Livestock Diseases, Management, and Production
Livestock Diseases
Anthrax: A peracute, acute, or subacute soil-borne bacterial disease affecting mammals. It is characterized by exudation of dark, tarry blood from natural orifices.
Blackleg: A soil-borne bacterial disease mostly affecting animals aged 2-4 years.
Pneumonic Pasteurellosis: A highly contagious bacterial disease affecting bovines, characterized by bronchitis and pleurisy. Transmission occurs through direct contact.
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia: Caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, characterized by severe fibrinous bronchopneumonia and pleural effusion.
FMD (Foot-and-Mouth Disease): Characterized by fever and vesicles in the mouth, on the muzzle, gums, pharynx, teat, and interdigital cleft. It is transmitted by contact and through milk.
Mastitis: An inflammation of the udder/mammary gland, almost always due to infection by bacterial or mycotic pathogens.
Livestock Management
Record Keeping: Used for culling and selection to improve herd quality and increase profit.
Identification: For management purposes and to denote ownership. Methods include branding with a hot iron, ear tagging, and ear notching.
Facilities and Equipment
- Rack or forage or hay: Two types: overhead and low mangers.
- Feed troughs or bunks: For feeding both grains and silage.
- Self-feeders: Used with young growing stocks and with fattening cattle.
- Corral: Makes handling of cattle easier. It must include at least one large holding pen and a chute or alley to separate animals.
- Squeeze chute: Useful for holding cattle for dehorning, branding, castrating, etc.
- Dipping vat and spraying equipment: The vat is built to dip animals for controlling external parasites.
- Silos: Any storage structure in which green and moist forage is ensiled. Silos are classified as vertical.
- Scale and scale pens: To monitor weight; scale installed in the corral system.
Herd Health Management
Protect from environmental stresses.
Calving and Post-Calving
Separate expectant cows one week before into comfortable quarters.
Important Reminders for Vaccination
- Vaccinate only healthy animals. Do not vaccinate pregnant animals.
- Do not vaccinate during hot or wet conditions to avoid stress.
- Do not use expired vaccines or those with broken seals.
- Store vaccines at a cold temperature (2-8ยบ C).
- Sterilize needles and syringes before use.
- Use approved diluents and mix only when ready to use.
- Burn containers and unused portions of vaccines.
Dairy Production Systems in the Philippines
- Individual smallholder producers
- Smallholder cooperatives
- Commercial farms
- Government farms
Ruminant Terminology
Cattle (Bos taurus)
- Ox: Bovine family
- Bullock: Male cattle
- Cow: Mature female
- Heifer: Young female under 3 years old
- Steer: Male castrated at an early stage
- Stag: Male ox castrated
- Calf: Young ox of either sex
- In calf: Pregnant cow or heifer
- Free martin: Sterile female ox born
- Beef: Meat from mature ox
- Veal: Meat of young ox
Carabao (Bubalus carabanensis)
Sheep (Ovies aries)
- Wether: Male sheep castrated while young
- Stag: Male sheep castrated late after sexual maturity
- Lamb: Young sheep less than 1 year old
- Mutton: Meat of sheep less than 1 year old
- Pelt: Wool and skin of the sheep
Goat (Capra hircus)
- Buck: Male goat of any age
- Doe: Mature female goat
- Wether: Castrated male goat
- Stag: Male goat castrated late in life
- Kid: Young goat of either sex
- In-Kid: Pregnant goat
- Chevon: Meat of goat
- Mohair: Hair cover of angora goat
Cattle Breeds
Galloway: Same origin as Angus
Brahman: Gray or white solid color or blending
Buffalo Breeds
Murrah: From India, block color, 625kg
Philippine Carabao: Light gray, 500 kg, 425 kg milk, 1.45
Thai Buffalo: Black, long hair, massive and strong horns
Goat Breeds
Anglo Nubian: Large, 100-140 BW
Saanen: White cream, 800-900 kg, 275-300
Alpine: Milk yield range 600-900, white cream
Toggenburg: 600-900 kg, 275-300
Philippine Goat: Small, weighing about 20-30 kg, shade color
Reproductive Information
Length of estrus cycle (Cattle): 19-23 days
Duration of estrus cycle (Cattle): 12-18 hours
Gestation length: 283-285 days
Dairy Production Statistics
Central Luzon: 1.32
Northern Mindanao: 0.84
Western Visayas: 0.7
Central Visayas: 0.46
Calabarzon: Top producer of dairy, 1.99/ 29.4 share
Cattle: 29.6% / Goat: 38.3% / Carabao: 32%
Dairy Production Systems in the Philippines
- Individual small holders
- Small holder cooperative
- Commercial farm
- Government farm
Dairy Breeds
Holstein: High milk yield
Jersey: Richest milk
Brown Swiss: Second most productive breed
Guernsey: Royal breed
Ayrshire: Hardy and long-living
Shorthorn: Efficient grazer, easy to manage
Forage
- Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum)
- Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)
- Paragrass (Brachiaria mutica)
- Star grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis)
- Paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum)
- Signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens)
- Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocepha)
- Siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum)
Common Diseases
Anthrax, Blackleg, FMD
Meat Types
Mutton: Sheep, Pork: Pig, Chevon: Goats, Veal: Young cow, Turkey: Turkey, Venison: Deer, Squab: Pigeon, Chicken: Chicken, Carabeef: Water buffalo
Egg Structure
- Shell
- Germinal disc
- Vitelline yolk
- Chalaza
- Airspace
Egg Processing
- Salted egg
- Balut
Egg Production
- 300-325 eggs a year
- Larger eggs as hens grow older
- Highest quality protein
- Leftover egg white
- Fresh eggs