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Oklahoma Bermuda Grass Native Fescue Bahia ryegrass rye wheat cereal weed brush control pasture pastures brush corn soybeans soy beans peanut peanuts alfalfa clover clovers summer legumes legume graze grazing management cow cattle bull dairy beef pig swine pork chicken chickens poultry sheep lamb goat goats horse horses plant plants vegetables landscape soil hay conservation water quality test testing tomato tomatoes bean beans pea peas corn tree trees watermelon vegetable fruit fruits strawberry strawberries peach peaches apple apples pecan pecans economy economics money plan planning farm agriculture OSU Oklahoma State University O.S.U. Extension coop cooperative Service services office Atoka Bryan Carter Choctaw Coal Haskell Hughes Johnston Latimer LeFlore Love Marshall McCurtain Murray Pittsburg Pontotoc Pottawatomie Pushmataha Seminole county counties sprigs seeded Triclopyr 24-D weedmaster ragweed broadleaf fertilizer urea ammonium nitrate 18-46-0 potash phosphorus PH soil litter oak elm bodark blackberry green briar old world bluestem ladino red bitter sneezeweed horsenettle bull nettle broomweed Sudan haygrazer sulpher Big Blue Little Indian switch midland 99 tifton greenfield Picloram Banvel Dicamba grazing management oats glyphosate roundup trees milkweed rotational rotation sprayer nozzle cluster flat fan yield, hay square bale round moisture prescribed fire feed supplement protein energy minerals vitamins calf calves stockers feeders heifers steers replacement nutrition supplementation reproduction estrus estrus cycle heat detection feed additive implant implants MGA monesin Lasalocid deworm dewormers breeding purebred crossbred mating systems corals fencing mare geldings studs boars sows gilt barrows billies nannies wethers ewes flushing, embryo transfer estrus synchronization selection hybrid vigor inbreeding |
Frequently Asked Questions about Livestock
Answered by Jack Wallace
(The answers to these questions are intended to provide the viewer with preliminary information to direct their further inquiry to sources of more complete, and in-depth information such as the County Extension Educators in their respective counties, and/or Area, and State Extension Specialists)
This question is virtually impossible to answer because each breed has certain strengths and weaknesses which either enhances or restricts its application to certain specific production environments. The better question might be “Which type of cattle is best for my situation?” This narrows the field of possible choices from hundreds of breeds to just four basic “types”. The types include English, Exotic, Zebu, and Dairy. For example, as a commercial cow/calf producer if you accept the premise that the “ideal” steer for the beef cattle industry will weigh from 1000 to 1300 lbs. at harvest, be a frame score 4 to 6, have a ribeye area of 12 to 15 sq. inches, produce a carcass with a yield grade of 2 to 3, and a quality grade of high select to low choice, then the steer calves that you would want to produce would have at least 50% English blood, no more than 25% Zebu blood, or no more than 50% Exotic blood, or no more than 50% Dairy blood. This recommendation is made with the understanding that while its adaptation is reasonably “all encompassing”, there may be those exceptions where environment, resources, management, market, etc, restrict its application to your specific situation.
Experimentally, birth weight can be influenced by a variety of factors. However, extensive research has proven that in all practical, “real life” situations, the birth weight of the sire of the calf has the greatest impact on the birth weight of the calf.
This question might be better answered with several other well-directed questions.
First, is the bull the right “fit” for your production situation? Will he sire calves that will meet or exceed the goals of your operation? Will heifer calves be retained for potential herd replacements, or will all his produce be sold at weaning, or retained through the stocker and/or feeder production cycles? Do his EPD’s meet your specifications? Is he fertile (Breeding Soundness Exam)? Is he structurally sound, in good health, and capable of breeding your cows? Does he have a gentle disposition, or will his attitude pose potential health risks to anyone handling him? Are you buying him from a reputable breeder, performance tested bull sale, approved breed association sale, or A.I. stud (in the case of frozen semen) that can provide you with the information you need and the consideration you deserve?
Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) is the best genetic measurement available to predict difference in progeny performance, and provides producers the best tool available to assist them in their selection decisions. EPD’s are expressed in the units used to measure the particular trait, such as pounds of birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight, carcass weight, extra weaning weight due to the milk production of a particular sire’s daughters, centimeters for scrotal circumference, inches for back fat, square inches for ribeye area, percentage for marbling, and retail product, etc. EPD’s within a breed are directly comparable between bulls in herds the world over, but cannot be directly compared between breeds. A bull with a low birth weight EPD from a large mature size breed may sire calves that are heavier than a bull with a high birth weight EPD from a moderate sized breed. The accuracy of an EPD is a measure of the confidence in the EPD. The higher the accuracy (>0.7) the more confidence you can have that the value the EPD represents will not change over time with additional records. The opposite is true with lower (<0.4) accuracy levels.
First, let me emphasize the need to seek your local veterinarian’s advice in matters of animal health issues! Secondly, the producer must realize that there are two “states” of the disease, the active or acute state where the animal exhibits the symptoms of the disease, and the sub-acute, or “carrier” state of the disease where the animal is infected, but does not exhibit the symptoms of the disease. A vaccine has been developed at Oklahoma State University, but is not commercially available yet that will provide protection against the active, or acute state of the disease. Sub-therapeutic levels of chlortetracycline can be fed to cattle to help prevent an outbreak of the active form of the disease. This regime has been reasonably successful with both unexposed cattle, and cattle that harbor the disease in the “carrier” state. Therapeutic levels of chlortetracycline can be administered to cattle with an active infection and exhibiting symptoms of the disease to prevent their death with reasonable success. However, it will not prevent them from becoming infected again if they are subsequently exposed.
Thirty-eight percent crude protein range cubes are recommended when supplementing dry, pregnant, mature (Spring-calving) cows in mid to late gestation that are in good body condition and consuming ample supplies of low quality warm season forages and/or hays. Twenty percent crude protein breeder cubes are recommended in those situations where more energy is required along with the additional protein because the forage resource is limited in quality and quantity, the cows have higher requirements for energy because of poor body condition, growing heifers, lactation, insufficient incisor teeth due to age, inclement weather, etc.
The popularity of liquid and/or “block” feeds is due primarily to the convenience they offer in saving time, expense in equipment, and effort (labor) over hand-feeding, or other methods of self-feeding supplements. Their effectiveness and economy are limited by both the quantity and quality of forage resources. Limited quantity, and/or poor quality forage restricts the nutritional benefits of liquid and/or “block” feeds because insufficient energy is available to effectively utilize the non-protein nitrogen (urea, biuret, etc.) sources of “crude protein” in the feed supplements. Research has proven that non-protein nitrogen sources are from 25 to 50% as effective as all natural sources of protein in supplements fed on dry, weathered range. The relative effectiveness of NPN increases to about 80% of all natural protein when moderate to high quality harvested forages are fed. So, the short answer is, yes, you can feed it. But perhaps the better question is, can you afford to feed it?
Considerable research has been conducted on this topic, and the bottom line suggests that it is more a matter of timing, skill, and personal preference than it is of which method is better than the other. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages compared to the other depending on the circumstances. Cutting bull calves usually leaves less doubt about whether or not they are completely neutered, while banding bull calves can leave some doubt as to whether or not both testicles were in fact “captured”. However, banding older, larger bull calves can be somewhat less stressful, and with no blood loss, when compared to cutting calves at the same age and weight. The greatest advantage for the bull calf occurs when the testicles are removed at birth, or at least by 4 months of age.
