Maintaining the Health of Beef Cattle

Beef cattle are comparatively free from diseases causing heavy losses. Nevertheless pay attention to the diseases and parasites discussed below.

Tuberculosis is one of the most serious diseases of cattle. The only remedy is to test the animals regularly and to eliminate those found to be infected.

Splenetic fever is also a very serious disease. The main symptom is a high fever accompanied by loss of appetite, listlessness, and a rundown condition. The carrier of the disease is a species of cattle tick. To eradicate the cattle tick cattle should be repeatedly dipped.

The external symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease are sores appearing on the lower extremities of the legs, between the toes, in the mouth, on the tongue, and on the lips of the cattle. Cattle cannot eat at the time the disease is running, so they lose weight. Recovery is slow.

Influenza and pneumonia have much the same symptoms. They are running at the nose, difficult breathing, and loss of appetite. The most effective method of controlling these diseases is to prevent them by good care and by providing dry, well-ventilated barns.

EXERCISES

1. Find the equivalents for the following words and word combinations:

Лекарство, высокая температура, потеря аппетита, лихорадка, внешние признаки, апатичность, ликвидировать, выздоровление, клещ, выделения из носа, затрудненное дыхание.

2. Do you know some more diseases that can be dangerous for beef cattle? Make a report and tell you groupmates about one of them.

3. Sum up all the information you’ve learnt. Complete the table:

Breeding and Improving

In improving a breeding herd of beef cattle, it is important that the breeder select bulls and cows which produce offspring of the desired type and do it consistently.

Another important factor is securing a high calving percentage. The beef herd on the average farm frequently has a calving percentage of 75 or less (if each 100 cows produced 100 calves, there would be a calving percentage of 100). A herd should be expected to show a calving percentage of at least 95, and a beef breeder should strive to equal or exceed this.

Moreover, prepotency is also a very important factor. It is possible to prove a beef sire at an earlier age because the qualities desired in beef offspring can be checked when young. Uniformity of the offspring in type or appearance and their consistency for rapid gains in weight can be determined during the first year of their lives. If possible a breeder of beef cattle should secure a proved sire. If a proved sire is not available the herd owner should prove the bull in use in his herd through proper records and observations. In proving a beef bull the information concerning the weight of calves he has sired at specific ages such as 6 or 12 months is desirable to note growth rate.

In selecting prepotent cows pay special attention to the weaning weight of the first calf. In improving a herd, choose cows whose calves are the heaviest at weaning age. To maintain a high calving percentage in the herd, retain cows that produce calves regularly and whose milking qualities are good.

EXERCISES

1. Guess the word by its definition:

a) O…………… - the young of an animal.

b) E…………….. – to be greater than, surpass.

c) S…………. – the male parent of a horse or a dog, etc.

d) B……….. – to keep animals in order to produce young ones from them.

e) W…………… - how heavy something is, the amount that something weighs.

2. Practice back translation:

3. Retell the text briefly.

DAIRY AND BEEF CATTLE

Revision

1. Find as many words as possible:

2. Guess the word by its definition:

a) I………….. – an infectious disease or condition.

b) P………….. – the process of making or creating something; the amount produced.

c) S……….. – fodder made from green crops stored in a silo.

d) P………… - land covered with grassthat cattle, sheep or horses can eat.

e) E…………… - the things needed for a particular purpose.

f) G…………. – a plant with green blades and stalkes that are eaten by animals.

g) O………… - the person who owns something.

3. Choose the suitable answer:

1) Good housing equipment is especially important for

a) beef cattle,

b) dairy cattle,

c) beef and dairy cattle.

2) Dairy cattle are kept

a) in smaller confinements, smaller groups than beef cattle,

b) in larger groups than beef cattle,

c) there is no difference in keeping dairy and beef cattle.

3) Good housing equipment is more important for

a) both beef and dairy cattle,

b) dairy cattle.,

c) beef cattle.

4) Why is Bang’s disease dangerous?

a) It can result in abortion.

b) It can cause high fever.

c) It causes difficult breathing.

5) The most important factor in selecting beef cattle is

a) high milk production,

b) age,

c) rapidity of growth.

6) When is good housing equipment necessary for beef cattle?

a) All the year round.

b) Only in winter when it’s too cold.

c) No equipment is needed.

4. Answer the questions:

1) What characteristics should a breeder pay attention to selecting a dairy heifer or a cow?

2) What are the basic types of special dairy barns?

3) How often are dairy cows milked?

4) What other peculiarities of breeding dairy cattle do you know?

5) What diseases of dairy cattle do you know? Speak about them.

6) What factors influence improvement of the herd?

7) Are there any peculiarities in feeding in the period of calving?

8) Speak about feeding beef cattle.

9) What are the differences between providing equipment for dairy and beef cattle?

10) What are the main riles in breeding and improving beef cattle?

5. Compare breeding dairy and beef cattle. Tell about the differences in selecting, housing, improving dairy and beef cattle. Sum up all the information (in writing, to be handed in). You may use any other sources of information. The following words and word combinations will help you.

