and work toward a guaranteed future food _____________ while meeting the needs of production animals

Livestock Selection

· Is the process of choosing and _____________ animals for breeding purposes

· Is based on a variety of factors, including genetics, _____________ physiology, statistics and other scientific principles

- selective breeding utilizes the natural varying traits existing among any livestock population

- genetic _____________ is required to improve breeding throughout generations

· Can occur through:

- _____________ selection occurs when the best individual is chosen for breeding

- mass selection is most effective when heritability is high and traits are expressed early on

· uses records for only selection candidates

- within-family selection is when the best individual from each family is chosen for breeding

- between-family selection utilizes a family’s _____________ performance to determine breeding suitability for the entire group

- _____________ testing is primarily used in beef and dairy cattle to help evaluate and select stock to be bred

· utilized to compare the performance of sires through their offspring and is beneficial in artificial _____________ projects desiring a high level of accuracy in selecting a sire

Livestock Marketing

· Includes the process of producing, promoting and _____________ for the completion of a sale

- producers and marketers must determine the estimated production costs, _____________ flow needs and potential buyers

· when determining production costs and cash flow requirements, producers can decide which animal to purchase, feed or crops to provide and the time frame which would be best to sell and meet cost _____________

- keeping accurate data on this information can also provide insight for determining when to ___________ or cull stock

- _____________should be considered when pricing and merchandising

· Requires constant _____________ to determine what worked well and what might need to be improved

- it is important for producers to continuously _____________ themselves to know current market conditions to validate reasonable offers

Livestock Sales

· Approaches can include:

- _____________ agreements confirm details such as quantity, quality and set prices

- participating at the sale barn can include a variety of extra factors and costs

· sale prices can be influenced by factors such as the market location, _____________ and shipping fees

· prices can also be dependent on animal _____________ such as sex, weight, breed and quality

- private _____________ sales help the buyer and seller develop a relationship and remove commission costs and market uncertainty when negotiating sale prices

- _____________ who travel directly to the operation often search for livestock with specific traits, lot sizes and production practices, such as all-natural or grass-fed

- special _____________ programs are designed to sell groups of cattle at a sale, all raised with similar production practices

Livestock Production

· Refers to the breeding and _____________ of animals for various purposes, such as meat, eggs, dairy or fiber

· Cycle begins with _____________, which can occur naturally or through artificial insemination or AI

- AI is a method of breeding livestock by inserting semen into females in heat

· estrus or heat is the physical display of _____________ secretion or being receptive to a male

· estrous is the timeframe or cycle and hormone cascade for the animal to prepare to become pregnant

· _____________ during the estrous cycle leads to gestation in that animal

- after livestock are bred and undergo _____________, birthing occurs

· most _____________ processes are unique for each species, such as pasture births, farrowing, penned or confined births or laying eggs

- livestock animals are _____________ after set periods of time and growth progress

· after weaning, livestock are raised for their intended purposes, such as meat, dairy, wool or hair, or other by-products

Proper Livestock Handling

· Is crucial to the _____________ of livestock and producers as there are important factors to enhance safety for all, such as maintaining a calm and quiet environment and understanding flight zones and points of balance

- flight zones and point of balance are utilized when moving livestock, such as _____________ to a fresh pasture or through a chute to provide vaccinations

- _____________ zones of cattle, sheep and horses are usually the same as they circle around handlers to maintain a safe distance and keep the individuals in the line of sight

· typically suggests livestock move in the _____________ direction of handlers, so it is best to move opposite of the desired location to speed movements

- point of _____________ is a sight line determined by the animal’s wide-angle vision and is usually located at the animal’s shoulders

· point of balance and flight zone may also vary based on the _____________ of each animal and its location

Livestock Equipment

· Can include:

- quality _____________ and confinement measures

- barriers not only keep livestock within the desired space but also work to protect them from outside harm, such as weather and _____________

