Agricultural Science·Livestock husbandry · NSSCO 4.1.2
Digestion, reproduction & lactation in livestock
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How does a cow turn dry mahangu stalks and thornbush grass — food we could never digest — into meat and milk? And how does one calf become a whole herd? In this lesson we open up the ruminant's amazing four-part stomach, meet the tiny microbes that do the real work, then follow the story of reproduction on a Namibian farm: heat, mating, artificial insemination, birth, and that first golden milk a calf must drink.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO Agricultural Science 4.1.2):
- Describe the processes of digestion and absorption in the alimentary canal of a ruminant and a non-ruminant animal
- Explain the significance of microorganisms and enzymes in the digestive system of ruminants (reference to specific enzymes is not required)
- State the functions of the reproductive parts of a named male and a named female farm animal (not poultry)
- Describe the role of male and female hormones in the reproductive systems of farm animals
- Describe the oestrus cycle, signs of heat, heat period and gestation period
- Discuss the advantages of artificial insemination
- Describe the processes of fertilisation and birth in a named farm animal (not poultry)
- Define lactation and explain the importance of colostrum
- Explain what is meant by weaning and how breeding cycles can be managed to increase yield from farm animals
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Miss Olivia and Mike talk through the whole topic — with the figure and working drawn live.