ANIMAL PRODUCTION UNITS
ANIMAL PRODUCTION UNITS
The Fresno State Beef Unit raises purebred cattle for breeding purposes. The three breeds raised here are: Charolais, Angus and Hereford. The cattle are sold to other cattle producers as breeding stock or kept as replacements for our program.
The Charolais breed came to the United States from France in about 1930. They are solid white and larger in size than the Angus or Hereford. They are polled, or without horns.
The Angus cattle breed originated in Scotland. Angus cattle are pure black and are also polled. Angus were first brought to the United States in 1873.
The Hereford breed is red in color with a white face, chest, underline and tail switch. They are either horned or polled. Hereford cattle originated in England. They were brought to the United States in 1817 and are well known for their adaptability to different climates and fleshing ability.
Our beef herd consists of about 80 head of cattle. All breeding is done by Artificial Insemination (A.I.) and the semen is purchased from sire selection companies around the nation. Sires are selected for their desirable traits. These traits may include, hardiness to disease, fleshing ability and maternal characteristics.
A cow’s gestation is approximately 283 days or 9 months. Cows are bred so that they calve at the same time; this is usually in late fall or mid spring. The cows will give birth in the pastures and are carefully watched by the students working at the unit. As soon as the calf is born, it is weighed and ear tagged for identification. A calf normally weighs 60 to 100 pounds at birth. The calf will stay with its mother until it is about 7 months of age.
Heifer calves will be kept as replacements for breeding and bull calves are castrated and will move into the feedlot when they reach approximately 700 pounds. Some select bulls may be kept or sold to other producers for breeding.
The cattle at the Beef Unit are kept either in pasture or in the feedlot. Once they reach the feedlot, they are fed hay and a concentrate containing corn, ground hay, vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy. At maturity, a cow can weigh anywhere from 1250 to 1800 pounds. A mature bull can weigh 2000 pounds or more, depending on the breed.
Beef cattle that are used for show are very carefully selected for their best overall traits. The cattle are cared for by the students who will show them. They are fed a very special diet to promote excellent body condition and hair quality. The cattle are kept in the barn prior to showing and are groomed and washed daily and taught to lead with a halter. The cattle are shown by the students at different fairs, contests and competitions throughout the year.
The California State University, Fresno Dairy Unit maintains two different breeds of dairy cattle, the Holstein and the Jersey. There are approximately 275 to 300 cows here and about 150 of them are used in the milk string. Each cow in the milk string is milked twice a day and seven days a week, with no exceptions to holidays. Milking is at 2:00A.M. and 2:00P.M. each day.
The Holstein breed is black and white in color. A mature Holstein will weigh 1,600 pounds or more and their milk contains about 3.5% butterfat. Their calves will weigh about 85 pounds at birth. One Holstein cow can produce 10 to 12 gallons of milk a day. This breed originated in the in Holland and Dutch settlers brought them over to the United States in 1795.
The Jersey breed originated on the Island of Jersey which is off the English coast near the coast of France. Jersey cattle are fawn in color with a black muzzle and usually a dark switch on their tail. Mature Jersey cows weigh about 1,100 pounds and their calves weigh about 50 pounds at birth. Jerseys are smaller framed than Holsteins, but they are very well known for their high percentage of butterfat in their milk. A Jersey cow can produce 8 to 10 gallons of milk a day with a butterfat content of 4.5% to 5.5%.
The dairy cows are fed two times per day. Feed intake is very important for dairy cows to promote the production of milk in the cow and provide her with the proper nourishment to produce a greater volume of milk. Dairy cattle primarily eat alfalfa hay and corn silage. All of the milk string is fed a concentrate which can be composed of such things as: rolled corn, barley, protein pellets, cottonseeds and molasses. It is also very important to provide dairy cattle with plenty of fresh, clean and cool water.
During the summer months, water misters installed in the barn help keep the cows cool and comfortable. If the cows get overheated, their milk production volume decreases significantly.
All the dairy cows at the Dairy Unit are bred by artificial insemination (AI). Semen is purchased from sire selection companies from all over the United States and shipped here. A dairy cow’s gestation is 9 months. At the end of the 9 months when the cow is close to calving, she is moved to a pen to have her calf. Students are there to assist her if necessary.
Dairy calves are kept with their mother for at least 2 hours to allow the calf to drink the colostrum, or antibody rich first milk. The cow is then moved to the milk string barn. The calves are kept in individual hutches to protect them from spreading diseases to one another. The calves are fed milk-replacer and grain, twice a day. Fresh water is available to them at all times. The calves move to small group pens when they are 2 months old. The heifer calves, or young females that have not been bred, are kept as replacements for breeding and the bull calves are sold.
