Cattle Raising Honor

Agricultural Activities

Requirements

1. Cite at least 4 characteristics to look for when choosing a good steer.

   Answer: Four characteristics of a good steer: (1) apparent health (bright eyes, shiny coat, no wounds); (2) good build and bone structure (broad chest, straight back); (3) adequate weight gain for its age (check the breed chart); (4) absence of defects (lameness, hernia, eye or genital problems). — A shiny coat indicates good nutrition and health; a broad chest makes room for larger lungs and heart (more stamina); strong bone structure supports meat and milk in the future; breed chart: Nelore at 12 months weighs 250-280 kg; check the teeth for the real age and movement for locomotor problems.

2. Mention at least 25 parts of an ox.

   Answer: Twenty-five parts of the ox: head, horns, ear, eyes, muzzle, tongue, neck, withers, back, loin, rump, tail, chest, ribs, belly, udder/testicles, shoulder, forearm, knee, thigh, hock, hoof, hair, skin, navel. Identify them for the instructor on a real animal or a figure. — The withers (the height of the back between the shoulder blades) is where the height of the bovine is measured; the hock is equivalent to the human ankle; hooves grow 5-7 cm/year and need to be trimmed; the tail functions as a fly swatter; the udder (cows) has 4 teats. The anatomy of the ox is the basis of all veterinary management and production.

3. Know the meaning of the following terms:
   • Forage
   • Arroba (15 kg unit)
   • Corral
   • Crossbreed
   • Cattle chute
   • Branding iron
   • Withers
   • Steer (young bull)
   • Brachiaria
   • Napier grass
   • Kikuyu grass
   • Pregnancy
   • Milking
   • Polled (hornless)
   • Purebred
   • Lactation
   • Pasture
   • Fence
   • Feed
   • Area
   • Heat (estrus)

   Answer: 1) Forage: vegetation (grasses and legumes) used in cattle feeding, both green in the pasture and preserved (hay, silage). 2) Arroba: a unit of weight used in cattle raising, equivalent to 15 kg (corresponding to 30 kg of live ox, since it measures the carcass/dead weight). 3) Corral: a fenced area intended to gather, contain, and handle cattle. 4) Mate: to mate animals, bringing the male and female together for reproduction. 5) Handling chute (brete): a narrow corridor that restrains the animal individually for safe vaccination, branding, weighing, or treatment. 6) Branding iron: a metal instrument heated (or cold) used to mark the animal's skin and identify its ownership. 7) Yearling steer (garrote): a young male bovine, already weaned, in the growth phase (usually 1 to 2 years old). 8) Steer (novilho): a young male bovine, older than the garrote, close to the age of slaughter or of entering fattening. 9) Brachiaria: a genus of tropical forage grass widely used in establishing pastures. 10) Napier (elephant grass): a large, very productive forage grass, used cut for trough feeding. 11) Kikuyu: a low-growing, hardy forage grass, adapted to colder regions and to trampling. 12) Pregnancy: the gestation state of the female (a pregnant cow is gestating). 13) Milking: the act of taking milk from the cow (or goat), manually or mechanically. 14) Polled: an animal that has no horns, whether by nature (a polled breed) or by dehorning. 15) Purebred: an animal pure in origin, whose ancestors all belong to the same breed, with a pedigree/genealogical registry, without mixing with other breeds. 16) Lactation: the period during which the female produces milk, from calving until drying off. 17) Pasture: an area of field with forage where cattle feed freely. 18) Fence: a structure (wire, posts, mesh) used to delimit and contain cattle within an area. 19) Feed: a balanced food, usually concentrated (grains, meals, minerals, and vitamins), provided to complement the animal's nutrition. 20) Area: the extent of land available for raising, important for calculating the stocking rate (number of animals per hectare). 21) Heat: the period of the reproductive cycle in which the female is fertile and receptive to the male, ideal for mating. — Brachiaria is the most planted forage in Brazil (Embrapa launched improved varieties — Marandu, Piatã); Napier is a tall grass (1.5-3m) used in silage; Kikuyu is a low grass for pasture. The arroba (15 kg) is the traditional unit for selling meat; the handling chute is about 80 cm wide — cattle pass through in single file for vaccination or branding.

