LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IV ( LIVESTOCK REARING )

Introduction

• In the management of livestock there are many activities that are carried out on animals to enhance production.
• They require care in feeding, health, breeding.
• Specific management also important in bee and fish farming.

Routing livestock rearing practices.

• A routine is a fixed/regular way of doing something.
• done repeatedly after a certain period of time

Feeding Practice

• Animals are fed to cater for both maintenance and production requirements.
• These are special types of feeding carried out on certain animals to cater for specific needs.

These include:

Flushing

• The practice of giving extra quality feed to an animal around service time.
• In sheep it is done 2-3 weeks before tupping and 3 weeks after tupping.
• In pigs it is done 3-4 weeks before service.

Importance of Flushing

• It increases conception rates.
• It enhances implantation of the zy
• In sheep it increases twinning percentage by 15-20%.

Steaming Up

• Giving extra quality feed to an animal during the last weeks of gestation.
• In cattle it is done 6-8 weeks before calving.

Importance Steaming Up

• It provides nutrients for maximum foetal growth.

• It helps in the build up of energy for parturition.
• It ensures the birth of a healthy animal.
• It promotes good health of the mother.
• It increases and maintains high milk yield after birth.

Creep Feeding

• Feeding of young animals from birth to weaning.

Piglets

• 10 days old – introduced to creep pellets.
• 5 weeks old – creep pellets mixed with sow and weaner meals.
• 8 weeks old – weaning.

Lambs

• Run with their mothers for natural suckling.
• Bucks – introduced to succulent feeds and concentrates.

Kids

• Meat goats kids suckle naturally.
• Dairy goats, fed on milk artificially,
• Given 0.5-1.25 litres up to the third week.
• Introduced to concentrates at 3-4 months.
• Weaned at 6-8 weeks of age.

Parasite and Disease Control Practices

 

Vaccination

• Introducing active disease organsms which are reduced in strength or virulent into the animals’ body to induce immunity.

Administration of Vaccination done through:

• By injection.
• Orally through the mouth.
• By inhalation through the nose.
• Eye drops.

Deworming

• Practice of killing/removing internal parasites by administering drugs known as dewormers / antihelmitics.

Hoof Trimming

• Cutting back overgrown hooves with the help of a hoof trimming knife, a hoof cutter or a hoof rasp.

     Importance

• Facilitate easy movement.
• Control of foot rot disease.
• Facilitate mating – prevent the ram from injuring the ewe during tupping.

 

Docking /tailing

• This is the removal (cutting oft) of tails in sheep during the first week after birth.

Importance

• Even distribution of body fat.
• Facilitate easy mating in adult life.
• Minimise fouling of the wool with faeces.
• Reduce incidences of blowfly infestation.

 

   Methods of Docking /tailing

• Cutting with sharp knife or scalpel.

•  Use of elastrator and rubber ring.

Dipping and Spraying

• These are methods of applying acaricides on the animals to control external parasites.

Dusting

• It is the application of chemical powders on the animal body or on the walls of the animal house to control external parasites.
• It is used to control stick-fast parasites and fleas in poultry.

 

Breeding Practices

These are practices carried out to enhance successful breeding.

Crutching and Ringing

• Crutching – cutting of wool around the external reproductive organs of female sheep.
• Ringing – trimming wool around the sheath of the penis of the rams to facilitate mating.

Tupping and Serving

• Tupping refers to mating in sheep and goats.
• Serving refers to mating in cattle and pigs.

Raddling

• This is the practice of fitting the rams with breeding chutes which are painted in different colours during mating
• to identify mated ewes and to indicate the active rams hence help in culling of the weak rams.

 

Identification

The practice of putting identification marks on animal.

• Branding – burning marks on the animals skin.
• Ear tagging – placing marked plastic or metallic tags on the animals ears.
• Ear notching – cutting different shapes bearing different values on the ear lobes.
• Tattooing – use of permanent ink or dye to mark animals with light skin.
• Neck strap or chain – Fixing of tags round the animals neck with a chain or a strap.

Importance/ purpose of Identification

• record keeping

• Setting disputes in case animals get mixed up in the pasture.

 

Debeaking

• Cutting about 1/3 of the upper beak with a knife, scissors or hot iron.

 Importance

• Control egg eating.
• Control cannibalism.

Tooth Clipping

• The removal (clipping) of the needle (canine) teeth in piglets 24 hours after birth.

Culling

• Removal of undesirable animals from a herd.

Dehorning

• Removal of horns or horn buds from an animal.

