Cattle Production and Health

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Vitamins and Minerals

• Vitamins are required for health, development, and metabolic reactions, and are needed in small amounts.
• There are two groups of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble.
• Micro minerals, or trace minerals, are also essential for life and health.

Water

• Water is the most important nutrient, making up 70% or more of plants and animals.
• Functions of water in the body include:
  • Controlling body temperature
  • Enabling living organisms to hold their shape
  • Transporting nutrients and waste
  • Aiding in digestion
  • Making up body fluids

Digestive System

• The digestive system is a tube extending from the mouth to the anus, with associated organs like the liver, teeth, and pancreas.
• Digestive systems vary depending on whether the animal is a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore.

Non-Ruminant (Monogastric) Animals

• Non-ruminant animals have a single compartment in their stomach, swallow their food after chewing, and do not regurgitate.
• Examples of non-ruminant animals include pigs, humans, bears, and dogs.
• Food is mixed with digestive juices in the single compartment stomach, with little bacterial action.

Health

• Normal body temperature: 101-104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Normal respiratory rate: 15-30 breaths per minute
• Normal heart rate: 59-86 beats per minute

Nutrition

• All feeds include six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and water.
• Protein provides essential amino acids, is essential for growth and repair, and contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates are used for energy, growth, and reproduction, and represent the largest part of an animal's feed supply.
• They are composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, and include sugars, starch, and cellulose.

Fats

• Fats are a concentrated source of energy, providing up to 2.25 times as much energy as carbohydrates.
• They are composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, and are found in every cell in the body.
• Functions of fats include:
  • Energy reserves
  • Protection for vital organs
  • Insulation of the body

Minerals

• Minerals are needed in nearly all parts of the body, but are found primarily in bones and teeth.
• They are divided into two groups: macro minerals and micro minerals.
• Minerals are involved in heartbeat, nerve transmission, and make up important parts of many organic materials, including blood.

Meat

• Quality grades of swine carcasses are determined by:
  • Quality of lean meat
  • Belly thickness
• Grades for carcasses with acceptable lean quality are:
  • U.S. No. 1
  • U.S. No. 2
  • U.S. No. 3
  • U.S. No. 4
  • Utility
• Carcasses with unacceptable lean or bellies that are too thin are graded U.S. Utility.
• Dressing percentage is the percentage yield of chilled carcass in relation to the weight of the live animal.
• Hogs may be dressed in two ways: packer style and shipper style.

Signs of a Sick Pig

• Poor appetite, weakness, and lethargy are signs of a sick pig
• Rapid, noisy breathing, dry, crusty, or runny nose, limping, and changes in skin or developed abscesses are also signs
• Diarrhea is another indicator of illness

Biosecurity

• Herd additions, isolation of new animals, people movement, pig movement, and disease transmission on-farm are biosecurity concerns
• Vermin control, vehicles, water, and feed can also introduce diseases

Good Management for Disease Prevention

• Be alert for signs of disease and stress-causing conditions
• Provide clean, disinfected quarters with adequate ventilation and sunlight
• Ensure proper drainage and protect pigs from environmental stressors
• Practice rigid sanitation and manure removal, and provide a well-balanced diet
• Get accurate diagnosis of health problems immediately and avoid unnecessary stress
• Buy disease-free stock, isolate new animals, and follow a set vaccination program
• Be cautious of visitors and dispose of dead animals immediately

Reproduction

• Estrous cycle lasts 21 days
• Gestation period is 114 days
• Nursing lasts 3 weeks, growing 9 weeks, and finishing 9 weeks
• Processing takes 1 month, and conception to plate takes about 10.5 months

Litter Management

• Maintain body temperature and protect from injury

Health

• Normal temperature: 101-104°F
• Normal respiratory rate: 15-30 breaths per minute
• Normal heart rate: 59-86 beats per minute

Nutrition

• Six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, vitamins, and water

Protein

• Provides essential amino acids
• Needed for growth and repair
• Forms muscles, internal organs, skin, hair, wool, feathers, hoofs, and horns
• Contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (16%)

Carbohydrates

• Used as energy for body functions
• Largest part of an animal's feed supply
• Include sugars, starch, and cellulose
• Composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen

Fats

• Concentrated source of energy (2.25 times carbohydrates)
• Form cholesterol, steroids, and other body compounds
• Found in every cell, affects skin and hair condition when absent
• Composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen

Minerals

• Needed in nearly all body parts, primarily in bones and teeth
• Affect heartbeat and nerve transmission
• Divided into two groups: macro and micro minerals

Meat

• Quality grades consider lean meat quality and belly thickness
• Carcasses with unacceptable lean or bellies that are too thin are graded U.S. Utility
• Dressing percentage is the percentage yield of chilled carcass to live animal weight
• U.S. No. 1-4 grades have specific dressing percentages

Grading Exceptions

• Carcasses with thin muscling cannot grade US 1
• Carcasses with last rib back fat > 1.75 inch must grade US 4
• Carcasses with unacceptable quality must grade US Utility

PSE: Pale Soft Exudative Pork

• Causes meat to be very light gray in color
• Muscle is soft in texture, lacks ability to hold water, and exhibits separation between muscles
• Although PSE pork has acceptable nutritive value and taste, some protein and vitamin loss occurs