- for livestock kept in a field, barbed wire or an electric fence are two common options, but for animals in a more _____________ space, panels or pens are often made out of wood boards, metal or wire panels

- _____________ maintenance equipment, including manure forks, wheelbarrows, brooms, mowers and spreaders

- _____________ feeders and watering equipment

Care and Grooming Practices (Part 1)

· Include:

- vaccinations

· common prevention practice utilized to protect herds from harmful diseases and increase _____________

- shearing

· removing _____________, hair or fleece from livestock

- weighing

· completed using scales to determine feed _____________ rates and accurately determine market weight and the duration of time until slaughter

- _____________ or hoof trims

· important for livestock to walk correctly and protect their feet

· livestock animals require a more _____________ foot angle to evenly distribute weight, which can only be achieved if the nail or hoof remains the correct length and angle

Care and Grooming Practices (Part 2)

· Include:

- _____________

· removing the horns of livestock animals, which is completed for the safety of livestock and handlers

- identification

· utilized to maintain production _____________ like birthdates and sire information as well as to keep track of livestock upkeep, such as identifying animals to administer vaccinations

· include:

- ear tags include the owner’s name or logo, as well as an identification _____________

- _____________ can be completed by hot branding or freeze branding

- tattoos are created by inserting _____________, dyes or pigments onto the skin

- ear notching is notching in specific sections of the ear to create a number identifying the _____________ number and the animal's number in the litter

Practices Part 1

Essential Questions

1. What does the production cycle of each species entail?

2. What equipment and facilities are used for each species?

Beef Cattle

· Are often housed on cow-calf _____________, feedlots, pastures, stockyards and ranches

· Production begins with cow-calf farms, in which a mature female cattle are bred and give birth to a calf after 283 days of _____________

- some cattle are kept in the cow-calf operation for breeding purposes, while weaned cattle that are not _____________ in the cow-calf operation enter a new segment of beef production known as stocker operations

· in stocker operations, cattle graze on pastureland for around three to seven months, depending on the markets and _____________ decisions

· Move to the feedlot after the _____________ segment, where they are fed specialized rations consisting of grains and proteins for optimal weight gain

- typically stay in the _____________ for four to six months until they reach the ideal processing weight, around 1,100 to 1,200 pounds

- once at the desirable weight, feedlot cattle are sold to a beef packer, which _____________ and processes the cattle into meat products and by-products, which are then distributed for consumption or use

Beef Cattle Facilities

· Include being typically moved through a set of _____________ and locations during their lifetime for a variety of purposes

- pre-conditioning pens hold calves after _____________ from the pasture to the feedlot

· help cattle adapt before being transferred to the feedlot to avoid _____________

· For working are those used for handling, _____________ and treating cattle, including:

- holding or sorting pens are utilized to contain cattle before entering the crowding pen

- _____________ or funnel pens help to crowd cattle into a tighter space to enter the working chute

- working chute is a narrow _____________ pushing cattle into the desired location, which could be a trailer or squeeze chute for example

- squeeze and headgate help _____________ cattle for treatment, such as vaccination, branding, castration and hoof trimming

Dairy Cattle

· Usually calve once per year in order to maintain optimum _____________ production

- calving or the process of giving birth, occurs after 283 days and calves are immediately moved into pens to be raised individually via _____________ feeding in calf housing

- cows today produce far more milk than a calf is able to consume, so calves are bottle-fed their optimum amount of milk and the remaining milk is processed for human _____________

· After around 12 months of growth and development, _____________ are bred for their first calf

- with this timeline, bred heifers will give birth and begin _____________ around the age of 26 months

· During lactation are moved to the lactating cow barns and are milked twice or three times per day, which yields on average six to seven _____________ of milk

- once milk is collected from the cow, it travels through a pipe system into a holding tank

- before leaving the farm, _____________ is chilled to 39°F (4°C) and tested to ensure quality

