Ethnology practical exam

• Genetic selection in cattle


  • Favours productive, reproductive, and morphological traits associated with great milk production and a longer and healthier productive life
• Traits related to the udder


  • Depth: relationship of the udder floor relative to the hocks
  • Teat placement: cylindrical, spaced and parallel to each other, centred on each quarter and vertical to the ground
  • Attachment: fore udder firmly attached to the abdomen, rear udder high and attached close to the vulva
• Rump


  • Hooks and pins nearly level
  • Long, wide and level rump indicates easy calving
• Frame


  • High body capacity, wide and deep chest, showing a great spring of rib
  • Body depth measures the distance between the top of spine and bottom of barrel at last rib
• Rear feet and leg conformation


  • Sound hind legs decrease cattle leaving due to lameness issues
  • Rear view: hocks should point backwards, legs should be straight and parallel from the rear
  • Rear leg set: angle should be close to 145 degrees, large angles restrict animals ability to move efficiently, acute angles result in abnormal gate with overstepping of the front legs
  • Pastern angles: should be between 45 and 47 degrees, allows the joints to function properly

  
• Areas evaluated in body condition scoring

  • Back spinous process
  • Hocks and pins
  • Tail-head
  • Ribs
  • Brisket
• Body condition score 1


  Extremely thin, no fat in brisket or tail docks, all skeletal structure are visible, no muscle tissue evident, no external fat present, dull hair, survival during stress doubtful
• Body condition score 2


  Thin, upper skeleton prominent, muscle tissue evident but not abundant, some tissues cover around the tail dock, over the hip bones and flank
• Body condition score 3


  Ideal flesh for calving, ribcage only slightly visible, hooks and pins visible but not prominent, muscle tissue nearing maximum, fat deposit behind shoulder obvious, fat in brisket area, tail docks easily felt
• Body condition score 4


  Skeletal structure difficult to identify, obvious fat deposits behind shoulder and at tail head, fat on brisket and over shoulder
• Body condition score 5


  Obese, flat appearance dominates, brisket heavy, bone structure not noticeable, "blocky" appearance, tail head and hip bones almost completely buried in fat and folds of fat
• Deciduous dental formula in cattle


  2 (DI 0/4 DC 0/0 DPM 3/3) = 20
• Permanent dental formula in cattle


  2 (I0/4 C 0/0 PM 3/3 M 3/3) = 32
• Calves are born with deciduous teeth or develop them in two weeks
• Information on ear tags


  • Country's abbreviation
  • 1 digit for competent authority
  • 1 digit for as control or verification
  • 2 digits for autonomous community
  • 8 digits for individual animal identification
• Ear tags must be placed within 20 days after birth, and before the animal leaves the holding
• Information in the DIB (document de identificacion bovino)


  • Owners ID card number, name and address
  • Holding code
  • Species
  • Ear tag identification code
  • Place of birth
  • Gender
  • Breed
  • Dam's identification code
  • Identification code of the holding of birth
• When born, the animal is registered in the official farm book and the official authority must be notified within 7 days after birth
• Computerized databases used for cattle identification include SITRAN, REGA, RIIA, REMO
• Deciduous dental formula in horses


  2 x (DI 3/3 DPM 3/3) = 24
• Permanent dental formula in horses


  2 x (I 3/3 C 0(1)/0(1) PM 3(4)/3(4) M 3/3) = 40-42
• Hypsodont teeth


  Teeth with high or deep crowns and short roots, they erupt through life, body mostly below the gum line slowly erupts to compensate for the constant grinding which wears away 2-3 mm per year, root embedded in the alveolus of the jaw, enamel covers the body, they have peripheral crown cementum over the enamel
• Canine teeth in horses


  Present only in males
• Wolf teeth


  First premolar of horses, positions in front of the first cheek teeth, eruption unilateral or bilateral or blind/unerupted, removed from saddle horses to prevent interference with the bit, emerge between 5 and 12 months of age
• Tooth anatomy


  • C-centrum: calcified connective tissue
  • D-dentin: bonelike material under the enamel which makes up most of the tooth
  • E-enamel: hardest substance in the body, being densely packed with hydroxyapatite
  • P-pulp cavity: includes blood and lymphatic vessels
  • Cups: hollow upper portion of the in-folding of infundibulum
  • Enamel ring: outline of the enamel layer over the infundibulum
  • Enamel spot: deepest part of the infundibulum
  • Dental star: corresponds with pulp capacity, appears as a line labial to the infundibulum and then oval to round as the horses ages, then moves to the centre of tooth
• Shape of horse incisors with age


  • < 10 years: oval shape
  • Around 10-12 years, they acquire a rounded shape
  • By the age of 15 their shape is triangular
• Galvayne's groove


  Linear depression on the labial surface of the upper third incisor, evolves with age
• Bite plane


  As horse ages, bite plane wedges
• Hook


  Forms by the age of 7 on the back edge of the upper third incisor due to lack of opposing surface, disappears by age 9
• All animals within the genus Equus, born after 1st of July 2009 must have a microchip, UELN with 15 digits, DIE or passport, and be registered on the national database
• Information in the UELN


  • First part: 3 numbers for the country which registered the foal birth + 3 numbers for the code of the database where the horse has been registered at birth
  • Second part: horse national identification number given by the stud-book of birth
• Information in the horse's identification narrative and diagram


  • Narrative: written record of the distinguishing marks of the horse, described in relation to their position on the surface anatomy, indicating their size, shape, intensity and colour when possible
  • Sketch: description recorded in narrative, filled in using red and black ballpoint pen to indicate white markings, unpigmented areas, whorls, black spots and marks, primitive markings