Page 230 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Management of health

Health in dairy cattle can be monitored by observing the following: appearance,
behaviour, appetite and feeding, defecation, urination, skin and coat appearance,
mucus membranes, body temperature, pulse rate and respiration rate. To ensure that
your dairy cattle are in good health and producing at optimal point, you need to
have a disease control programme. This can be made with assistance from livestock
experts. It should include vaccination type and periods, control of worms and other
ectoparasites such as ticks and tsetse flies. The programme should focus on the
most common diseases such as East Coast Fever (ECF), Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis,

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), Black quarter and
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP). Deworming should be done at three
months interval and dipping should be done once or twice a week depending on the
tsetse fly population and tick infestation in the area.

Mating a dairy cow

Cattle become sexually mature (puberty stage) at the age of 18 - 22 months. Allow
the heifer to mate for the first time at any time it shows oestrus after this period. Heat
signs and time for mating are explained in Chapter Seven of this book. For a cow,
allow it to mate 60 - 90 days after calving as it comes to heat. There are two ways

of mating either by natural mating or by Artificial Insemination (AI). AI is done by
a specialised technician. Natural Mating is done by using the breeding bull. Where
cows run freely with the bull, maintain a ratio of 25 to 30 females (cows) to one
breeding male (bull). Observe the re-occurring heat after 21 days of mating to repeat
the mating exercise if necessary.

To stimulate and intensify ovulation and exhibition of notable heat signs, the cow/
heifer is supplemented with concentrates close to mating. This practice is termed as
flushing. The advantages of flushing include the following:
(i) Ensures good condition of breeding females.
(ii) Well flushed females withstand pregnancy better.
(iii) There are minimal foetal deaths during the first weeks of pregnancy in well
flushed females.
(iv) Conception rate is increased by flushing.
(v) Heat signs are well noticed.

Management of pregnant cow
Pregnancy or gestation period in cattle lasts about 280 - 290 days (about 9 months).
Once the animal is successfully bred, the next important step is taking care of the bred

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