CHAPTER 1:

BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION

5. CATTLE GENERAL
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Domilito V. Bautista

College of Agriculture and Agri-Industries

Caraga State University
Ampayon, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Ph
TOPIC OUTLINE
I. Cattle Identification
II. Animal Restraining
III. Dehorning
IV. Castration
V. Hoof Trimming
VI. Record Keeping
VII.Selection and Culling
 CATTLE IDENTIFICATION

Is a requirement in
Necessary for the daily
management management, to
purposes and to spot and identify a
denote ownership particular animal in
a herd/group/flock.
 For registration
and recording of For individual
the parentage in feeding of
breeding animals.
program/ birth

REASONS
For treating the
animal, heat During milking
detection etc. During sale, for
participation of
animals in the
rally, show and
exhibition.
METHODS

Neck Chain/ Rope Chalk/Grease Marker Black/Light Colored

Paints
METHODS

Ear Tattooing Branding Ear Tagging Ear Notching

(Permanent (Permanent) (Most Popular) (Beef Cattle And Pig)
 TATTOOS

Are easy to apply and are

permanent.
Good readable tattoos are
dependent on good
tattooing techniques.
 BRANDING (HOT OR COLD IRON)
The animals should be legally branded.
The brand must be properly registered by the owner with
the livestock identification office of the municipality
concerned
 EAR TAGS
The flexible, plastic tags can
be bought pre-numbered or
as blank tags.
The producer can use ear
tag ink to number them
accordingly. The tags come in
a variety of colors and sizes.
Selection depends on the
age of the animal and the
environment where the
animal lives.
ANIMAL RESTRAINING
 ANIMAL RESTRAINING
Methods:
 Use of a rope
 Use of a squeeze table/ squeeze chute
 Use of a commercially-made deck chair
 DISBUDDING/DEHORNING

Purpose:
Dehorned animals need less space in the sheds.
Cattle with horns inflict bruises on each other and are a
danger to the operator.
Dehorned animals can be handled more easily.
Prevents the occurrence of horn cancer.
 DISBUDDING/DEHORNING: METHODS
1. Hot Iron Method
 With use of electric
dehorner, bloodless
method and may be
used at any season.
 Under 2 months old.

Hot Iron Dehorner

(Internal Diameter 25-30mm) .
 DISBUDDING/DEHORNING: METHODS
2. Elastrator
 With the use of rubber ring
applied to the base of the
horn.
 The rubber band shuts off
circulation and the horn
gradually comes off.
 It is a painful method and is
used on cattle when the
horn length is about 5-10
cm.
 DISBUDDING/DEHORNING: METHODS
3. Chemical Method
 Caustic potash or
caustic soda is the
common chemical.
 Available in the form of
paste or solution.
 Must be used cautiously
 DISBUDDING/DEHORNING: METHODS
4. Dehorning Saw or Clippers for older cattle
 To prevent the bleeding the main horn artery should be tied
off with a cotton or silk thread.
 Done by sliding a sewing needle under the artery to pull the
thread in place before tying.
 Animal over 6 months old -horn tipping only.
DISBUDDING/DEHORNING: METHODS

Dehorning Knife Scoop and Cup Dehorners

(2-3 months old) (2-6 months old)
* “Removing horns with tools such as axe or hammer
is completely inhumane and is not permitted’’.
 CASTRATION
Bull calves can be castrated any time, but preferably when they
are a few weeks to seven months of age.
Purpose:
To render the animal docile. To induce faster gain in body weight
To prevent certain genital diseases. and to improve the quality of meat.

Castration also results in lean and slender

To control indiscriminate breeding. neck which facilitates the correct fitness of
yoke especially in work cattle.
BURDIZZO CASTRATOR (PINCHER)
BURDIZZO CASTRATOR (PINCHER)
 SURGICAL REMOVAL

Is the most common

procedure, but it is
NOT bloodless and
treatment is required
to prevent screw worm
fly strike, clostridial
infections or tetanus.
 ELASTRATOR AND RINGS

Elastration is a bloodless method

of castration used at an early age
A tight rubber ring around the
scrotum above the testicles shuts
off the blood supply to the
testicle and causes the scrotum
to fall off 10–14 days later, or to
be cut off after several days.
 HOOF TRIMMING

Cattle that are mainly stall-fed without much walking or that live on
wet soft ground develop hoof problems.
Wet weather and muddy ground can increase the incidence of
lameness; sole injuries, infection of the skin around the hoof, and
foot rot are more likely when wet conditions soften up the tissues
and make them more vulnerable to bruising and injury (nicks and
scrapes).
HOOF TRIMMING
HOOF TRIMMING
 RECORD KEEPING
Records help indicate farm productivity.
 It shows list genetically superior cattle that may
be used for breeding, slow-gaining heifers, bulls
that produce undesirable hereditary traits, and
those that do not perform satisfactorily despite
good feeding and management.
 These animals are culled or removed to improve
the herd quality and to increase profit in beef
production.
 RECORD KEEPING
Records help indicate farm productivity.
Good record keeping should include records of the following:

Animal Identification
Mating And Calving
Animal Health
Grazing
Feeding
Weighing; and
Marketing
 SELECTION AND CULLING
Breeding stock with poor performance should be culled for slaughter. They are as
follows:
i. A cow that calves every 1 ½ to 2 years
ii. A cow that produces little amount of milk and raises a small calf despite good
feeding and management.
iii. Small, weak and unhealthy animals which are susceptible to diseases and may
become the source of infection of the herd if not removed on time.
iv. Heifers that do not come in heat in spite of proper age, good size, healthy
condition, vigor or strength.
v. Heifers that fail to meet the standard set for the breeding herd.
vi. Bulls and cows which have undesirable hereditary defects such as inverted teats,
hernia, dwarfism, bull dog, cryptorchidism (failure of one or both testicles to
descend normally), and the like.
 BODY CONDITION SCORE

Body condition scoring (BCS) is essential in any breeding program, and

cattle should be evaluated regularly. Cows should be monitored 100 days
before they are due to calve and their body condition corrected.
Body condition scoring (BCS) is necessary in beef cattle production to
serve as basis for grading of animals due for slaughter. In our country,
PNS/BAFPS 87:2010 Live grading for slaughter cattle and PNS/BAFPS
86:2010 Live grading for slaughter carabao are utilized.
 BODY CONDITION SCORE (BCS) CHART

1 2 3 4 5
CHAPTER 1:
BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION

6. ANIMAL HEALTH
PROGRAM
Domilito V. Bautista, BS

College of Agriculture and Agri-Industries

Caraga State University
Ampayon, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Ph
TOPIC OUTLINE

I. Herd Health Management

II. Health Program for Cattle
HERD HEALTH MANAGEMENT
 HERD HEALTH MANAGEMENT
Herd health management must integrate livestock medicine
with modern production technology.
The responsibility of a programmed health and care and
disease control is equally divided between the veterinarian and
the livestock raiser.
The veterinarian devises such a program with due
consideration to the local conditions and resources while the
livestock raisers implement it with optimal supervision.
 HERD HEALTH MANAGEMENT
Slow growth of the cattle industry in the country may be
partly attributed to:
Low conception rate (<50%)
High pre-weaning and post-weaning mortality rates
(>10%);
Annual death losses in mature cattle (>2%).
HERD HEALTH PROGRAM FOR CATTLE
 HEALTH PROGRAM FOR CATTLE
Period Particulars Remarks
Preconditioning at source Vaccinate against hemorrhagic To prevent infection
(two to four weeks septicemia and FMD
before
transport) Inject vitamins A,D, and E Optional

Good nutrition To build resistance

Detick and deworm To prevent spread of

these parasites to other
areas
 HEALTH PROGRAM FOR CATTLE

PERIOD PARTICULARS REMARKS

During transport Provide enough feed and water To minimize stress

Observe the condition of the

animals occasionally To prevent injuries
 HEALTH PROGRAM FOR CATTLE
PERIOD PARTICULARS REMARKS
Arrival at the farm Observe for clinical manifestations of a Early diagnosis to prevent
quarantine period disease Infection
(first 30 days)
Treat for specific disorders noted of a Isolate
disease

Observe proper care and Management Build resistance

Revaccinate against FMD and Simultaneous vaccination

hemorrhagic septicaemia

Detick and deworm (periodic check) To control ecto- and endo

parasites (every 6 months)
 HEALTH PROGRAM FOR CATTLE
PERIOD PARTICULARS REMARKS
Arrival at the farm Castrate all undesirable males Save the best bull calves base
quarantine period on records
(first 30 days) Vaccinate against brucellosis and All heifer calves (CA)
leptospirosis

Check for scouring and respiratory To ensure cows are

infection in healthy reproductive
condition
Return cows to the breeding herd after
genital inspection

Blood test for brucellosis and

leptospirosis
 HEALTH PROGRAM FOR CATTLE
PERIOD PARTICULAR REMARKS
Weaning period Vaccination against FMD Simultaneous
and hemorrhagic septicemia vaccination
two to three weeks before can be done
or after weaning

Revaccinate against
leptospirosis one to two
months after weaning
REFERENCES
Damron, W.S. (2003). Introduction to Animal Science. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
812pp.

Damron, W.S. (2003). Introduction to Animal Science. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
812pp.

PNS/BAFPS 60:2008 Code of Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP)

PNS/BAFPS 07:2003 Organic agriculture – Specification Part 3: Livestock

Taylor, R.E. & Field, T.G. (1999). Beef Production and Management Decision. Prentice
Hall, New Jersey. 714pp.

Thomas, H. S. (2018). Storey’s guide to raising beef cattle, 4th edition. Storey
Publishing, 2010 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247. p 1-11.
THANK
YOÜ!