       Importance

• It prevents animals from injuring each other.
• It makes the animal docile and therefore easy to han
• For easy transportation and feeding.
• Prevents destruction of farm structures.

Shearing

• The practice of cutting wool from all over the body of a sheep.
• It starts at the age of 8 months and then done once a year.
• Should be done during the dry season.
• Tools used: wool shears.
• Care must be taken not to cut the skin, testicles, udder, vulva and penis.

Castration

• It is the rendering unserviceable the testicles of a male animal.

    Importance

• To control breeding diseases.
• To control breeding.
• For faster growth rates.
• Increase quality of meat by removing unpleasant smell especially in goats.

Methods Used:

Closed/bloodless method

• involves use of burdizzo or rubber ring and ela
• Animals do not bleed but may not be 100% effecti

Open method

• A surgical method used for castrating cocks, piglets and rabbits whose testes are internal.
• Also used for lambs, kids and calves.
• Animals bleed a lot.
• However, it is 100% effective.
• It is not recommended for mature adults.

Caponisation

• It is the practice of making male birds lose their male characteristics by use of hormones.
• Hormones used include stilboestrol which is injected into the birds when they are one day old and female hormones implanted beneath the skin at the neck.
• Birds which have lost their male characteristics in this way are referred to as capons.

Management During Parturition

• Parturition is the act of giving birth to fully grown foetus.

Parturition in Cattle

• It is referred to as calving.
• Gestation period lasts 270-285 days after conception.
• When the signs of parturition are observed the cow should be separated from the rest of the herd.
• Normal calving should take 2 hours and the normal presentation is the muzzle, face or fore head on top of the forelegs first.
• In case of other presentations the mother should be assisted.

• Provide the mother with plenty of water and feed after par

• If the after birth does not come out within 48 hours a veterinarian should be called to remove it.

Parturition in Sheep

• It is referred to as lambing.
• Gestation lasts 21 weeks (150 days) after conception.
• The ewe lamb naturally without any problem.
• If complications arise the ewes should be assisted.

     Signs of Parturition in Sheep

• Udder becomes full.
• Teats are bright red in colour.
• Restlessness and bleating.
• Slackening of the hip muscles.

After these signs ‘are seen the ewes should be separated from the others.

• The normal presentation is forelegs and head first.
• After birth the mother should be allowed to lick the lamb to ensure the coat is dry.

Parturition in Goats

• It is referred to as kidding.
• It takes place 150 days after conception.
• Nannies carrying twins, kid a few days earlier.
• Kidding nannies should be kept in a clean dry place which should be well sheltered.
• Signs of parturition are similar to those of ewes.
• Kidding nannies should be kept with another female for company.

Parturition in Pigs

• It is referred to as farrowing.
• Gestation period 113-117 days ( 4 months).

Signs of Farrowing

• The sow becomes restless.
• There is enlargement of the vulva .
• Muscles on each side of the tail slacken.
• There is loss of appetite.
• The udder and the teats become enlarged.
• The sow collects bedding material in one comer to build a nest.
• Milk present in the teats 24 hours before farrowing.

After the signs are seen;

• Farrowing takes about 2-6 hours under normal condition
• An attendant should be there to assist the mother and piglets.
• Ensure the removal of the after birth to prevent the sow from eating it.
• The sow should be fed well and given plenty of clean water.

Parturition in Rabbits

• It is referred to as kindling.
• It takes place 28-32 days after conception.
• Provide a nesting box and plenty of dry soft beddings in the hutch towards the fourth week of gestation .

 Signs of Parturition

• The doe plucks off the fur from her body.
• Uses the fur to build a nest about 3-10 days earlier.

 

Bee Keeping (Apiculture)

• Bees are insects which live in very well organised colonies.

Each colony consists of:

• Queens – fertile females that breed to ensure the continuity of the species.
• Drones – fertile males that mate with the queen for reproduction process.
• Workers – non-fertile or sterile females that maintain the colony.

Duties of Workers

• They rear and nurse the brood (eggs, larvae and pupae), queen and drones.
• They collect nectar and make honey.
• They make the honey combs.
• They protect the hives.
• They clean the hive.

Importance of Bees

• Collect nectar from flowers.
• Make honey – a nutritious product used by man as food.
• Helps in crops pollination of plants.
• Bees produce wax used to make candles.
• They make propolis – a bee product which is medicinal.

Routine Management

Siting/locating of an Apiary

Factors to consider;

• Nearness or accessibility to nectar or flower-producing vegetation.
• Areas with shade. Bees are sensitive to the sun’s heat and require some shade to protect them.
• Safe distance from human residence and other livestock.
• Bees are stinging insects and can be a hazard to humans or other animals.
• Nearness to a source of water for use in their nutrition.

