Cows and Goats Management
Primary 6 · Science and Elementary Technology
Cows and Goats Management
Lesson 4 of 6
14 min
Let's begin
Every morning before school, Ishimwe sweeps out the cowshed and scrubs the water trough. He thought it was just to stop the smell.
Then the vet visited and said something he never forgot: "A clean shed is the cheapest medicine you will ever buy."
Health sanitation means keeping the animals, their shelter, their feed and water, and all the equipment clean, so that germs and parasites cannot spread.
| A healthy animal | A sick animal |
|---|---|
| Alert and active | Dull, stands apart from the others |
| Bright eyes with no discharge | Runny eyes or nose, sunken eyes |
| Smooth, shiny coat | Rough, dull coat, patches of lost hair |
| Eats eagerly and chews the cud for many hours a day | Stops eating and stops chewing the cud |
| Normal dung and clear urine | Diarrhoea, or thick or red urine |
| Breathes quietly | Coughs, breathes fast, has a fever |
| Walks normally; the tail swishes away flies | Limps or will not lie down; milk drops suddenly |
Milk from a healthy udder is almost free of germs, but dirty hands, a dirty udder or a dirty container quickly spoil it. Follow these steps:
Warning
Protect yourself too. Some animal diseases can pass to people. Wash your hands with soap after handling animals, dung or milk, and wear boots in the shed. Never touch a sick animal's wounds or discharge with bare hands.
Tip
Four "cleans" keep the vet away: clean shed, clean water, clean hands, clean udder.
Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
Mutesi's goat has stopped eating, has a runny nose and stands alone in a corner. What should the family do?
Answer: These are signs of sickness. Separate the goat from the others and call the vet or animal health officer quickly.
Why do we remove dung from the shed every day?
Answer: Dung attracts flies and carries germs and worm eggs. Removing it keeps the shed dry and clean and stops disease spreading.
What is a strip cup used for?
Answer: To check the first milk from each teat for clots or blood, which are signs of mastitis.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Put these steps of clean milking in the right order.
Tap the cards in the right order.
