Agri Books

Animal Science Important Terminologies

1. Species: a group of individuals which have certain common characteristics that distinguish them from other group of individuals.

2. Sire: the male parent of the calf.

3. Dam: female parent of the calf.

4. Calf: young one of cattle or buffalo below the age of six months is called calf.

5. Heifer: the younger female of cattle above age of six months to first calving.

6. Cow: the adult female of cattle from the date of first calving is called cow.

7. Bull: it is uncastrated of cattle used for breeding or covering the cows.

8. Bullock: it is the castrated male of cattle used for work.

9. Conception: the successful union of male and female gametes & implantation of zygote is known as conception.

10. Gestation: it is the condition of female when developing foetus present in the uterus.

11. Gestation period: the period from the date of service (actual conception) to the date of parturition is termed as parturition period or pregnancy period.

12. Parturition: the act of giving birth to young one is called parturition.

13. Lactation period: the period after parturition in which the animal produces milk.

14. Drying off: it is the process of drying a lactating but pregnant cow dry.

15. Dry period: the period after lactation in which the animal does not produce milk.

16. Prepotency: the ability of certain individuals to stamp or impress their characters upon their offspring or prepotency is the ability to transmit characteristics to offspring to a marked degree.

17. Fertility: ability of an animal to produce large number of living young.

18. Fecundity: it is the potential capacity of the female to produce functional ova regards of what happens to them after they are produced.

19. Sterility: inability to produce any offspring.

20. Buller: cow always in estrus condition.

21. Teaser: a vasectomized (castrated) bull used to detect the heat or estrus of female (cow).

22. Veal: the meat of calf below the age of 3 months.

23. Beef: the meat of- cattle past calf stage.

24. Prolificacy: ability to produce large number of off springs. The animal is said to be prolific.

25. Docking: to remove the whole or part of tail.

26. Dehorning: removal of horn from grown animals.

27. Colostrum: colostrum is the first milk of a dam immediately after parturition.

28. Culling: the process of removing unwanted animals from a population.

29. Free martin: when a female calf is born as a twin to a male calf, a sterile female is known as free martin.

30. Grooming: it is the careful brushing and combing of body hair coat.

31. Mohair: the wool of angora goat is called mohair.

32. Pashmina: the undercoat of Kashmiri goat.

33. Pelt: it is defined as removal of skin from day old lamb after slaughter.

34. Weaning: Weaning is defined as separation of calf from its mother immediately after birth or within two or three days of birth.

35. Oestrus /heat: it is the period of intense sexual desire or sexual excitement experienced by female.

36.. Branding: it is the method of imprinting number or any identification mark on the skin of animal by hot iron, chemical or coolant.

37. Tattooing: it is the process of puncturing desired number or letter on the inside skin of ear with the help of tattoo forceps and then rubbing tattooing ink on the punctures.

38. Tagging: it is method of fixing tag to the ear/neck of the animals.