Beef and Dairy Production Test
NAME: _______________________________________ DATE: ___________
1) Approximately how many dairy cows are there in Ireland?
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2) Approximately what percentage of Irish farming is beef and dairy?
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3) Briefly describe what is meant by a two year “calf to beef” system.
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4) Describe a named dairy enterprise under the following headings: Health, Diet &
Feeding, Housing, and Breeding.
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5) Describe how bacteria present in a sample of milk may be grown in the laboratory
for counting.
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6) Describe how the health of a calf is influenced by an intake of Colostrum after birth.
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7) Describe how you would manage a dairy enterprise.
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8) Describe how you would rear a suitable replacement heifer (from 0 to 24months).
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9) Describe the feeding programme for a calf from birth to weaning stage.
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10)
Describe the location and the types of meat found on a beef animal.
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11)
Describe the methods used to control the population of micro organisms in a
milking unit on a farm.
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12)
Differentiate between the conformation of a beef and dairy animal?
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13)
Explain how grass yield and stocking rate influence production in a summer
grazing beef system.
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14)
Explain what is meant by a “leader-follower” system of grazing and outline
the advantages of such a system.
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15)
Explain what is meant by performance testing of beef bulls.
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16)
Give 3 reasons why cattle were bred for in the past.
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17)
Give target weights and dates for dairy?
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18)
Give the advantages of AI over having a bull on the farm.
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19)
Give the compositional difference between biestings and whole milk.
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20)
Give the list of animal from best to worst for production of beef.
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21)
Give three rules for successful calf management?
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22)
How are cows dried off?
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23)
How can a farmer ensure that milk production is a low cost system?
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24)
How can diet affect the butterfat content of milk? Give an example.
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25)
How can farmers ensure that they have enough food for their animals during
winter without resorting to buying in silage?
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26)
How can hygiene be improved in a milking parlour?
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27)
How can you prevent joint ill in a newborn calf?
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28)
How can you tell if a cow is in oestrus? In heat? Bulling?
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29)
How can you wake up a groggy calf?
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30)
How do you prepare an animal for winter housing?
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31)
How does the sex status of an animal influence its growth?
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32)
How is milk cooled?
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33)
How is our beef graded?
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34)
How long is their gestation period?
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35)
How many beef animals are there approximately in Ireland?
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36)
How often is their oestrus cycle? How long does it last?
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37)
How would you check to see if a cow had mastitis?
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38)
In relation to a beef enterprise with which you are familiar, describe the
management practices necessary to maximise the growth of weanlings housed
indoors during the first winter.
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39)
In what part of the udder is milk made?
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40)
List the body characteristics to be considered in the selection of new breeding
stock of beef.
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41)
List the feeding sequence from birth to 3 months of a calf.
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42)
Name 3 common beef breeds. Give information as to their colour, weight,
height, conformation, yield etc.
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43)
Name 3 common dairy breeds. Give information as to their colour, weight,
height, conformation, yield etc.
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44)
Name and explain 3 diseases associated with calves?
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45)
Name and explain 3 diseases associated with cows?
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46)
Name and explain 3 parts of the milking machine.
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47)
Name the 3 types of cattle operations on Irish farms today. Indicate which one
is the most common.
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48)
Name two ruminant animals and explain briefly the role of micro-organisms
in aiding digestion in a ruminant.
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49)
Outline a suitable breeding and replacement programme for a dry stock beef
cattle enterprise with which you are familiar.
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50)
Outline a winter-feeding programme suitable for two-year-old beef cattle.
Indicate the average live weight gain.
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51)
Outline the influence of each of the following on the development of weanlings
in a beef enterprise with which you are familiar: (i) management, (ii)
Housing, (iii) winter feeding
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52)
Outline the precautions necessary to minimise the mortality rate at the time of
calving in a dairy herd.
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53)
Outline the principal factors, which influence the management of a spring
calving dairy enterprise.
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54)
Outline the principal factors, which influence the nutritional requirements of
animals in a dry stock enterprise.
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55)
What % of the herd should be replaced annually? Why?
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56)
What do SCC and TBC stand for? Explain.
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57)
What does the term condition score describe?
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58)
What does the term dual purpose mean? Give an example.
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59)
What does the term lactation mean?
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60)
What factors contribute to early turn out of animals onto grass?
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61)
What is a calving jack used for?
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62)
What is a lactation curve?
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63)
What is mastitis? Differentiate between clinical and sub clinical mastitis.
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64)
What is meant by “milk let down”? How can this be promoted?
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65)
What is meant by a “store” in beef farming?
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66)
What is meant by compensatory growth patterns in relation to beef?
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67)
What is meant by grass tetany?
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68)
What does stripping mean? Or strip cupping?
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69)
What is milk replacer used for?
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70)
What is milk used for?
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71)
What is the average milk yield of a dairy cow? What is it dependent on?
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72)
What is the composition of milk? What factors affect the composition of
milk?
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73)
What is the Methylene Blue/Rezazzurin/Dye Reduction Test? What is it used
to show. Briefly explain how you would carry it out.
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74)
What is the weight of a bull, steer and heifer at slaughter?
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75)
What test can be completed on milk to check the quality of the milk?
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76)
What weight should a female calf weigh at birth? At puberty? At slaughter?
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77)
When does the cow reach its maximum potential milking yield?
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78)
When is the only time a cow can produce milk?
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79)
When removing the clusters of the milking machine from the udder, why
must you be careful not to have an “air blast”?
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80)
When should a cow be culled from the herd? Why?
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81)
When should a heifer be mated with/ served?
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82)
Where do we export beef?
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83)
Which of the following produces better beef: cow, bull, store, bullock, steer,
etc. Explain.
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84)
Why are calves encouraged to eat hay and drink water while still on milk?
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85)
Why are calves placed on rotational grazing in a leader follower scheme?
Explain.
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86)
Why are cows fed for both maintenance and for production?
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87)
Why are cows milked? How often does this occur? What are the dangers in
over milking or under milking?
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88)
Why are most calves born in Jan/Feb?
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89)
Why are some calves reared “artificially”?
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90)
Why can farmers not sell milk, which contains antibiotics to the creameries?
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91)
Why do farmers not milk record immediately after turnout of the animals?
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92)
Why do some farmers freeze colostrum?
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93)
Why do we only milk cows for approximately 10months of the year?
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94)
Why does the farmer wash the udder with a warm wet cloth? What does this
do?
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95)
Why is autumn calving rare in Ireland?
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96)
Why is colostrum so important to the calf?
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97)
Why is important for the farmer to ensure the survival of their calves?
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98)
Why is important that the bulk tank is clean?
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99)
Why is it important to check if the clusters in the milking machine are
perished or not?
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100)
Why is it important to cool milk efficiently and fast?
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101)
Why is milk seen as a complete food?
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102)
Why is tail painting practiced?
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103)
Why must you dip the teats in iodine?
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104)
Why must you ensure that the udders are washed properly?
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105)
Explain the following
Terms
Definition
Cow
Heifer
Bull
Bullock
Store
Weanling
Yearlings
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