Cattle operations
Part 1: Animal husbandry operations
Teacher notes
There are a variety of animal husbandry operations that are carried out in a beef
cattle enterprise. The location and type of enterprise that is being run determines
which operations are carried out and their timing. Students need to gain
knowledge of the nature of and reason for these operations so they sequence
them into a calendar. Appropriate sequencing of these operations helps
maximise production and animal welfare.
A list of the most commonly carried out operations is included below.
Joining: mating, to produce offspring.
Calving: giving birth, occurs nine months after joining.
Castration: removal of the testes from male calves.
Weaning: removal of calves from their mothers so that they can no longer drink
milk.
Vaccination: injection (usually subcutaneous) given to prevent diseases such as
blackleg, tetanus, enterotoxaemia, black disease and malignant oedema (5 in 1) if
prevention against two strains of Leptospirosis is included then it is called 7 in 1.
Drenching: administering an oral medication to kill internal parasites.
External parasite control may be achieved by spraying or using pour-on or
backline treatments. The use of these depends on the climate, season and type
of enterprise. External parasites that affect cattle include flies, lice and ticks.
Dehorning: may be practised if the breed of cattle typically grow horns, e.g.
Herefords.
Worksheet 1: Activity 1
Activity 1 requires the class to brainstorm all the animal husbandry operations
carried out in a beef cattle enterprise. The knowledge of all the class members
should be used to assist each student to record the names of the operations and
make their own notes so that they can remember what each operation involves
and why it is carried out.
Worksheet 1: Activity 2
The timing of most of these husbandry operations is influenced or determined by
a number of factors, e.g. calving occurs ten months after joining, castration must
be carried out before six months of age. This means that all factors that affect the
timing of operations must be investigated.
In table 1, students list each of the operations and then complete the column
factors influencing time that operation is carried out.
Animal welfare in agriculture
http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/animalsinschools/
page 1 of 2
Cattle operations
Additional resources that students may use to help them complete worksheet 1
include:
Cattle species-specific notes, Animals in schools: Animal welfare guidelines for
teachers, Part B, pages 15–22.
SCARM (1992) Australian Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals:
Cattle. CSIRO, Australia.
NSW Department of Primary Industries, Cattle health.
Bannerman, S., Thornthwaite, S. and Gant, L. (2001) ‘Beef production’ in
Enterprising Agriculture. MacMillan, Australia, pp. 431–438.
Product labels from vaccines, drenches, pour-ons or sprays that may be used
routinely in animal husbandry operations.
Worksheet 1: Activity 3
Activity 3 is a series of discussion questions that should help students to correctly
sequence the husbandry operations to ensure that appropriate standards of
animal welfare are maintained.
Animal welfare in agriculture
http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/animalsinschools/
page 2 of 2