Dairy Equipment & Facilities

· Is fully dependent on the _____________ of the operation

- small dairy farms or family farms might only utilize a bucket and a stool, while large operations will typically utilize a milking _____________ and equipment, pasteurizers, milk containers and automatic milking machines

- _____________ make milk products safer by heating to a high temperature to eliminate bacteria but minimize the effects of taste

- homogenizers enhance the _____________ and taste by breaking fat globules in cream for them to remain evenly in milk

- mechanical separators are utilized to separate the _____________ from milk to process goods such as butter

Swine Production (Part 1)

· Can vary depending on purpose and region, with the primary purpose of providing pork products and by-products to meet consumer demands

· Practices include:

- farrow-to-finish production is the most common type of production, encompassing _____________ to selling pigs

· are responsible for breeding their own litters and raising the offspring until the ideal _____________ weight of around 260 pounds

· raise hogs from birth to processing and care for both a breeding _____________ herd as well as a feeder pig herd

- feeder pig production includes producing pigs to sell for _____________

· many are sold to other producers at roughly 50 pounds to feed out for market

- feeder pig finisher production complete the production cycle by buying _____________ pigs and raising them until slaughter weight

· At the start, gilts and sows are bred through artificial insemination or AI, where boar _____________ is administered when the female is in heat

- _____________ cycle lasts 115 days or three months, three weeks and three days

Swine Production (Part 2)

· Modernly takes place in _____________ environments and enclosed buildings where producers can control temperature, waste removal and feed distribution to enhance biosecurity measures

- temperature and _____________ are a vital component for swine producers, as young animals must be raised in an area between 70 to 90°F (21 to 32°C) and mature adults can be kept in a range between 60 to 75°F (16 to 24°C)

· Now heavily relies on the use of _____________ barns and systems to birth piglets

- farrowing crates are designed to prevent sows from lying on piglets

· prior to farrowing _____________, piglets had a large mortality rate and a small growth rate

· most females are placed in gestation stalls prior to farrowing to protect the sows and piglets

- farrowing pens utilize _____________ mats to keep piglets warm but safe during this vital growth period

· After about three weeks, piglets are weaned and transitioned to a _____________ until they reach 40 pounds

- there is roughly a 21 week period of feeding high protein diets to reach the ideal slaughter weight of 260 pounds

· Processing is where hogs are sold to a pork _____________, which harvests hogs into meat products and by-products

Practices Part 2

Essential Questions

1. What does the production cycle of each species entail?

2. What equipment and facilities are used for each species?

Sheep Production

· Consists of three major types of production which focus on producing _____________, wool or milk

· Process first step is breeding and once _____________, ewes undergo gestation for 148 days

- ewes typically have _____________ at lambing; however, single and triplet lambings are common

- after around two to three months, lambs are weaned off their mothers and no longer rely on their mother’s milk

- lambs from both meat and wool-producing sheep are raised on a _____________ diet for an additional three to four months until reaching the approximate weight of 130 pounds

- once reaching this _____________ weight, rams and ewes not sold as feeder lambs might be added to the breeding stock to produce the next generation of lambs

- all weathers and some ewes may be sold and processed as feeder lambs with the main outcome of generating a high-quality yielding _____________

Wool

· Production is tied to the process of _____________, which usually takes place right after a mature sheep has given birth and the lamb has been weaned

· Main focus of wool growers is to produce high-quality wool that can be used to make a variety of _____________ and fabrics

· Can be utilized in a variety of ways from clothing, fabrics, yarns, rugs, _____________ and lanolin from wool can even be used in glues, ointments and paint binders

- fatty acids and _____________ from meat processing can be used in candles, soaps, shaving creams, rubbers and waxes

· Sheep production primarily relies on _____________ for lambing and production

- lambs are typically found _____________ in fields or confined and cared for in pens, depending on their bred purposes and production intentions

Goats (Part 1)

