Managing Livestock and Poultry

Swine types of housing

Pasture or outdoor without climate controlled buildings

Swine housing

Confinement housesCold- no heat, are used mainly for finishing hogs

Warm-heated, are used mainly for farrowing and young pigs

Confinement houses

Ventilation is used to control temperature, moisture, odor, and airborne diseases

Most NC operations use warm confinement house

Confinement houses

http://www.mtcnet.net/~jdhogg/ozone/pics/nrsrypig.jpg

Location/Equipment

Regulations on Farms due to odorAutomatic feeding and watering are more expensive, but save on laborFarrowing enterprises require small equipment (castrating knives, ear notchers, and needle teeth clippers)

Equipment

Needle teeth clippers

http://www.ritcheytagg.com/

farrowing3.html

Ear notcher

http://www.nationalband.com/

nbtpunch.htm

Poultry Housing Needs

Baby chicks need brooders to provide 90 deg to 95 deg F temperatures under the hover (cover) of the brooder.Temperature is taken about 3 inches off the floor

Poultry Housing Needs

Temperature is reduced to about 5 degrees F per week until it reaches about 70 deg FA hover guard is used the first week to keep chicks from wandering away from the heat

Poultry Housing Needs

Broiler and turkey confinement houses usually have dirt floors covered with wood shavings or straw.

Lights are on 24 hours a day

Poultry Housing Needs

Some turkeys are grown on range or outside, but the trend is away from this method because of land requirements, diseases, predators, and weather

Turkeys

http://www.cyborganic.com/People/feathersite/Poultry/Turkeys/BRKBBWhite.html

Poultry Housing Needs

Laying flocks are using confinement houses with wire cages to save space and to have cleaner eggsArtificial light has to be used because of the required 14 hours of light per day. Automatic clocks control the light

Layer house

http://www.latcoinc.com/

Vaccination and Immunization

Sanitation and disease control is the most effective preventative methodThe purpose is to develop immunity or resistance to diseases

Vaccination and Immunization

New feeder cattle should be vaccinated as soon as they come off the truck at the farmIn poultry, flock treatments using medicine in water, by sprays or dusts, cause less stress than individual bird vaccinations

CastrationRemoving testicles of male animalsYoung- reduces stressMethods

KnifeBloodless- Burdizzo castrator crushes cord, elastrator band cuts off blood supply to testicle

Castration

Burdizzo Elastrator

http://www.pipevet.com/dock.asp?cat=4

Dehorning

Removing horns

Dehorning young calves causes less shock and is easier to do

Methods of dehorning

Chemical- liquid, pastes, or caustic sticks are used on horn buttonMechanical- after button stage

Spoons, gouges, tubes, Barnes type, hot irons, clippers, saws

Dehorning

http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/livestock/beef/facts/87-038.htm

Preventative Maintenance Procedures

Sanitation and prevention of diseases are more effective than treating diseases

Therefore it is a good idea to isolate new animals

Preventative Maintenance Procedures

Castration- do at early age to reduce stress on animals and to prevent male animals from breedingDehorning- do at early age to prevent stress or shock to animals and to prevent injury to cattle, people and facilities by horned cattle

Preventative Maintenance Procedures

Vaccination- to immunize animals- should be done as early as possible.Individual chicken vaccinations should be avoided if other treatment methods can be used

Preventative Maintenance Procedures

Clipping needle teeth- done on baby pigs to prevent injury to sow’s teatsFumigating eggs- formaldehyde used to prevent spread of disease from eggs

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