Page 258 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Feeding management of livestock kept for meat

Animals for meat production should be well fed so as to have fast body weight gain
to attain the required slaughter weight in a short period of time. Refer the principles
of feeding livestock detailed in Chapter Five. The required dry matter intake for
large ruminant animals, for example, cattle is estimated at 2.5 - 3% whereas for small
stocks, for example, goats and sheep, dry matter intake is estimated at 3.5 - 5 % of body
weight. For non-ruminants (pigs and rabbits), ad libitum feeding is recommended.
For breeding animals before mating/insemination, flushing is performed and during
the last months of pregnancy, steaming up is done where a good quality and well-
balanced feed is given to ensure proper supply of all nutrients. However, pigs kept
for breeding should not be given too much feed instead they need to be provided
with feeds rich in minerals and vitamins to minimise chances of becoming fat that
may negatively affect their fertility.
Furthermore, young animals for meat production are required to move/stay with
their dams to get enough milk to enhance fast growth. In case of cattle, calves may
move with the dam for about 6 - 9 months of age. As they grow older, they start
eating more grasses and suckle less from their dams. Young pigs have to suck their
mothers until weaning. After farrowing, the amount of milk and food required by the
piglet increases. In this case, supplementary feed should be provided to the piglets
(creep feed) and make sure that feed is available day and night. All animals should
have free access to clean drinking water throughout.

Health management of livestock kept for meat

To ensure that animals are in good health and they are growing well, it is advised
to follow or set disease control programmes under the assistance of the extension
worker in your area as learnt in Chapter Six of this book. The most common diseases
and their control measures for animals used for meat production are shown below.
For ruminant animals (cattle, goat and sheep), vaccination against diseases such
as East Coast Fever (ECF), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Lumpy Skin Disease
(LSD), black quarter disease, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)
and other diseases may be planned and performed where vaccines are available.
Deworming has to be done often using proper antihelminthic under the advice of
the livestock extension worker. Dipping/spraying to animals should be done on
weekly basis using any recommended acaricide. In the grazing system, the grazing
area should be fenced and divided into small grazing paddocks that will be used on
rotational grazing to minimise worm infestation and also to avoid other incoming
animal herds.

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