The short answer is, “the least expensive one that meets your cows’ needs”. While that statement is true, in reality the more appropriate answer depends on your own particular situation. Fortunately, Oklahoma soils contain ample supplies of most of the minerals that cattle require, with relatively few exceptions. However, depending on the production system, forage resource, supplementation program, time of year, etc, the mineral requirements of the cattle can vary. Generally speaking, for cow-calf, and stocker operations in the spring and summer months a mixture of two parts of stock salt to one part dicalcium phosphate will suffice as effectively and efficiently as possible. In the winter months, a mixture of one part of stock salt to one part of dicalcium phosphate on dry, weathered, native range or bermudagrass pasture is more appropriate. For those individuals who worry about trace minerals, they can substitute Trace Mineralized Salt for the stock salt in the previously mentioned salt/mineral recipes. Wheat pasture cattle will need a mineral with a higher concentration of calcium and magnesium.
Fescue foot, or fescue toxicosis is a condition (disease) caused by the grazing animal’s reaction to certain alkaloids produced by an endophytic fungus growing between the cells of the fescue plant. The presence of the fungus in the plant imparts certain benefits to the plant such as drowth tolerance, disease resistance, insect resistance, grazing tolerance, etc. However, it causes symptoms such as elevated body temperature, heat intolerance, decreased milk production, decreased average daily gain, rough hair coat, gangrenous sloughing of the extremities, elongated gestation periods (mares), etc. Fescue pastures can be managed to reduce the occurrence of fescue toxicity effects on grazing animals. Grazing and/or mowing the plants to them keep in the vegetative state of growth, incorporating other forage species (clovers) in the fescue pasture, feeding grain or other grass or legume hays while grazing fescue pasture to dilute the amount of fescue being consumed. Remove animals in the late spring when average daily temperatures are consistently above 80 degrees F. Affected animals should be removed from fescue pastures and/or fescue hay if they exhibit any of these symptoms. Mares can be given Domperidone injections during the last weeks of gestation if they cannot be removed from fescue pastures. Most of the toxicity effects are observed in pure stands of highly infected fescue plants that are fertilized and stockpiled for grazing in the winter months, or in pure stands of fescue that are being grazed in the hot summer months. Efforts to eliminate fescue in pastures through the use of herbicides, and replanting non-infected fescue, or other forage species have experienced variable results.
1. What is “Relative Feed Value”, and how do I use it?
“Relative Feed Value” is a term that represents an index that combines into a single number the digestibility of the forage and an estimate of how much forage will be consumed. It is used to compare the relative values of alfalfa hays. To understand where relative feed values of hays rate on the quality scale, an acid detergent fiber analysis of 41% (indication of digestibility) and a neutral detergent fiber analysis of 53% (estimate of forage intake) relates to an RFV of 100. Alfalfa harvested at full bloom would be expected to have an RFV of 100. The higher the RFV, the higher the quality of the forage. High producing dairy cows need a hay with an RFV of about 150.
2. What is mastitis, and how can I avoid a mastitis outbreak in my herd?
Mastitis is a bacterial infection causing inflammation of the mammary gland in the udder (bag) of the cow reducing the quantity and quality of milk produced. It is caused by a variety of one or more circumstances such as; poor milking hygiene, milking machine faults, faulty milking management, teat injuries, teat sores, and environmental populations of pathogens. To avoid “outbreaks” in the herd, producers must pay attention to details. Mastitis can be highly contagious under certain circumstances. Therefore, cleanliness throughout the production environment is critically important. Milking equipment must be properly calibrated and fully functional. Aggressive cows should be culled, facilities and equipment should be in good repair, ponds should be fenced off and/or offer only limited access, and potential sources of injury to the cows should be eliminated.
3. Why is it always my highest producing cows that seem to get Milk Fever?
Milk fever is a metabolic disorder that occurs because of a circulating calcium deficiency in the blood (acute hypocalcemia), with or without an accompanying magnesium imbalance. It most commonly occurs just prior to or at the time of calving in cows 5-9 years old (usually the most productive ages), and is predisposed by an imbalance in the calcium to phosphorus ratio of the diet, elevated intake of potassium chloride, limited magnesium availability, dystocia, metritis, displaced abomasum, and retained placenta.
