CATTLE PRODUCTION

Nigeria is one of the leading countries in cattle production. Many households all over the world depend on cattle production for livelihoods. This course teaches cattle production as well as the business side of it.

About this Course

Cattle originated from the wild auroch (Bos primigenius), which is the progenitor of Bos indicus and Bos taurine. Bos indicus have been in Africa as early as before 2000 BC. Cattle are ruminant animals and they are known as the most common type of large domesticated animals. They belong to the family “Boviae” and prominent modern member of the sub family “Bovinae”. They are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, they are also commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenus. Cattle are usually bred for several purposes such as meat production (beef), milk production (dairy) and other dairy products, and as draft animals (oxen or bullocks) for pulling carts, plough etc. Several other products that can be obtained from cattle include wool, leather and dung for manure or fuel. Cattle are revered as sacred animals in countries like India. Only about 80 progenitors were domesticated in southeast Turkey about 10,500 years ago. Today, there is an estimate of over 1.3 billion cattle in the world. Nigeria has the 5^th largest cattle herd in Africa following Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad and Tanzania, the cattle population, however, is concentrated in the northern part of the country. The country has both indigenous and exotic cattle, at the tone of 99% indigenous breeds, while only 1% comprised exotic and improved dairy cattle. In 2009, cattle became the first livestock animal to have a fully mapped genome. Cattle have one stomach with four compartments (rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum) and they are the most efficient users of uncultivated land and can contribute substantially to crop production. Cattle are ruminants, meaning their digestive system allows use of otherwise indigestible foods by regurgitating and rechewing them as "cud". The cud is then re-swallowed and further digested by specialized microorganisms in the rumen. These microbes are primarily responsible for decomposing cellulose and other carbohydrates into volatile fatty acids which cattle use as their primary metabolic fuel.

Cattle are produced for different purposes and under two major production systems namely dairy and beef production systems. Each system is further classified into sub systems. The beef production system is categorized into cow/calf, stocker and feedlot systems, while dairy production system on the other hand could exist as either intensive, extensive or the combination of the two.

What You Will Learn:

• Introduction of the Program
• Importance and Challenges in Cattle Rearing
• Cattle Production Systems
• Breeds of Cattle
• Cattle Reproduction and Breeding
• Cattle Feeds and Feeding
• Diseases, Prevention, Control and Treatment
• Housing of Cattle
• Management Practices in Cattle Farming
• Steps for Starting Cattle Farming
• Cattle Ranching