Caring For Your Animals

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Caring For Your Animals
Developed by Holly George and Susie
Kocher University of California Extension With
Contributions From Bob Hamblen, Colorado State
University Cooperative Extension
UNCE, Reno, NV
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Well be covering

• Ruminant versus non ruminant digestive systems
• Animal nutritional needs
• Preventative health care
• Additional tips for health and safety

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The three digestive systems

• Monogastric
• Nonruminant herbivore
• Ruminant

www.usda.gov
servicemeansnet/pukite
www.usda.gov
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Monogastric (simple-stomached)

• Simplest of all digestive systems
• Limited capacity, limited microbial action and
  fiber digestion
• Better adapted to concentrated feeds such as
  grains and meats than to roughages
• Single-stomached animals include pigs, fish,
  dogs, and humans

A. Miller
www.usda.gov
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Swine facts

• Pigs are the cleanest domestic farm animal.
• Given a reasonable amount of space in their pen
  or pasture, they will select a particular area
  for manure and not foul their own nest.

servicemeansnet/pukite
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Avian digestive system

• The digestive system of poultry differs
  considerably from other monogastrics in that they
  have no teeth.
• Digestion in the fowl is rapid 2 ½ hours in
  laying hen and 8-12 hours in non-laying hen

www.usda.gov
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Poultry for meat or eggs?

• A laying ration provides 2X more Vitamin A, 2 ½ X
  more Vitamin D and at least 3X more Calcium
• A mature, lightweight bird will eat about ¼ pound
  of feed daily (90 lbs/year) while producing about
  240 eggs or more each year.
• Broiler can gain 2 pounds for each pound of feed
  eaten.

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Nonruminant herbivores horse, rabbit, guinea pig
and hamster
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Horses
UNCE, Reno, NV

• Digestive system and nutrient requirements are
  more similar to a pig than to a cow.
• Compared to cows, horses need less roughage, more
  and higher quality protein and added B vitamins.
• Where no pasture is available, a 1,000- pound
  horse will consume about 25 lbs/day of hay and
  grain, or about 4.6 tons per year.

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Special challenges of horses

• Formation of bones
• Irregular use and/or strenuous exercise
• For increased energy requirements, decrease
  roughage and increase grain
• Limited protein synthesis and poor absorption
  means that they must be fed high quality protein

www.holisticvetpetcare.com
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Ruminants

• No upper incisors or canine teeth
• Four stomach compartments
• More space microorganisms
• Synthesize essential amino acids
• Breakdown cellulose into VFAs
• Includes cows, goats, sheep, elk, deer, bison,
  llamas and alpacas

Beginning Sheperds Manual by Barbara Smith
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Ruminant biology

• Complex, multi-chambered stomach ferments feed
• Microorganisms in stomach convert plant cells
  into usable energy

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The rumen advantage

• Animals with rumens can get more energy from
  plant materials than those without rumens because
  of the fermentation process.

www.usda.gov
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Digestive tract capacities
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Nutritional needs of animals

• Water
• Energy
• Protein
• Minerals
• Vitamins

NRCS, Bozeman, MT
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Water needs
www.usda.gov

• Water needs will vary by animal size,
  reproductive status and weather
• Average animal needs
• Beef cow or horse 12 gallons/day
• Pig 8 gallons/day
• Llama 5 gallons/day
• Sheep or goat 4 gallons/day
• These needs may double on hot days

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ENERGY Carbohydrates and fats

• Grains
• Alfalfa hay
• Silage
• Pasture and grass hay

NRCS, Bozeman, MT
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Energy from feed

• Depends on species digestive tract
• Total digestible nutrient (TDN) measures usable
  energy in a feed for a given species

www.farmphoto.com
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Digestibility of feedstuff by species
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Protein

• Most expensive nutrient
• Proteins contain amino acids, the building blocks
  for muscle, hair, etc.
• Quantity of protein fed is more important than
  quality

USDA-ARS
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Crude protein and stage of growth
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Minerals

• Supplement choices
• Mineral block
• Feed additive
• Water additive

www.cgiar.org
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Sheep mineral requirements vary by

• Breed
• Age, sex and growth rate
• Nature and rate of reproduction
• Lactation
• Level and chemical form ingested
• Overall balance and adequacy of diet
• Hormonal and other physiological activities
  within the animal
• Climate

www.ewe.uk.com
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Vitamins

• Required in small amounts
• Essential for metabolism
• NOT normally synthesized by the body
• Two types
• Fat soluble A, D, E, K
• Water soluble B, C

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 Vitamins for ruminants

• Ruminants produce some of their own vitamins, but
  not all
• Sheep make B, K, and C
• Sheep need A, D, and E in their diet
• Can convert A from beta carotene with good
  quality feed
• Can store enough A for four to six months on a
  vitamin A deficient diet
• Can make enough vitamin D if kept in the sun

www.ewe.uk.com
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Nutrient requirements depend on

• Animals digestive system
• Climate, season of year
• Desired gain
• Work performance
• Production stage (breeding, pregnant, lactating,
  growing, dry)

www.ewe.uk.com
services.means.net/pukite/pig
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Nutrient requirements
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What do your animals need?
servicemeansnet and www.usda.gov
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Lets talk hay
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Hay qualityImportant factors

• Type of hay (alfalfa vs. grass)
• Stage of plant maturity leafiness
• How well it dried after being cut
• Foreign material present (weeds, wire, etc.)
• Storage handling

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You be the judge!