4. What can I do to reduce stress on cows at milking time?
Make cows as comfortable as possible in all phases of production, and venues on the farm. Provide shade and misters in hot weather, fresh, clean, drinking water at all times. Establish and maintain a proper pre-milking routine. Maintain all milking equipment in a state of good repair, eliminate stray voltage in the milk parlor, and cull aggressive cows.
5. How serious are stray voltage problems in the milking parlor?
Dairy industry experts estimate that stray voltage problems affect 20% or more of all milking parlors. The effects of stray voltage in the parlor on cows include: uneven milk out, extremely nervous or anxious cows, a reluctance of cows to enter the parlor, increased incidences of mastitis, reduced food intake in the parlor, reluctance to drink from the waterers, and decreased milk production.
Goats - Coming Soon
Hogs - Coming Soon
1. What is “phase” feeding in hog production?
2. What are “high lean” gaining hogs?
3. Are crossbred hogs better than purebred hogs?
4. Will inducing farrowing affect pig survival rate?
5. Which method is more effective, “hand breeding”, or “pen breeding”?
Horses - Coming Soon
1. What is a reasonable stocking rate for horses?
2. Which forages are best for horses?
3. How much grain do I need to feed my horse?
4. What can I use to kill horseflies?
5. How often should I deworm my horse?
Poultry - Coming Soon
1. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
2. What is “Exotic Newcastle’s” disease?
3. What is “High Pathology Avian Influenza”
4. What breed of chickens lay the “Easter” eggs?
5. What temperature and humidity do I use to incubate my chicken eggs?
Sheep - Coming Soon
1. Do I need to put those “Scrapie” tags in all my sheep?
2. What are those “haired” sheep called, and what are they good for?
3. What is a reasonable stocking rate for sheep?
4. Do sheep need any supplemental feeding?
5. How often should I deworm my flock?
Berbermuda Grass Native Fescue Bahia ryegrass rye wheat cereal weed brush control pasture pastures brush corn soybeans soy beans peanut peanuts alfalfa clover clovers summer legumes legume graze grazing management cow cattle bull dairy beef pig swine pork chicken chickens poultry sheep lamb goat goats horse horses plant plants vegetables landscape soil hay conservation water quality test testing organic garden gardening tomato tomatoes bean beans pea peas corn tree trees watermelon vegetable fruit fruits strawberry strawberries peach peaches apple apples pecan pecans economy economics money plan planning farm agriculture OSU Oklahoma State University O.S.U. Extension coop cooperative Service services office Oklahoma Atoka Bryan Carter Choctaw Coal Haskell Hughes Johnston Latimer LeFlore Love Marshall McCurtain Murray Pittsburg Pontotoc Pottawatomie Pushmataha Seminole county counties sprigs seeded Triclopyr 24-D weedmaster ragweed broadleaf fertilizer urea ammonium nitrate 18-46-0 potash phosphorus PH soil litter oak elm bodark blackberry green briar old world bluestem ladino red bitter sneezeweed horsenettle bull nettle broomweed Sudan haygrazer sulpher Big Blue Little Indian switch midland 99 tifton greenfield Picloram Banvel Dicamba grazing management oats glyphosate roundup trees milkweed rotational rotation sprayer nozzle cluster flat fan yield, hay square bale round moisture prescribed fire feed supplement protein energy minerals vitamins calf calves stockers feeders heifers steers replacement nutrition supplementation reproduction estrus estrus cycle heat detection feed additive implant implants MGA monesin Lasalocid deworm dewormers breeding purebred crossbred mating systems corals fencing mare geldings studs boars sows gilt barrows billies nannies wethers ewes flushing, embryo transfer estrus synchronization selection hybrid vigor inbreeding