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Daily Management by Livestock Type (Dairy Cattle, Beef Cattle, Swine, Poultry)

Agriculture (SSW 2) · 農業(2号) · Written by Tokutei Pass based on the official study texts; not copied verbatim.

Milking Routine, Mastitis Prevention, Dry Period, and Hoof Trimming

Hygienic milking follows the sequence: clean teats and forestrip into a black strip cup (to check for clots and stimulate oxytocin milk let-down) -> attach teat cups -> remove promptly without overmilking -> apply post-milking teat dip (post-dipping).

Mastitis elevates milk somatic cell count (SCC), detected as gel formation in the CMT/PL test. Because teat canals remain open right after milking, provide fresh feed to keep cows standing for at least 30 minutes, and rapidly chill raw milk to 4°C or below in the bulk cooler.

Stop milking about 60 days before expected calving ('dry period') so mammary tissue can regenerate. Watch for postpartum milk fever (hypocalcemia causing recumbency) and perform functional hoof trimming once or twice a year.

Milking Routine, Mastitis Prevention, Dry Period, and Hoof Trimming

Key points


  • Forestrip into a strip cup to check for abnormal milk, and prevent mastitis with post-dipping and keeping cows standing for 30+ minutes.

  • Chill raw milk rapidly to 4°C or below in the bulk tank, and screen for subclinical mastitis using the PL (CMT) test.

  • Provide a ~60-day dry period before calving, prevent postpartum milk fever, and trim hooves 1–2 times annually.
WordMeaning
forestripping and strip cup
post-milking teat dipping
bulk milk cooler (chills to ≤ 4°C)
dry period (~60 days) and milk fever

Calving Care, Colostrum Feeding, Individual ID Tags, and Beef Management

Move cows nearing calving to a clean, well-bedded maternity pen. During assisted calving, verify the presentation of both forelegs and the head, and pull downward at a backward angle in sync with the cow's contractions.

Clear amniotic fluid from the newborn calf's nose and mouth and disinfect the navel cord with iodine. Because calves are born without antibodies, feed antibody-rich colostrum as soon as possible—within 6 hours of birth and amply within 24 hours.

Under the Cattle Traceability Act, every calf born in Japan must have official ear tags bearing a 10-digit ID number attached to both ears. Beef management includes dehorning, castration of bull calves (improving meat tenderness and docility), and careful vitamin A control in Wagyu fattening to avoid blindness and edema.

Key points


  • Assist calving by pulling backward and slightly downward in rhythm with the mother's contractions.

  • Feed newborn calves colostrum within 6 hours (and within 24 hours) so they absorb maternal antibodies (IgG).

  • Attach 10-digit ID ear tags to both ears of all cattle, and prevent severe vitamin A deficiency (blindness, edema) in fattening Wagyu.
WordMeaning
colostrum and maternal antibodies
10-digit individual ID number (ear tag)
dehorning and castration
vitamin A deficiency (blindness, edema)

Daily Swine Management (Piglet Care, Heating, and All-In All-Out)

Newborn piglets are extremely cold-sensitive whereas nursing sows are heat-sensitive; keep the farrowing room cool for the sow (18–22°C) and use a creep box or heat lamp to warm the piglets locally to 30–35°C, preventing chilling diarrhea and crushing by the sow.

At 1–3 days of age, piglets receive needle-teeth clipping (to protect the sow's udder), tail docking (to prevent tail biting), iron injection or oral iron (to prevent iron-deficiency anemia), and castration of male piglets (to prevent boar taint).

In barn management, the 'all-in, all-out system'—moving batches of pigs in and out of a room simultaneously so the empty room can be thoroughly washed, disinfected, and dried—is essential to break disease cycles.

Key points


  • Keep farrowing rooms at 18–22°C for sows while heating piglet creep areas locally to 30–35°C to prevent crushing and diarrhea.

  • Newborn piglet care includes iron supplementation (against anemia), teeth clipping, tail docking, and castration.

  • Practice all-in, all-out management with thorough washing, disinfection, and drying between batches.
WordMeaning
localized heating (30–35°C) and crushing prevention
iron injection for anemia prevention
teeth clipping and tail docking
all-in, all-out system

Daily Poultry Management (Brooding, Lighting, Debeaking, Molting, and Egg Quality)

When brooding day-old chicks, maintain 32–35°C during the first week and lower by 2–3°C each week thereafter. Chicks huddling tightly under the heater indicate cold, chicks panting far from the heater indicate excessive heat, and chicks spread evenly indicate optimal temperature.

In layer lighting management, never increase daylength during the growing period (to prevent precocious laying), and never decrease daylength during the laying period (maintain 14–16 hours of light daily). Beak trimming (debeaking) prevents feather pecking and cannibalism, while induced molting rejuvenates laying rate and shell quality in older flocks.

Collected eggs are washed, candled/inspected for cracks and blood spots, and packed with the pointed end down and the blunt end (air cell side) up. Interior egg freshness is measured by the Haugh Unit (HU), calculated from thick albumen height and egg weight.

Key points


  • Start brooding at 32–35°C; huddling under the brooder means chicks are too cold, while even distribution means optimal warmth.

  • Do not lengthen light during rearing and never shorten light during lay (14–16 hours); debeaking prevents cannibalism.

  • Pack eggs blunt end (air cell) up and pointed end down, and evaluate internal freshness using the Haugh Unit (HU).
WordMeaning
brooding and day-old chicks
lighting management (14–16 h light in laying period)
beak trimming (debeaking) and induced molting
Haugh Unit (HU: egg freshness index)

Daily Management and Production Process

Practice this chapter in the app

Official references