• Color
• Leafiness
• Maturity
• Texture
• Odor
• Foreign material

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Hay Judging Notes
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Your lands feed/forage potential

• Depends on whether you plan to graze animals or
  produce crops to feed animals

NRCS, Bozeman, MT
www.usda.gov
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Defining our terms

• Feed provided to animals
• Measured in tons per acre
• Forage consumed by grazing
• Measured by Animal Unit Month (AUM)
• AUM amount consumed by a 1,000 pound animal in
  one month

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How much feed?
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Calculating forage production

• Amount produced depends on
• Soil fertility
• Irrigation
• Grazing management
• Length of growing season

www.farmpicture.com
www.usda.gov
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Annual feed and forage production
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Balancing feed/hay and forage requirements with
your land
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Seasonal forage availability
UCCE
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Cow seasonal energy requirements
UCCE
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Forage quality versus quantity
High Quality Pasture
Low Quality Pasture
Daily requirement of high quality forage
Daily requirement of low quality forage
Nutrient intake of low quality forage
½ the quality X ½ the consumption ¼ the
nutrition
UCCE
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Providing nutrition year-round

• Purchase feed
• Improve pasture production
• Grow feed instead of, or in addition to, forage

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The normal animal

• Before discussing basic health programs, lets
  talk about the normal animal.
• Attitude and behavior are the first most visible
  indicators of an animals health. Be observant!

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Nutrition and health

• Well-fed animals in good condition are healthier
  and more resistant to disease
• Two categories of disease
• Infectious to put into- caused by parasites,
  fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoa
• Noninfectious - caused by non-living agents such
  as nutritional deficiencies, metabolic disorders,
  trauma, congenital defects toxic materials.

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Preventative healthcare needs for animals  

• Consult a local veterinarian
• Maintain vaccinations schedules
• Record-keeping is a must
• Quarantine new animals

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Deciding what to vaccinate for

• Consult a local veterinarian
• State or local regulations
• Prevalence of disease in your area
• Effectiveness of the vaccine or bacterin
• Cost of the vaccine
• Adverse reactions

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Adherence to drug labels

• Follow veterinarian recommendations
• Follow label requirements
• Make sure drug is species-specific
• Keep records

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Additional preventative care

• Parasites
• Internal
• External

USDA-ARS
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Parasitesbeef example
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Do your animals have access to any of these?

• Toxic weeds
• Toxic bedding
• Moldy hay or grain
• Trash
• Lawn clippings
• Herbicides

www.aphis.usda.gov
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Some weeds may be toxic

• Some are poisonous in some seasons only
• Some affect some species and not others
• Most cause specific physiological symptoms

Poison Hemlock
cal.vet.upenn.edu
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Symptoms caused by toxic weeds

• Gastrointestinal
• Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation,
  excessive salivation
• Nervous system
• Convulsions, coma, muscular incoordination,
  dilation of pupils, and nervousness/ excitability
• Respiratory system
• Slow respiration, labored breathing, rapid
  respiration
• Skin
• Photosensitization
• Reproductive system
• Abortion, deformed offspring

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Causes of nervousness, excitability

• Arrowgrass
• Bracken Fern (horses)
• Choke cherry
• Larkspur
• Locoweed
• Lupine
• Poison Hemlock

Lupine
Locoweed
cal.vet.upenn.edu
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Other tips for animal safety

• Toxic weeds
• Toxic bedding
• Moldy hay or grain
• Trash
• Lawn clippings
• Herbicides

www.farmphoto.com
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Other tips for animal safety

• Toxic weeds
• Toxic bedding
• Moldy hay or grain
• Trash
• Lawn clippings
• Herbicides

www.farmpicture.com
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Other tips for animal safety

• Toxic weeds
• Toxic bedding
• Moldy hay or grain
• Trash
• Lawn clippings
• Herbicides

www.farmpicture.com
57
Other tips for animal safety

• Toxic weeds
• Toxic bedding
• Moldy hay or grain
• Trash
• Lawn clippings
• Herbicides

NRCS, Bozeman, MT
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Other tips for animal safety

• Toxic weeds
• Toxic bedding
• Moldy hay or grain
• Trash
• Lawn clippings
• Herbicides

www.farmpicture.com
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DISPOSE OF DEAD ANIMALS PROPERLY
defendingfarmanimals
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Caring for your animals

• Provide good quality nutrients year-round
• Establish a preventative healthcare program
• Implement health care and safety measures

www.ars.usda.gov