4. Present a report highlighting the main health problems that affect cattle, pointing out the symptoms and signs, as well as how to prevent and treat them.

   Answer: Prepare a report highlighting common cattle health problems: foot-and-mouth disease (vesicles on the mouth/hoof), brucellosis (abortion), tuberculosis (weight loss, cough), tick/babesiosis (fever, anemia), warble fly (skin lesions). Symptoms, prevention (vaccination, clean management), and treatment (specific veterinary medication). — Foot-and-mouth disease is a viral disease controlled by mandatory vaccination (annual MAPA campaigns); brucellosis is a zoonosis (transmissible to humans), causing abortions in cows and infertility; the warble fly is a rural pest — annual vaccination is the main prevention. The tick transmits babesia and anaplasma, controlled with acaricide baths.

5. What is castration and what is its purpose?

   Answer: Castration: removal of the testicles of the male bovine (surgery or a Burdizzo elastic ring). Purposes: males become more docile and easier to handle, gain more weight (more tender meat), are sold at a better price, prevent unwanted mating, and reduce aggressiveness among them in the herd. — Chemical castration (Burdizzo ring) is cheaper and faster than surgical; ideal between 2-6 months of age when the trauma is less; castrated oxen (steers) gain 10-20% more weight than uncastrated bulls; the meat has better tenderness from having more intramuscular fat (marbling). A common veterinary procedure in Brazil.

6. What is dehorning? Why are the horns removed? What is the best age to perform this procedure?

   Answer: Dehorning: removal of cattle's horns (hot — thermal disbudding iron, or cold — caustic paste). Why: horns cause injuries among cattle and to humans during handling, hinder transport, and injure mucous membranes. Best age: 2-8 weeks (the horn bud is still soft, recovery is quick and painless). — Thermal dehorning uses a 600°C electric iron applied for 8-10 seconds to the horn bud — it destroys the growth base; caustic paste (calcium + sodium hydroxide) is cheaper and painless but requires eye protection; after 8 weeks the bony base begins to calcify and the procedure becomes more traumatic.

7. What is the best period for weaning calves?

   Answer: Best period: 7-9 months for beef calves, 60-90 days for dairy calves (leaving the cow free for a new lactation). Weaning separates the calf from its mother gradually — it can be abrupt (removing it all at once) or gradual (with anti-suckling nose flaps that bother the calf and prevent it from nursing). — Dairy calves are weaned early (60-90 days) to free the cow for new commercial production; beef calves stay longer (7-9 months) since they are right out in the field with their mother. Plastic nose flaps (with pins) prevent nursing but allow grazing — a gradual method that is less stressful for everyone.

8. What facilities are necessary for raising cattle?

   Answer: Facilities: corral (a fenced area to gather and handle), handling chute (a corridor for vaccination), squeeze chute (head restrained for procedures), drinkers and feed troughs (water and feed), covered shed or barn (shade/shelter), electric or wire fence to divide pasture, acaricide dipping bath. — A typical corral has 100-300 m² for 50 head; the handling chute is a corridor 80 cm wide by 15 m; an electric fence is more economical than barbed wire; the drinker has 5 cm/head of length; the acaricide bath (an area with the product) is weekly in tick zones. Embrapa Dairy Cattle publishes standards.

9. Why is it better to place food and water on opposite sides of the barn?

   Answer: It is better to place food and water on opposite sides of the barn to force the cattle to move — exercise promotes healthy digestion, distributes trampling (it does not compact the soil at a single point), avoids the accumulation of dung in one area only, and reduces competitive crowding among animals during feeding. — Confined cattle that remain still develop hoof and digestive problems; moving around the barn is equivalent to light daily exercise; distributing trampling reduces soil erosion; separating areas (eating + drinking + sleeping) is a principle of animal welfare recommended by Embrapa veterinarians.

