Across
- 2. predation is very common – mostly wild dogs and _____, less commonly birds of prey and crows. _______ are particularly abundant in south-east SA and parts of NSW. Common in pretty much all of Australia except the very northernmost bits of the country.
- 3. _____ and goats have a gestational period of 150 days.
- 5. actual monthly __________ may vary significantly from the average long-term ________. This can affect grass growth, etc etc etc.
- 7. _________ progeny need more nutrition than singles – can separate mothers beforehand so lamb in different paddocks?
- 8. female ruminants should be _____-70% of adult bodyweight when first mated in order to get good pregnancy rates.
- 10. ______ have a gestational period of 280 days.
- 15. only natural mating is allowed in the TB industry – whereas in the standardbred ‘trots’ racing, ________ ______________ (2 words) can be used.
- 20. to __________ loss of offspring on farm: number of females x industry standard for offspring produced per female. What is difference between this number and the number of new babies on your farm? (doesn’t account for loss during conception/gestation).
- 22. extreme envionrmental conditions, especially _____, is one of the biggest killers for extensive livestock offspring. Trees, aspect and drainage can be used to reduce the impact of ____/wind/rain.
- 24. websites like breedplan and sheep genetics can help to reduce genetic causes of loss during parturition by selecting for lower ______ _______ and better lambing ease.
- 27. one study showed that individual lamb survival rate __________ as number of offspring per mother increases.
- 28. in some enterprises, all animals are the same ____ eg broiler chickens, pork finishing etc “all in, all out”. Other enterprises such as a self-replacing merino flock, will have multiple ___ groups.
- 29. female ________ naturally cycle as daylight hits maximum.
- 30. an aim of reproduction is to _______ animals that die or are beyond effective breeding age (cast for age CFA)
- 32. it is impossible to replace an entire breeding female population in one year, unless the minimum progeny per female is ___ (assuming ratio of 1:1 male:female).
- 36. cattle, _______ sheep, and most short wool british breeds are less seasonal / not seasonal breeders.
- 37. reproduction has impacts on ____________ of the herd – more feed/attention required in late preg/lactation, minimise handling during late pregnancy and post-partruition.
- 41. an aim of reproduction is to select desirable __________ in both males and females. Try to improve overall herd/flock _______.
Down
- 1. horses, temperate deer, goats, and long wool British sheep breeds are _______ breeders. – advantage to birth in spring, but not always advantage to farmer who may want to breed out of season.
- 4. various genetic defects can reduce reprod rates (eg _______ calf syndrome or breeds with large heads/high muscling (Belgian blue cattle)) also toxins can have an impact (teratogens).
- 6. the time from mating to parturition.
- 7. reproduction can impact on productivity – must give birth to produce _____.
- 9. some species only on _____ (oestrus) at certain times of year – evolutionary advantage – want offspring born in spring when feed av. high. Receptive to male for a few days – may continue to cycle if mating not successful in round 1.
- 11. a thoroughbreds birthday is automatically the 1st of __________ - so we want the horse to be born right after this, so that when __________ the first rolls around, we already have a big, strong, fit ‘newborn’. Gestation length around 340 days, so we want to get mare pregnant in late __________ to maximise size for ‘age’. Goes against natural oestrus cycles (want to breed when day lengths the longest) – need drugs to alter.
- 12. ovine ___________ causes male infertility.
- 13. it may not be ______________ viable to maximise reproductive success – all animals would have to be in top condition score – costs lost to supplementary feed...
- 14. the ________ of the lamb influences its survival rate. Optimum around 5kg. Bell shaped curve.
- 16. oestrus is reduced post-partum, or if in low ________ _____. Increased when there are males around.
- 17. twin lambs have _____ times higher mortality rate c.f single lambs (33% cf. 11%)
- 18. prolificacy refers to the number of ________ per pregnancy. Eg pigs can have around 10 _________, cows usually only 1.
- 19. may be able to alter seasonal breeders breeding patterns through – altering _____ exposure, using drugs that affect the pineal gland and melatonin production (Regulin), and genetically selecting for particular breeding traits.
- 21. what causes loss? – genetics, nutrition, _________, environmental factors (wind/cold/rain), infectious disease.
- 23. the physical shape of the mother can influence birthing ease. Mother may be too small (weak etc), or too _____ (other problems with giving birth).
- 25. has a long gestation of 336 days!
- 26. female animals should be able to _____ the weight of the male (depending on mating technique).
- 27. reproduction can impact on animal health – sexually transmitted ___________, higher risk of _________ during preg/lact.
- 31. age that an animal can be mated for the first time varies greatly between species. In general, the ________ the animal, the longer it takes to mature. Cows around 15 months, depends on bodyweight.
- 33. gestation of 115 days. Less than a sheep, more than a dog.
- 34. ____ and dogs have a shorter gestation than livestock – 63 days.
- 35. the first _____ after lambing has the highest lamb mortality rate.
- 38. in horses, STDs can also be transmitted from male to female and affect reproduction – EHV3- pustules/ulcers on genetalia. EHV1 – causes _______. (equine herpes virus)
- 39. _____ animals of many species are generally able to mate at about half of their adult bodyweight.
- 40. has a gestation of around 250 days – almost as long as a cow!