4 8 livestock health
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Livestock Health
Healthy Animals• Are a large
investment in time and money
• Grow faster and produce more profit for their owners
• Better able to resist disease and stress
Sick animals• Usually display outward
signs of illness• Sick animals may be:
– Listless,– Go off feed and water– Be restless, – Have a dull coat– Emaciated– Feverish
Why do animals get sick
• Malnutrition
• Parasites
• Disease
• Poisonous plants
Parasites
• Worms
• Bloodworms
• Ticks
• Lice
• Mites
• Mange
Worms
• Internal parasites, common in all livestock• Live in intestines• Damage intestinal wall• Drink animals blood or• Prevent absorption of nutrients• May kill sheep & goats• Symptoms:
– Animals are bloated– Emaciated– Poor coat– Low energy
Worm Treatments
• Deworming every 3-6 mos– Serious cases: 2 doses given 10-14 days apart
• Rotate pastures after deworming
• Don’t feed on ground – use trough
• Alternate worming products
External Parasites
• Skin/coat parasites
• Lice, Ticks & Mites are Insects
• Treat with dips, sprays, rubs
• Mange & Ringworm are fungi
• Treat with fungicides
Flies
• Cause infection in eyes
• Uses sprays and masks
Immunity
• Ability of body to fight off disease by the development of antibodies
• Colostrum – – 1st milk after birth– Mothers antibodies are passed to baby– Baby’s intestinal tract will only allow absorption in the
first hours after birth• Babies make their own antibodies in about two
weeks• Vaccinations – allows animals to make
anitbodies to fight common diseases
Vaccinations
• All species have a recommended vaccination plan
• Additional vaccinations needed for pregnant animals
• Many vaccinations cannot be given within a specified period of slaughter
• Never inject into a prime cut in a meat animal• Keep refrigerated
Vaccinations
• Intravenous– Requires training
• Subcutaneous– Pinch skin
• Intramuscular– In large neck
muscles
GUIDELINES FOR PROPER VACCINATION OF ANIMALS
• Use a clean syringe in good working order• Use only the dose directed• Use proper method and proper route• Keep vaccine bottles refrigerated• Do not expose live biologicals to sunlight• Observe slaughter withdrawal time• Do not inject in primal cuts; use shoulder of
neck muscles• Disinfect or change needles for each different
animal • Follow all manufacturer’s directions
Diseases
• Many diseases can be prevented by – Vaccinations– Preventive Care– Adequate nutrition
• Some diseases are not easily preventable
• Some are deadly
• Some cause lower reproductive rates and poor growth
Foot & Mouth Disease
• One of the most feared diseases in the world. • Highly contagious• Affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle,
sheep, pigs and goats.• Symptoms:
– blisters in the mouth and on feet– salivation, – lameness and – decreased milk production
• If detected, the whole herd must be destroyed
Hoof & Mouth Disease
• Outbreak in UK & Ireland in 2001
• Seven Million animals destroyed to contain the disease
• Tourism industry crippled
• Many farms never recovered
Avian Flu
• Highly Contagious virus• Potentially devastating to Va. Poultry industry• All poultry must be checked before slaughter• 2007 antibodies detected• Major outbreaks in 1983 & 2002
– 5 million birds destroyed to contain
• Symptoms: coughing, sneezing, ruffled feathers, swollen heads, nervous signs such as depression, and diarrhea
Biosecurity on Farms
• Keep a “closed herd”– Quarantine & test animals coming in– No shows or fairs, breeding animals– Good fences & buffer zones
• Limit visitors
• Footbaths/wheel baths
• Dispose of dead animals quickly
Calf Scours
• Diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Dried-out mouth
• Can be caused by bacteria, protozoa, or viruses
• Primary cause of calf loss
Colic
• Colic is a disease that affects a horse’s Gastro-intestinal tract(GI tract).
• Generally caused by obstruction in the digestive tract
• Can be caused by worms
• Frequently fatal
Foundering
• Laminitis
• Inflammation of the feet
• Caused by eating too rich a diet
• Very common in ponies
• Very common in springtime
Poisoning
• Pasture plants– palatability
• Biggest problem in early spring
• Can be a problem during drought
• Hay – harder for animals to separate
• Provide salt/mineral• Spray or pull weeds
• Buttercups• Cherry trees• Milkweed• Jimson Weed• Pokeberries• Pigweed• Skunk cabbage
Herd Health Plan
1. Provide adequate nutrition
2. Maintain adequate livestock facilities; avoid overcrowding.
3. Keep facilities clean and disinfected.
4. Use proper immunization.
5. Develop procedure for parasite control.
6. Isolate new or returning animals for 3-4 weeks before combining with herd.
7. Rotate pastures.8. Keep animal stress to a minimum.9. Control possible disease spread by
visiting humans.10.Work closely with veterinarian in
developing prevention programs as well as treating diseases.
Herd Health Plan
11. Drain lots so that they will remain dry and free of stagnant water
12. Isolate all animals known to have contagious infections.
13. Treat open wounds and navels of newborn calves with reliable disinfectant.
14. If cows calve in places other than clean pastures, be sure area is well-bedded and disinfected.
15. Provide plenty of clean, fresh water
Upcoming Events
• Livestock Species ProjectsComplete PowerPoint TODAY
Monday – Handout & Quiz due - FFA
Tuesday – Presentations
Wednesday – Food For America Presentations
Thursday – Food for America
Friday – Guest Speaker – Poultry Farmer
Food for America
• Need stations & guides• 24 groups• 24 stations• Go to advisory, then come to the FFA field• Kids arrive 10, eat 12:30, leave at 1.• High school students clean up & eat after kids
leave• Permission Slips soon - signed by teachers• NO SHORTS ALLOWED!
Sample Class
• Chickens