Cattle Health, Reproduction & Pastures

This unit develops practical skills in diagnosing and managing common cattle health issues, managing breeding and the care of pregnant females, and providing appropriate care for calves of all ages. It also introduces the fundamentals of converting extra pasture into a grazing or lease-based income stream, building on basic husbandry covered earlier and preparing students for herd production and enterprise planning in the next unit.

Learning Objectives

• analyze clinical signs, basic diagnostic information, and risk factors to identify common cattle ailments and prioritize prevention and treatment plans consistent with safety and regulatory guidelines
• apply reproductive management techniques—including heat detection, breeding methods, pregnancy diagnosis, and nutritional management—to optimize conception rates and maintain health of pregnant females
• demonstrate neonatal and growing calf care practices by performing colostrum management, vaccination and deworming scheduling, routine husbandry, and accurate recordkeeping for health and growth monitoring
• evaluate pasture-based business options by calculating grazing capacity, estimating costs and revenues, developing simple lease or stocker agreements, and recommending management strategies to convert excess pasture into a profitable enterprise