The document provides an overview of animal science and livestock production. It discusses what animal science entails, common livestock species and their management needs. Key points include:
- Animal science involves the breeding, feeding, care and marketing of animals and their products.
- Common livestock include cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine and poultry. They have varying space, nutrition and facility requirements.
- Proper forage establishment, harvesting and storage is important to maintain high quality feed for livestock.
- Pasture management through rotation, clipping and manure distribution protects water quality, reduces erosion and improves forage health and yield.
The document provides an overview of animal science and livestock production. It discusses what animal science entails, common livestock species and their management needs. Key points include:
- Animal science involves the breeding, feeding, care and marketing of animals and their products.
- Common livestock include cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine and poultry. They have varying space, nutrition and facility requirements.
- Proper forage establishment, harvesting and storage is important to maintain high quality feed for livestock.
- Pasture management through rotation, clipping and manure distribution protects water quality, reduces erosion and improves forage health and yield.
The document provides an overview of animal science and livestock production. It discusses what animal science entails, common livestock species and their management needs. Key points include:
- Animal science involves the breeding, feeding, care and marketing of animals and their products.
- Common livestock include cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine and poultry. They have varying space, nutrition and facility requirements.
- Proper forage establishment, harvesting and storage is important to maintain high quality feed for livestock.
- Pasture management through rotation, clipping and manure distribution protects water quality, reduces erosion and improves forage health and yield.
The document provides an overview of animal science and livestock production. It discusses what animal science entails, common livestock species and their management needs. Key points include:
- Animal science involves the breeding, feeding, care and marketing of animals and their products.
- Common livestock include cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine and poultry. They have varying space, nutrition and facility requirements.
- Proper forage establishment, harvesting and storage is important to maintain high quality feed for livestock.
- Pasture management through rotation, clipping and manure distribution protects water quality, reduces erosion and improves forage health and yield.
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Animal Science and
Livestock Production
Shannon Dill Maryland Cooperative Extension Talbot County Agenda What is Animal Science Livestock Selection Livestock Management - Nutrition - Facilities - Health - Pastures Activity What is Animal Science? Refers to the total store of knowledge relative to the breeding, feeding, care and management of animals and the marketing and processing of animals and their products as gained through practical experience and research methods. Ensminger Animal Use as Food
livestock feed (Ca) Fat – Chemicals, salves, creams, dressings, lubricants, soaps, food Glands – Medicines, food additives Collagen – Glue, Gelatin Intestinal & Stomach tissue – lunch meats, surgical sutures, strings for musical and sports instruments Fertilizer Animal Use as Work
Cultivate land Transportation Control other animals (herding) Assist physically & Medically handicapped Blind Epileptic & Diabetic Other Animal Uses Hides – Leather Hair – Wool, mohair, fiber Lab Animals – Mice, rats, guinea pigs etc. Pets Future of Animal Science Embryo Transplant – can produce 20 calves from one cow per year Cloning – using an animal cell to grow an identical duplicate animal ?????????????? Livestock Enterprises and Management Numerous livestock enterprises Traditional Exotic Purebred/Crossbred Recreational Species Cattle, Horses Sheep, Goats, Swine Poultry, Rabbits
Different Space Requirements
Different Nutrition and Management Many co-exist well Beef Great for the Part-time Labor and facilities can be low cost Land is required 1-5 acres per animal Returns can be low and seasonal Enterprises Freezer beef, feeders, purebred, contract heifers Sheep Low initial investment Low labor – expect when lambing Little investment Meat/Wool Not a huge market Rabbits Small acreage requirements Minimal cash outlay Small market – mostly pets and show Poultry Small land requirements Meat/Eggs Small amount of labor Enterprises – Pastured poultry, specialty birds Goats Projects, Milk, Meat, Fiber Ethnic Populations Dairy – High labor Should explore markets Swine Low acreage – Higher maintenance More management than – sheep, cattle or goats More investment in housing, shelter and fencing Do not utilize forage Horse Facility and acreage requirements Higher acreage – higher maintenance Expense to purchase Enterprises – training, boarding, lessons, breeding Livestock Selection Profitability of any individual animal or of a herd or flock of animals is determined by Type or individuality based on the ability to produce high-quality products for a tough market Performance or efficiency of production which is the ability to utilize feed efficiently, in producing meat, milk, wool or power. Bases of Selection Selection based on Type and individuality Pedigree Show-ring winnings Production testing Bases of Selection Type or individuality Selecting those animals that most closely approach an ideal or standard of perfection and culling out those that fall short. Pedigree Used in most purebred operations Based on performance of ancestors Bases of Selection Show ring winnings Implies the animals that have placed well in one or more shows are superior. Production Generally look at economics such as body type and feed utilization Performance testing, progeny testing Feeding Livestock
Relative Importance of Principle Livestock Feeds
Other Grains
Silage
Other Grains
High-Protein Feeds
Hay
Corn
Pasture & Grazing
0 10 20 30 40 50 Feed Quality Quality of feed affects its value for animal nutrition.