Let’s compare – давайте сравним,

Let’s pay attention – давайте обратим внимание,

Take into consideration – иметь в виду, обратить особое внимание,

The following peculiarities – следующие особенности,

Besides – кроме того,

Moreover – кроме того,

Nevertheless – тем не менее,

Except for – за исключением,

In spite of – несмотря на,

On the contrary – напротив,

On the one hand – с одной стороны,

On the other hand – с другой стороны,

Consequently – следовательно,

Finally – в конечном итоге.

II. HOGS

Selecting Hogs

 Common breeds of hogs can be of 2 types: the lard type and the bacon type. The lard type breeds have a greater tendency to put on fat than those of the bacon type. Besides the fat from which lard is made, considerable meat for bacon and other purposes is obtained from the lard type animals when they are slaughtered. Nowadays the lard type is frequently called the ‘meat type’ of hog.

In selecting a sow, the primary aim is to secure female that will produce large litters оf fast-growing pigs capable of being fattened to marketable weights of about 225lb at an age of 6 months or less.

Hogs of the so called ‘medium type’ are more desirable than either the small type or the large type. Compared with the large type, the medium type produces a better quality of carcass and can be finished for market at a younger age.

The pig at weaning age of about 56 days should weigh at least 30 lb. the best ones reach 50 lb or more. At 6 month old pig in good condition should weigh upward of 200 lb.

Selecting hogs give preference to a body that is wide over the back and loin. Bacon-type hogs are considerably narrower in body than those of the lard type.

The pedigree (a record of animal’s ancestors) of a hog usually includes the date of birth, number of pigs farrowed in the litter of which it was a member, and the number of pigs of each sex raised. The name and registration number of the pig are given, as well as similar information for the sire and dam and the ancestors for two or more generations back.

Speaking about performance pay attention to the number of pigs in each litter that a sow has farrowed, the number of pigs raised per litter, and the weight of the litter at 56 days, the usual weaning time. A superior performance for a sow is to raise 8 or more pigs with a litter weight of 325 lb or more at 56 days.

In inspecting the offspring the tendency toward uniformity or lack of uniformity among the pigs in the litter is important. Information for two or more litters from a sow is a more accurate test of her prepotency than for one litter only.

In selecting a boar take into consideration the following characteristics. A desirable boar is larger than a sow of the same age. The number in the litter is important because the tendency to produce large litters is transmitted, and the boar as well as the sow has an influence on the prolificacy of the offspring. A boar should be of 4 or 6 months of age at the time of selection, since serious defects in type are not likely to develop after this age has been reached.

EXERCISES

1. Match the word and its translation:

lard

to obtain

a litter

carcass

loin

to farrow

a sow

a boar

a sire

prolificacy

свинья

сало

давать потомство (поросят)

боров

потомство

филейная часть

плодовитость

родитель

корпус

получить

2. Match the beginning and the end of a sentence and translate them:

3. Back translation:

4. Make a plan of the text.

5. Retell the text.

Housing Hogs

There are 2 methods for housing hogs:

· the central, or stationary, hog house;

· the colony, or portable, hog houses.

Central hog houses have special advances on farms where large numbers of hogs are raised. Feed and supplies are stored close at hand. In cold weather, artificial heat can be provided readily at farrowing time. But central hog house is expensive. Moreover, it is difficult to keep conditions sanitary around a central hog house. The best hog raisers are using a rotation of pastures to provide ‘clean ground’ grazing each season. Some hog raisers are building centralized facilities that make it possible to keep hogs confined from birth to market.

For small herds of swine of 6 or 8 brood sows, colony, or portable, hog houses are satisfactory and economical. Portable houses are less convenient than central houses in caring for hogs. More labour is required in caring for the sows and litters at farrowing time and it is more difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature for farrowing in cold weather than in the case with a central hog house. Many hog raisers find it desirable to have a central hog house and several movable houses.

There are certain basic rules for an owner of farm animals: providing the self-feeder and the automatic waterer, raising of pigs on large pastures, controlling parasites and diseases, cleaning and disinfecting, etc. But pay attention to some more factors.

To keep alive a high percentage of the pigs born, an attendant must be present during the time the sow is farrowing.

When pigs are small and easily injured during the first few days of their lives an individual pen is needed for each sow and her litter at farrowing time and for at least 3 to 5 days following farrowing. In cold weather it should be warm.

In favourable weather, move the sow and her litter to the clean ground pasture when the pigs are a week to ten days old.

Large litters can usually be best raised by dividing the litter into two groups, placing one group in a large box, and leaving the other group with the sow for an hour, then placing them in the box and putting the second group with the sow for an hour. Though it is a time-consuming procedure, it is the best way to raise large litters and save a high percentage of them.

EXERCISES

1. Learn the new word combinations:

2. Make short sentences using the words from Exercise 1.

3. Read the text one more time and answer the questions in writing (to be handed in):

a) What are the peculiarities of central hog houses? Enumerate advantages and disadvantages of this type of housing hogs.

b) What are the peculiarities of portable hog houses? When are they used? Why is it desirable to have a central hog house and several movable houses?

c) What an owner should be aware of?

d) What peculiarities concerning pig housing during the first few days do you know?

e) Why are large litters often divided into two groups?