How to keep livestock healthy

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 Introduction 



In livestock rearing, health is one of the factor to consider as it provides high profits in animal production. 
Health is a condition in which all the body organs or parts and systems of an animal are normal and are functioning normally. The control of Pests and diseases is very important towards the production of animals. On the other hand unhealthy animals or livestock are uneconomical to keep as their production is low.

Why do we keep animals healthy  ?

The importance of keeping animals healthy include:
  • Healthy livestocks produce good quality products. This promote a high market value 
  • Healthy animals grow fast and reach maturity stage quickly. 
  • Good health gives animals a Prolonged economic and production life.
  • Healthy animals reduce the cost of production and maximise profits .
  • Healthy animals will not spread Pests, parasites and diseases to other animals. 

Signs of good health in livestocks 

The reason for observing and recognise the symptoms of ill-health early enough is to take an appropriate action in time and to save the health of animals and maintain high yields. The following are signs that help to identify a healthy animal. 

Physical appearance

  • Behaviour of the animal; A healthy animal should look gentle and produce normal sound. Aggressions and abnormal sounds indicate ill-health.
  • Movement of the animals; A healthy animal should walk with ease. limping or straining when walking indicate the animal is sick.
  • Body posture ; A healthy animal should have the normal posture when lying down or when standing. 
  • Appearance of the animal; A healthy animal should always be alert and should be able to carry its weight evenly. Dull eyes and restlessness are symptoms of ill-health. 

Physiological body functions 

1.Urination

A healthy animal will show regular and normal urination. Abnormal colour of the urine indicates disease. 

2.Defecation 

A healthy animal defecate normally and regularly. Inconsistency in the texture, colour, smell and frequency of Defecation may indicate ill-health. 

3.Appetite and feeding 

A healthy animal will eat and drink well and regularly while an animal with lack of excessive appetite indicate ill-health. 

4.Respiratory rate 

A healthy animal should have a normal range of the Respiratory rate per minute.

5.Body temperature 

The body temperature of a healthy animal should be within the normal range. Below or above normal range of temperature indicate illness. 

6.The purse rates 

A healthy animal should have a normal pulse rate.

Morphological conditions of the animal's body 

This can be observed through the following areas 

1. Skin and animal's coat

The skin of a healthy animal should be always warm to touch, smooth,soft,pliable and moist especially around the muzzle. 
Excessive sweating,extreme dry hair, loss of hair, swelling on the skin,presence of parasites on the skin indicates ill-health. 

2.The visible mucous membrane 

The mucous membrane of a normal animal should be pink in colour, moist,soft and elastic, smooth and well lubricated.unhealthy animal will show a bright red,pale and anaemic, yellowish or bluish mucous membrane depending on the type of disease an animal is suffering from. 

Causes of livestock diseases 

Nutrition causes 

The deficiency of certain minerals in the animals diet may cause diseases or Nutrition disorders. Mineral imbalance problems are common in rapidly growing animals. For example;
-Anaemia due to lack of iron
-Milk fever in lactating dairy animals due to lack of calcium 
-Enzootic ataxia or swayback in lambs due to lack of copper .
-Bovine ketosis (acetonaemia) due to impaired metabolism of carbohydrates and volatile fatty acids
-Osteomalacia due to lack of phosphorous. 
-Curled toe paralysis in poultry due to lack of calcium and phosphorous. 

Amount of food eaten by an animal 

Excessive food eaten by an animal may cause problems especially in monogastrics. It can cause diarrhoea or constipation in an animal. Lack of food or low intake may result in loss of weight, poor health or starvation and finally the animal may die. 

In animal that lacks proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins become emaciated, dull,unproductive and easily attacied by other diseases. Feeding animals with poisonous feed such as aflatoxin can cause ill- health or death. 

Chemical causes 

An animal can be poisoned if inhales or swallows chemicals such as acids, alkalis,insecticides or herbicides. These chemicals interfere with body systems. Other chemicals interfere with membrane permeability. 

Some weeds are also poisonous when eaten by animals in the pasture eg datura stramonium( thorn apple).

Living organisms 

Most of living organisms are parasitic and invade an animals body and cause disease. These living organisms include, bacteria,virus,protozoa, worms,insects and other arthropods. Some cause infectious diseases and others are parasitic in nature. 

Infectious disease causing organisms 

They are microscopic micro-organisms such as protozoa, bacteria and viruses. They invade the animals, multiply and produce toxins or poison which harm the animals body.

Physical causes 

Some animals may develop physical injuries to their body organs or parts such as on the skin. application of pressure on a particular part of the body for a long time as in case of a rope tied around the neck or on foot may cause a physical injury. 

Methods of disease control

Animal diseases are controlled by carrying out routine management practices. These management practices include the following;

  • Proper feeding and Nutrition 
Proper feeding makes the animals strong and avoid deficiency diseases. The diet or rations given to the animals must be adequate in quantity and quality. This provides resistance to diseases. 
  • Proper breeding and selection 
Animals which are healthy and free from diseases or resistant to prevalent diseases are selected for breeding purposes. 
  • Proper housing and hygiene 
  • The houses of livestock should be constructed with the necessary requirements for particular animals. The houses should be well ventilated but free from cold winds. They should have adequate space for the number of animals housed and allow proper drainage. The roofs should not leak and also the houses should be well lit and easy to clean. Livestock houses should be regularly cleaned and disinfected inorder to control diseases. 

Preventive measures for animal diseases. 

  • Imposition of Quarantine
When an outbreak of a certain diseases is identified or notices, the government of a country restrict the movement of animals and their products from one place to another. This restriction of movement of animals and their products is called Quarantine. 

  • Isolation of affected animals 
Affected animals are isolated from the healthy ones and their movements restricted. This is done to prevent the spread of disease-causing organisms to the healthy animals.

  • Prophylactic measures and treatment 
This involves the use of preventive drugs. These measures include use of prophylactic drugs,carrying out regular vaccination, control of vectors and treatment of sick animals. 

  • Use of Antiseptic and disinfectants
Livestock farms should be kept clean by use of antiseptics and disinfectants. They are used to kill bacteria in buildings, troughs and floors of the houses. 

  • Slaughtering the affected animals 
The affected animals with highly infectious and contageous diseases are slaughtered and their carcases are burried deeply or burned to prevent the spread of diseases. 




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