Quality factors include palatability and nutrient
content.
Palatability refers to how well the animal will accept
feed.
Improper harvesting or handling will reduce quality.
Feed Quality
If an animal does not find a feed palatable it will not eat
enough, make good gains, grow properly or produce meat, milk or eggs.
Feeds on produced on well fertilized soils will produce
feed, especially roughages, that is of a higher quality.
Vitamins, amino acid content and minerals will also be
affected by soil type. Digestion Monogastric (simple stomach) Pig, Dog, Human Avain (poultry) – Gizard Chicken, Turkey, Duck Polygastric (ruminants) Cow, Sheep, Goat Pseudo-ruminants (cecum) Horse, Rabbits, Hamster Feeding Goals Maintenance Growth Finishing Reproduction Work Age Nutritive Needs Energy Carbohydrates, Fats Protein Mineral Macro Salt, Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Potassium, Sulfur Micro Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Fluorine, Iodine, Iron, Manganese etc Vitamin Nutritive Needs Most Important WATER
Roughages (Forages) Bulk feeds that are low in weight per unit of volume, >18% curde fiber, low energy Hay Pasture Silage Crop Residues What is forage?
Vegetable matter in a fresh, dried, or ensiled
state. What can you do with forage? - graze it - machine harvest and store it - it’s animal feed Forage allows you to raise an agricultural crop on land where other crops cannot be produced. Grasses
Timothy Orchard Grass Kentucky Blue Fescue (endophyte free) Legumes White Clover Alfalfa Ladino Clover Red Clover Mixing Forage Species Consider the traits of each species. Aggressive vs Passive Maturity dates: early vs late Other traits that can be utilized: N fixation heat tolerance fast germination wet tolerance sod formation palatability summer dormancy hay or grazing life span fertility needs Forage Establishment Plan at least 1-year ahead. Planning includes soil testing. Don’t be cheap with fertilizer, limestone, and seed. Do proper field preparation. Select the right forage species and best available varieties of forage. Need good seed/soil contact. Don’t bury seed too deep. Harvesting Forages Making quality forage is an art. - need to know your forage species - keep on top of the weather - have flexible production options - have timely access to equipment - have equipment in good working order - have healthy forage and few weeds - have some luck! Forage Storage Losses Uncovered bales stored outside Hay baled too wet Bales stacked in contact with the ground Holes in plastic bags and tubes, or leaky silos Poorly packed and uncovered trenches Evaluating Hay Quality Leafiness Color Foreign Material Odor and Condition
ACTIVITY Hay Quality is Important Why Manage Pastures? Pastures are profitable grazed forage is good, cheap feed
pastures are inexpensive to develop and
maintain
animals do the harvesting, therefore there is a
reduction in the need for machine harvesting and forage handling
while on pasture, animals spread manure in
the field, reducing hauling Why Manage Pastures?
Protects surface and groundwater from
nutrient pollution acts as a filler to screen out and traps soil particles which contain nutrients such as N and P
the nutrients are then utilized by the pasture
plants once these nutrients have moved into the root zone of the soil Why Manage Pastures? Reduces soil erosion the top growth of pasture plants lessons the impact of rain drops on the soil surface and also slows down the surface runoff of water across the field
pasture plant root systems bind the soil
together, thereby holding it in place
most pastures keep the soil covered year
around, unlike annual crops Why Manage Pastures?