· Production is unique from other types of livestock production because of the _____________ of end products and the structure of farms

· Meat production is the most common production focus for goats, making up about forty percent of all goat operations and 70 percent of all goats are raised for meat, according to the USDA

- some producers schedule their breeding, kidding and production cycle around _____________ holidays when demand for goat meat is higher

- meat-producing goats are marketed into two main categories based on age

· _____________ is meat from a young kid goat around four to eight weeks old

- typically used in traditional dishes for religious celebrations and results in a tender meat product

· chevon is the term for _____________ from goats weighing 40 to 60 pounds

· Dairy production is the next highest use for goats in total number of operations with around 10 percent of operations

- does are _____________ twice daily and milk is processed to be sold as milk, cheese, soaps or other products

Goats (Part 2)

· Fiber production, such as _____________, consists of about 1.5 percent of goat operations

· Are a versatile species and can be used to graze on forage which other animals will avoid

- small operations may keep a herd of goats for _____________ control or to reduce invasive forage species

- gestation period lasts approximately 150 days

· Are typically housed _____________ with access to a cover for protection from weather

· Producers also utilize _____________ pens to carefully monitor the birthing process, as well as prevent predators from harming the kid

- dairy goats use milking equipment, such as a stainless steel milking pail for small operations and a _____________ system, such as a milk strainer, which helps remove possible debris or hair from the milk

· milking _____________ would be the automated alternative

Poultry (Part 1)

· _____________, hens and roosters used for breeding are called the parent flock

- in parent flocks, hens lay fertilized eggs after mating with a rooster

- eggs are taken to a _____________ and placed into automated incubators for 21 days

- growing cycle for broilers is very short, taking around five weeks

- each _____________ weighs around a tenth of a pound at hatching and will grow to a harvest weight of around five pounds by week five

- broilers are then transported to the _____________ plant where broilers are processed into chicken products and byproducts

· Turkeys follow a similar production cycle as broilers, and many of the key steps of _____________, grow-out and processing remain the same

- because of the size of _____________, the duration of each step is longer and requires larger equipment as well as additional space

Poultry (Part 2)

· Production requires large facilities and typically _____________ of birds

- many facilities separate birds based on age, sex and role, which increases the need for space

- producers rely on the reproduction of their _____________ to increase sales and quantity available for consumers

- one hen can produce 150 to 175 hatching eggs in her lifetime and one _____________ can fertilize more than ten times the hen’s produced eggs

- breeder farms typically include large _____________ houses as well as egg collection and storage facilities

- most producers have multiple breeder houses and facilities on their operation

- all facilities need proper feeders, _____________ and ventilation systems

- breeding houses require egg gathering, transport and storage equipment

- _____________ farms are the most prevalent housing type which prepare poultry for processing

- _____________ plants typically utilize 300 to 400 broiler houses to process roughly one million birds per week

Horse (Part 1)

· Production includes three main breed categories based on their build and _____________

- most horses take around four years to reach full _____________ and are typically retired at age 18

- at the beginning of the life cycle, _____________ can be bred through natural mating with a stallion

- mare is pregnant for _____________ months or approximately 333 days

- _____________ are weaned after 11 months and typically moved to a grass or grain diet

- at two years old, a male horse becomes a _____________ and a female horse becomes a filly

Horse (Part 2)

· Have a variety of uses, such as _____________, international shows, equestrian events, racing and rodeo

- each use requires a different method of _____________, which typically begins as colts and fillies

- at a young age, horses are accustomed to human _____________ and activity

- depending on the intended use of horses, a large variety of facilities and equipment are needed

- more horses are housed in _____________, outdoor pens or are located on a fenced ranch operation

- in most cases, handling and _____________ equipment is needed, including lead ropes, a halter, hoof pick, blankets, brushes and combs

- in many riding scenarios, a _____________, saddle pad or blanket, stirrups, bridle and bits are needed