Bovine Top Topics - Anatomy & Physiology Flashcards
(32 cards)
how many hours a day does a cow spend ruminating?
7-8 hours per day
what is the poll?
just caudal to the ears overlying the first cervical vertebra
what are the withers?
bony lump at the caudal aspect of the mane comprised of dorsal spinous processes of thoracic vertebrae
udders are smaller in what type of cows?
beef cattle
what is the mammary vein in cows? why is it important?
large subcutaneous abdominal vein that drains a large amount of blood away from the mammary gland (very large & close to skin surface)
what are short ribs in a cow?
transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae that are NOT ribs
what is the hock in a cow?
tarsus - hind limb
what are the hooks in a cow?
tuber coxae of the ilium of the pelvis - part of the pelvis that protrudes the furthest lateral when viewing the cow from behind
what are the pins in a cow?
tucer ischii of the ischium of pelvis - part of the pelvis that protrudes furthest dorsal when viewing the cow from behind
what is the paralumbar fossa in a cow?
space on the right & left caudal abdomen bound by the last rib cranially, short ribs dorsally, & fold of flank caudoventrally - where you auscultate digestive organs
what are the 4 compartments of the ruminant stomach?
rumen, reticulum, omasum, & abomasum
what is the purpose of the rumen?
~40 gallon fermentation vat - where microbes break down plant material into VFAs for the cow to absorb them for fuel
what is the purpose of the reticulum?
receives small batches of fermented feed from the rumen to send down the digestive track where heavy ingested materials accumulate because it is the most ventral compartment (most cows have magnets to bind metal objects)
what is the purpose of the omasum?
has many folds of mucosa to absorb water from the ingesta
what is the purpose of the abomasum?
true glandular stomach, acidic pH & digestive functions typical of carnivores/omnivores
an average holstein cow produces how much milk in a day?
80lbs/milk/day (10 gallons)
what cow breeds are selected for milk production? why?
holstein, jersey, brown swiss - they produce far more milk than offspring need
how many days out of the year are cows milked? how many times per day?
~300 days of the year - 2-3 times per day
what does ‘days in milk’ mean?
refers to how many days a cow has been lactating
what is the dry period for a dairy cow? what is the purpose of it? how long does it last?
dry period of 60 days prior to devlivering their next calf where they are not milked so the udder has a chance to heal/rest & prepare for their next lactation - cows can devote all energy stores to the last trimester of gestation
when are most dairy breeds bred for the first time?
at 12-13 months per age
how long is the gestation period in cattle?
~9 months
what is the first 30 days after calving called? what is the importance of this time?
fresh period - elevated disease risk!!
when are cows rebred after having a calf?
60-90 days in milk
