RUMINANT UNIT OF EBSU FARM – AGRICULTURE

This is a unit where big and small ruminant are kept which include cattle for big ruminant and goat and sheep for small ruminant. It is made up of different structure which has different functions. These include.

Chute: This is constructed for handling the farm animals when performing such a medication.

Feeding trough: this is constructed with reinforced cement concrete brick and it is where feed are placed for the farm animal and the depth and shapes varies according to livestock.

Water trough: it is also constructed which reinforced cement placed for the farm animal

-controlled environment or shade 

(a)       Taking the cattles out into the field for grazing this was a daily practice carried out, where the cattle is released at every morning by 8.00am to 12.00pm and in the evening by 2.00pm to 5.00pm. The same time goats and sheep are taken out for their grazing.                                         Observing the type of grasses and leguminous grasses they feed on. We took our time to monitor different kind of pasture and also to know the most palatable grasses or leguminous grasses they feed on. This grasses and leguminous grasses include.

– Carpet grass

-Spear grass

– guinea grass

– Elephant grass

– centro sema pubeseen 

(c) – medication: ivermentin injection was given subcutaneously  against endo and ecto parasite infestation. This endoparaiste which include intestinal worm while ectoparaiste include mange and this drug tends to out compete the organism through paralysis with ATP.

            After medication was applied the environment should be disinfected with dizetoly or parmentin and the environment is allowed to dry up after 2 weeks before restocking. Ectoparasite may also come with other infection like paraplosmosis which affects the nucleus and the red blood cell of the blood. dosage

(d) Determination of Oestrus cycle of the ruminant animals: Oestrus cycle which is the period of sexual receptivity in females that is the period which they are willing to mate with the male. The time of oestrus for cattle ranges from 10-26 hours and wiling that of goat ranges 24-50 hours. I also come to understand that the reappearance of the oestrus cycle after parturition varies in ruminant for cow, it is 7-8 weeks after calving while for goat it is 8-19 days after kidding.

(e) Sanitation: This is routine practices which include removal of leftovers of debris in the small ruminant pen, cleaning up of the feed and water troughs and also packing out of cattle dung and also elimination of pest harborage.