During milking, cows are brought up to the milk parlor one pen at a time. They enter an area with low, warm water sprinklers that clean off their underside, feet and legs. Next, they move to the individual milking stall where their teats are cleaned again. Then, the milk machine is placed on the teats and it automatically milks the cow by suction. After about 5 minutes, the machine will shut-off automatically. The cow’s teats are cleaned and she is released back to her pen. Each milking period takes about 6 hours from set-up to clean-up.
All the milk is cooled and goes to a large storage tank. It stays there until the milk truck comes to pick it up. Fresno State uses about 1/7th of the milk for production at the Fresno State Dairy Processing Plant and the rest is sold to a local dairy processing company.
The Horse Unit of California State University, Fresno raises Quarter Horses and Hackney horses. There are approximately 100 horses at this facility. About 25 are broodmares and the rest are weanlings, yearlings and two and three year olds. Female horses are called mares, while a broodmare is a mare used specifically for breeding. A stallion is an intact male used for breeding purposes while a gelding is a castrated male used for work or pleasure riding. Geldings and mares are much easier to handle than stallions.
Peety, our pony!
The Quarter Horse breed originated in the United States and is actually a mixture of many breeds. The desire was to breed a horse that was smaller, quicker, more athletic, dependable and with a good disposition. The Quarter Horse received its name because they were bred to also be the fastest breed at the ¼ of a mile sprint distance race.
Quarter Horses come in a variety of colors and sizes. A mature horse can weigh 850 to 1300 pounds. They are used for both English and Western riding disciplines. The Quarter Horse is an extremely versatile breed.
The Horse Unit at Fresno State breeds all of our broodmares by artificial insemination (AI). Gestation of a mare is 11 months and foals are usually born between February and June. The foals stay with their mother in the pasture until they reach about 6 months of age. Then they are weaned in groups to reduce the stress of separation from their mother.
Next, the foals are halter broke and taught to lead. Students teach them how to stand while being tied-up, brushed and have their hooves cleaned and trimmed. When the horse turns 2 years old, it is ready to be taught to be ridden. All of the young horses at the Fresno State Horse Unit are worked with by students. Once they have some training, they are sold to people who want to ride, show or breed them.
Most of the horses at Fresno State are kept on permanent pasture. Some are kept in stalls if they are hurt or when it is foaling season. Every horse is fed two times per day. They are fed alfalfa hay and some horses also get rolled corn. All of the horses have constant access to fresh water.
At the California State University, Fresno Sheep Unit, there are approximately 175 to 200 head of sheep. The sheep raised here are mainly sold for 4-H and FFA project lambs, meat production and wool production. Some lambs are also kept as replacement breeding stock at the unit.
A female sheep is called an ewe. A male sheep intact and used for breeding is a ram or sometimes a buck. A male that has been castrated and will be used for meat is a wether. There are two breeds of sheep raised here. They are Dorset and Suffolk.
The Dorset breed is all white in color. A mature Dorset ram can weigh 225 to 275 pounds and a mature ewe can weigh 150 to 200 pounds. The Dorset breed is known for being the “ewe breed” because of their mothering characteristics, milking ability and gentle disposition.
The Suffolk is white in color with a black face and black legs. Their head and legs have no wool on them. The Suffolk sheep came from the South-Eastern part of England. A mature ram weighs 275 to 300 pounds and a mature ewe weighs 200 to 225 pounds. The ewes often have twins which are preferred in the sheep industry. The breed is heavily muscled and is known for it’s abundance of edible meat and high quality cuts. The Suffolk breed is often cross-bred with other breeds to add their characteristics to a herd.
There are approximately 125 ewes used for breeding at the Sheep Unit. All of the breeding is done by natural cover, meaning the ram is turned out with the ewes for 2 months. The ewe’s gestation is 150 days. Most lambs are born between November and April. When it is time for an ewe to give birth, she is kept in a pasture near the barn. Students watch the ewes and will assist with the birth if necessary. As soon as the lamb is born, ewe and lamb or lambs are brought into the barn where it is warm. The lambs are ear-tagged for identification and their tails are eventually docked. Lambs usually weigh about 10 to 14 pounds at birth. They are weaned at 2 to 4 months of age.
Once the lambs are weaned, they will stay on pasture. Lambs are marketed for meat when they reach about 100 to 135 pounds, which takes about 5 to 6 months. Some of the lambs are kept on campus for replacement breeding stock, while others are sold to producers, 4-H and FFA kids and some are sold to the Meat Lab for meat production.
The sheep at Fresno State graze on pasture and are fed alfalfa hay and a concentrate which contains rolled corn, rolled barley, soybean meal and molasses. They also have plenty of cool, clean water at all times.
The sheep are shorn or shaved twice a year, once in the spring and once in late fall. The wool is placed in large bags and sold. It is cleaned and used to produce sweaters, blankets, carpet and clothing.
The California State University, Fresno Swine Unit usually has 450 to 500 pigs of all ages. There are about 100 sows and 8 boars. The rest are young pigs. The typical weight of an adult pig is approximately 500 to 650 pounds.