Improves forage yield and quality
plants that are maintained at the optimum fertility level and are not stressed by pests or by poor grazing management will be more productive
healthy, productive plants will provide a
quality product
healthy plants will have a higher nutritional
value Why Manage Pastures? Reduces weeds and improves esthetics weeds are opportunistic; they will move rapidly into an open area or an area occupied by a weak plant
weeds cannot gain a foothold in a field with
vigorously growing plants
a clean, weed free pasture reflects well on
your farm manage and how people passing by view your farm Maintaining Pastures Rotate Clip Irrigate Drag Manure Grazing Management
Protecting pasture plant root reserves and
maintaining plants in a vegetative state are keys to a good pasture. Overgrazing reduces root reserves which shrinks the root system and leads to fewer leaves being produced; plants also take longer to recover from grazing. Under grazing reduces quality and yield as over-mature plants become less vigorous and more fibrous. Forage Re-Growth
Slow to recover at first
Rapid growth after recovery
Slow after rapid growth period
How Grazing Affects Root Growth % Leaf Vol. % Root Removed Growth Stoppage 10%…………………………………………………………….0% 20%…………………………………………………………….0% 30%…………………………………………………………….0% 40%…………………………………………………………….0% 50%…………………………………………………………..2-4% 60%…………………………………………………………...50% 70%…………………………………………………………...78% 80%…………………………………………………………...80% 90%………………………………………………………….100% All root growth stops for 12 days with 80% removal & 18 days with 90% removal. When 60 % is removed, only half of the roots stop growing. A Good Grazing Rule of Thumb
Take half -----------------------------Leave half
In the long run, the animals will have more
forage to graze. Why Timely Mowing? Mowing prevents plants from becoming over mature.
Vegetative plants are more palatable and more
nutritious.
Mowing helps to control weeds.
Flash grazing can work in place of mowing to help
reduce excess forage in paddocks.
Harvesting excess forage for hay is a good way to
fully utilize forage resources. Why Control Weeds? Some weeds have been declared illegal noxious weeds by the State.
Weeds look bad, they reflect poorly on your
management. Why Control Weeds? Weeds will: Reduce the stand of desirable plants.
Reduce overall quality and yield.
Reduce overall animal yield.
Some are poisonous, or can affect the animal
product.
Seeds are spread through manure.
Weed Management Cultural Control mowing grazing over seeding improved fertility Chemical Weed Control Grazing Restrictions Ally…………………..none 2,4-D…………………milk cows, 7 days+ Crossbow……………milk cows, 14 days+ Banvel……………….milk cows, 7 days+ Roundup…………….livestock, 8 weeks Spike…………………none Stinger……………….none We all want to have lush, green pastures. Planning A Pasture System Sources of Info and Help Resources soil survey map soil capability assessment aerial farm map walking the farm
Assistance Cooperative Extension N.R.C.S F.S.A. Farming Supply Companies Basic Types of Pastures Continuous animals are allowed to graze in the pasture for extended periods of time
animals often do well in this system since they
are allowed to choose the plants they eat
plants are often overgrazed and undergrazed
in this system Continuous Grazing Basic Types of Pastures Rotational animals are allowed to graze for only a limited period of time and animals are moved when existing forage has been removed
intensive rotational grazing systems subdivide pastures
into paddocks and use high stocking rates where animals are forced to eat all forages
this system is most efficient
Rotational Grazing Intensive Rotational Grazing Basic Types of Pastures
Deferred Grazing forage is allowed to accumulate in a pasture for grazing at a later date stockpiled tall fescue is an example
Strip Grazing high stocking rate of animals are put into a pasture for a limited period usually involves a specially planted crop typically an annual species i.e. rape, turnips, or summer grasses Strip Grazing
previously grazed paddock Co-grazing Rotating Pastures Benefits Feeding less grain and hay Reduce pest populations Slow soil erosion Allow daily exercise
BE OBSERVANT and watch your pastures
Setting Up A Pasture System Recommendations Develop a 5 year farm/business plan
You need to plan ahead
plan for when fields need to be renovated
Use existing resources whenever possible (fences,
water, forage crops)
Establish crops according to your plan
Existing pastures can be renovated later if needed
now for grazing Setting Up A Pasture System Recommendations Put your money into good perimeter fence. this will help to keep predators out and your animals in.
Map out farm, give each field own identity
Soil test fields individually
each has its own personality, so treat it accordingly
Develop a practical watering system
common problem for many there are many factors to consider (costs, environmental, system) Setting Up A Pasture System Recommendations
Create a sacrificial area
this will protect your pastures
Estimate the carrying capacity of your pastures
impacts on the number of animals and paddocks (rotational) Calculate number of paddocks needed and days/paddock (rotational) Temporary fence works well to form paddocks Sacrifice Area
This is a part of your pasture system that, just as it
sounds, is permitted to become trashed.
What is important here is that the trashing is confined to
one small area where the mess can be controlled.
Animals are kept in here during periods (i.e. wet) when it
is not fit to put animals in the pasture. Paddocks Sacrifice area Turn out lots Paddocks In a rotational grazing system pastures are divided up into smaller units within the pasture these smaller units are called paddocks.
In some smaller operations, permanent fencing is
used to divide up the pasture.
Temporary electric fence is a low cost, effective
Raising Chickens: A Complete Guide to High Performing Chicken Breeds, Housing, Equipment, Feeding, Health Care, Breeding, Quality Eggs, and Meat Production
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