• A good distance from source of noise and other disturbances.

• Safety from predators for example honey badgers, ants (safari ants), birds and other parasites such as wax moths.

    Feeding

• Normally bees are self-sufficient in providing their food from the honey they make.
• However, during the dry season, their feeding should be supplemented by providing a solution (syrup) of sugar water or giving molasses.
• This should be placed strategically so that it is easily accessible to the bees.

Parasites

• Ants
• Wax moths
• Bee louse
• Honey badger

Control of Parasites

• Use of physical barriers such as Vaseline/grease to control ants.
• Smoke the hive to control bee louse.
• Suspend the hive to control honey badgers.
• Burn infected combs to control wax moths.

Diseases and Control

• African bees are seldom attacked by diseases.

Harvesting Honey

Factors to consider;

• Stage of ripening: Honey must be harvested when it is fully matu
• Season of the year: Harvested at the end of the rainy season.

Procedure

• Blow light smoke through the hole.
• This makes bees suck honey and become engorged and docile.
• Lower the hive to the ground.
• Open the hive to expose honey combs.
• Brush the bees off the honey combs.
• Cut the honey combs, leaving a small margin on the bars and keep them in a closed container.

Honey Processing

• Using heat in a water bath to melt the honey.
• Crushing and straining.
• Using a centrifugal extractor.

Precautions When Handling Bees

• Avoid excessive smoking.
• This kills the brood and lowers quality of the honey.
• Use protective clothing to avoid sting.
• Protect the hive from rain water.
• Use clean equipment and containers to avoid contamination of the honey.
• Use recommended method of extracting honey.
• Use recommended type of hive such as Kenya top bar hive.

Fish Keeping (Aquaculture)

Introduction

• The rearing or keeping of fish is called fish farming and is normally carried out in specially prepared ponds.

A good fish–pond should have the following features:        

• Site should be on a fairly level ground with a permanent supply or source of water.

• The area should have clayey soil to avoid loss of water through seepage.
• Water must be free from any pollutants such as chemicals and other wastes.

Construction should provide for:

• an inlet for fresh supply of water,
• a spill ­way channel to take off overflow or excess water,
• an outlet to drain off the water when it is necessary to replace pond water,
• a fence to keep off predators and other intruders.

Feeding Fish

• Fish naturally feed on worms, insects and algae in the ponds.

These sources of food must be supplemented by throwing in the pond ;

• kitchen wastes,
• chopped vegetable materials such as cabbage leaves,
• cereal brans
• brewers’ grain .

Management Practices to Ensure Maximum Harvest of Fish

• Control of stocking rate, that is to, have the recommended population of fish in a pond at anyone time.
• Harvest at the correct maturity stage.
• This is done by using the fishing net with correct mesh sizes to avoid catching the fingerlings.
• Avoid water pollution in the ponds which may poison fish.
• Ensure adequate supply of food in the pond.
• Water in the ponds should be kept in motion to facilitate aeration.
• Maintain appropriate depth (level) of water.
• Control predators and/or thieves.
• Drain and refill ponds with fresh water as necessary.

Harvesting Fish

• Harvesting or extracting fish from the fish­ ponds for consumption

Two main methods:

• Hook–and–line method:
• This is slow, injures small fish and is inefficient.
• It is only suitable for small-scale fishing.
• Use of fishing nets:
• This is the most efficient method as long as a net with the correct mesh sizes is used.
• Harvesting may be done 6-8 months after the introduction of fingerlings into the fish pond.

Maintenance of the Fish Pond

• Repairing the dyke or any structure on it.
• Cleaning the pond and removing foreign materials.
• Planting grass where necessary.
• Removing un desirable vegetation.
• Removing the silt.

Fish Preservation

Practices before preservation:

• Clean the fish to remove mud and any worms.

• Removing scales and slime.
• Opening the fish on the side to remove the gut and the intestines referred to as gutting.   .
• Cleaning the abdominal cavity thoroughly.
• Keeping fish in open containers.

Methods of Preservation

• Freezing
• Salting
• Sun drying
• Smoking

Appropriate Handling of Livestock During Management

• Physical beating should be avoided.
• Structures which help in restraining animals should be used whenever applicable.
• The correct methods of securing and casting animals should be used.
• Use as little force as possible.
• Equipment such as ropes, halters, lead stick and bull rings are used to handle animals appropriately.