10. Identify, live or by means of images, 3 breeds of beef cattle and 3 breeds of dairy cattle.

    Answer: Beef cattle: Nelore (zebu, the most used in Brazil), Angus (black, quality meat), Hereford (red with a white face). Dairy cattle: Holstein (black and white, high production), Jersey (small, rich milk), Gir (zebu, adapted to hot climates). Identify each breed with a photo or a real animal. — Brazil has 80% of its herd in Nelore (Bos indicus, adapted to heat); Angus produces premium marbled meat; the Holstein is the most productive dairy cow in the world (up to 50 L/day); Jersey produces less (20 L/day) but milk with more fat — great for cheese. Gir is the Brazilian tropical dairy breed, the basis of the Girolando hybrid.

11. Report on the care, management, and type of feeding needed for cattle in the following situations:
    • First 90 days
    • From 90 to 180 days
    • From 180 days until the time of sale

    Answer: 1) First 90 days: the calf depends on its mother's milk (or a milk replacer). Offer creep feeding (concentrate in a private trough, accessible only to the calves) and clean water to stimulate the development of the rumen, in addition to good-quality green pasture. Care: healing and disinfection of the navel at birth, ensuring colostrum intake in the first hours, basic vaccination, and a clean, dry environment to avoid diarrhea and pneumonia. 2) From 90 to 180 days: the weaning and growth phase. Management: good-quality pasture supplemented with feed/mineral supplement, dehorning (when necessary), castration of males not intended for reproduction, vaccination (foot-and-mouth disease and others on the schedule), and deworming. Make the dietary transition gradually to avoid stress at weaning. 3) From 180 days until sale: the rearing and fattening phase. Management: well-managed main pasture and balanced feed for weight gain, mineral supplementation ad libitum, periodic control of worms, ticks, and warble flies, and monitoring of weight until reaching the ideal point of slaughter/sale. Ensure abundant water and shade in the pasture. — Creep feeding is the practice of providing selective concentrate in an area that only small calves can enter (a reduced opening) — it accelerates growth; foot-and-mouth disease vaccination is mandatory 2x/year; deworming every 3 months controls parasites. Protein supplementation in the dry season (mineral salt) is a differentiator on modern Brazilian farms.

12. How can a heifer be trained so that it becomes a gentle cow?

    Answer: To tame a heifer: daily contact from early on (stroking it, speaking softly), offering feed by hand (it creates a positive association), leading it with a halter (always slowly, without violence), avoiding sudden movements, rewarding it with affection after procedures. Consistent training of 30-60 minutes a day for 2-3 months gives results. — The critical socialization period of cattle is in the first 3-6 months of life — a calf accustomed to people becomes a docile cow; the method of Temple Grandin (an autistic pioneer in animal welfare) revolutionized low-stress handling; reward with feed works better than punishment; avoiding running and shouting is fundamental.

13. Care for 1 or more calves for a minimum period of 6 months.

    Answer: Care for 1 or more calves for a minimum of 6 months (on a family or partner property). Tasks: daily feeding (milk, feed, grass), cleaning the barn, vaccination according to the schedule, monthly weighing to track gain, treatment of minor injuries. Document it in a diary for the instructor. — A healthy calf gains 600-800 g/day in the first months; the vaccination schedule includes foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, rabies, and clostridial diseases; monthly weighing uses a scale or a chest measuring tape (an estimate); a diary with photos, health notes, and weight gain is proof of the work during the 6 months for the instructor.

14. Visit a rural property where cattle raising is practiced and prepare a report of at least 300 words highlighting the main activities carried out there, as well as your lived experience in fulfilling the requirements of this Honor.

    Answer: Visit a rural property with cattle raising and write a report of 300+ words about: the activities observed (management, milking, or calf raising), the techniques (extensive, semi-intensive, or feedlot), the sanitary care (vaccination, deworming), the trade of the product, and your personal experience learned. — Extensive cattle raising (90% of Brazil): cattle loose on pasture, low investment, low productivity; semi-intensive: combines pasture + supplementation; feedlot: cattle in corrals with balanced feed, high productivity but high cost. Embrapa Beef Cattle and Embrapa Dairy Cattle receive visits from schools and from the club.