A sow is a mature female that has had one or more litters of baby piglets. A young female that has not had any piglets is called a gilt. A boar is a mature male that is used for breeding. A barrow is a castrated male pig that will be used for meat and ideally weighs no more than 270 pounds.
The Swine Unit maintains four major breeds of pigs. The Yorkshire breed is all white with erect ears. The Landrace is another all white breed but it has long droopy ears. The Hampshire breed is primarily black with a white belt around its midsection. The Duroc is all red. The Yorkshire and Landrace hogs are known more for their maternal ability, while the Hampshire and Duroc breeds are used for meat.
Almost all breeding at the Swine Unit is by artificial insemination (AI). Our own boars are collected and semen is used at the unit or sold to other hog producers. After a sow is bred, she is kept in the outside pens until approximately 5 days prior to farrowing or giving birth.
A sow in a farrowing crate
A sow’s gestation is 114 days, or 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. There are two farrowing houses, which house about 12 sows each. Sows are placed in crates in the farrowing house to reduce chances of crushing a piglet by laying on them or stepping on them. A sow averages about 10 piglets born per litter, with a range of 6 to 14 piglets. Piglets weigh approximately 2 to 4 pounds at birth and will double their weight the first 3 weeks of life. While in the farrowing house, the sow is fed twice a day and given free access to clean, cool water.
Piglets nurse frequently and start to eat regular pig feed at 10 days of age. The piglets are also processed, meaning they receive ear notches for identification and their tail is docked to prevent other hogs from biting the tail. They also receive an iron shot and have their needle teeth clipped. Sows and their young remain in the farrowing house for approximately 4 weeks. The pigs are weaned and placed in the nursery. The sow is taken back to the outside pens and will be bred again in 5 to 7 days.
The pigs remain in the nursery for 4 to 6 weeks and are then moved to the outside barns. It is important to keep pigs in pens with similarly sized hogs. Pigs are ready for market when they reach about 230 pounds in about 6 months.
The Fresno State Swine Unit feeds the pigs a diet of mostly corn and soybean meal. They also receive vitamins and minerals. Pigs are fed several different diets throughout their different stages of life to accommodate their rapid growth.
Pigs are a unique animal in that they do not have the ability to sweat. This makes the pig very vulnerable to heat stress or even death when it is hot. The pigs are kept cool by water misters, shade or mud. In the winter, the pigs rely on their own body fat and their ability to snuggle up with pen mates to keep them warm. Shavings are also added in the winter for extra insulation.
The pig pens at Fresno State are mostly concrete because it is a healthier environment for the pigs. The pens are washed daily to protect the pigs from disease and parasites. This management practice also reduces the odor of the unit.
Pigs raised at Fresno State are used for several purposes. Many of the feeder pigs are sold as project animals for 4-H and FFA market projects. Others are kept or sold for breeding purposes. It is important to note that pigs contribute not only meat and project animals but their by-products are used for many medical, industrial and pharmaceutical purposes.
FARM HISTORY
The College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology is firmly rooted in the tremendously fertile San Joaquin Valley. Instruction in vocational agriculture started three years after the 1911 establishment of Fresno State Normal School. The Agricultural Department began in 1925 and included a biology program. Land was rented for the self-supporting Millbrook farm in 1937. During the early 1940s the curriculum was expanded to include animal husbandry, agricultural mechanics, and food processing. From 1947 to 1954 the first farm laboratory was established at Hammer Field. Leaders in California agricultural industries launched a state-wide fund-raising effort to acquire the State College site. In 1952 the Agriculture Department became the Division of Agriculture composed of three departments -- Agricultural Mechanics, Animal Sciences, and Plant Sciences. Animal science and plant science advanced degree programs were added to the curriculum in 1968.
The College of Agricultural Sciences was established in the late 1960s. The Department of Agricultural Economics was created during the 1969-70 academic year. In 1977 the Department of Family Studies and Home Economics joined the school, which was renamed School of Agriculture and Home Economics. The Department of Industrial Arts and Technology became a part of the school in 1980. In 1982 an advanced degree in Agricultural Business was approved.
Today, the school offers five advanced degree programs. The agricultural laboratory was enhanced by the 1983 addition of the 4,500 acre San Joaquin Experimental Range in the Sierra Nevada foothills. In 1987 the school adopted the new name of Agricultural Sciences and Technology to more accurately reflect the growing emphasis of academic and outreach programs in scientific research, technology transfer, and management efficiency.
A significant addition to the school occurred in 1984, when the California Agricultural Technology Institute (CATI) was founded to sponsor applied research and technology transfer needed by agricultural industries of California. CATI oversees the funding and administration of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center (1985), the Center for Irrigation Technology (1980), the Crop Production and Protection Center (1986), and the Center for Agricultural Business (1986).
The Animal Science Pavilion
