BASIC TERMINOLOGIES USED IN RUMINANT PRODUCTION

Definitions of some terms used in Dairy Farming:

• Antibiotic Infusion - commonly used in introduction of antibiotic through the teat canal.
• Calf starter - high energy, high protein concentrate feed for dairy calf Calving - the act of
giving birth
• Churn - to agitate causing the separation of free fat in milk or cream
Curd - the solid mass resulting from the cutting and heating of the coagulum formed by the
clotting of milk be rennet or acid
• Dairy beef - denotes steers of dairy breeds grown and finished the same way as beef steers.
It also includes all cows, heifer, culls and calves including veal calves
• Dry cow - a non-lactating cow
• Rennet - a commercial preparation containing rennin
Rennin- a protein-splitting enzyme, prepared from the abomasums of the calf, possessing the
property of clotting milk
• Starters - culture of lactic streptococci added to milk to promote acid development
• Veal - meat from veal calves
• Veal calves - calves fed all liquid diets and raised for meat production.

Definitions of some terms used in Beef Cattle Production:

• Acaricide - a substance or a preparation used in killing ticks and mites
• Anthelmintic - a drug administered as drench, bolus, injectable or mixed in feed to get rid of
intestinal parasites.
• Antiseptic - one that prevents or arrests the growth of action of microorganisms either by
inhibiting their activity or destroying them
• Breeder stock - animal intended for breeding purposes
• Bull - male breeding cattle of any age
• Calf - young cattle of either sex under one year of age
• Calf crop - the number of calves weaned over the number of cows and cycling heifers
expased within a breeding season
• Calf drop - the number of calves born
• Calving - act of giving birth in cows
• Castration - removal of the testes from the scrotum or any method that would render the
testes functionless
• Colostrum - milk produced during the first 3-5 days after parturition which contains high
protein, vitamins and minerals, and antibodies
• Concentrate - feed which contains less than 18% crude fiber with high digestible nutrients
• Conception - pregnancy
Cow - mature female cattle that has given birth
• Estrous cycle/Heat cycle - interval from one estrus to the next estrus
• Estrus/Heat period - the sexual period in females when they are receptive to mating.
Feeder stock - cattle which is fattened prior to slaughtering
• Feedlot - area with its physical facilities used for cattle fattening
• Flushing - feeding livestock with plenty of feeds to make them gain weight just before or
during breeding season
• Grassland - a land or an area on which the natural dominant plant form is grass
Hand feeding - system of feeding wherein feeds are brought to the animals
•Hay - cut and dried forage for livestock feed
•Heifer - young female cattle usually under three years old that has not yet given birth
•Herbage - grass and other herbaceous vegetation for animal feeding

RUMINANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION TMCAMPITDVM

•Herd - any number of cattle, carabaos, horses, sheep, goats, swine and poultry under one
management, maintained in one premise which are allowed to associate or come in contact with
one another
• Parturition - a general term for giving birth
• Post-partum - the period after birth
• Proven sire - bull which has sufficient data to show its good genetic potential and excellent
breeding performance
• Ration - feed allowance for one animal for 24 hours (1 day)
•Replacement stock - yearling heifer or bull raised primarily for breeding purposes
• Roughage - feed which contains at least 18% crude fiber and low digestible nutrient
• Silage - any fermented feed material stored in a silo for feeding
• Silo - a structure usually sealed when full to exclude air and used for storing silage
• Soilage - forage cut and fed fresh to the animals; also called green chop, soiling, or cut and
carry
• Stag - castrated male cattle operated after the secondary sex characters have been
developed
• Steer - castrated male cattle operated before the secondary sex characters have been
developed
• Tethering - restraining an animal with a rope or chain so as to allow limited movement
• Upgrading - improving the genetic potential of an animal by using purebred sire on native
(mongrel/scrub) animal
• Weaning - separating the suckling calf from its dam usually done at the age of 6-8 months
• Yearling - 1-2 year old cattle of either sex

Definition of some terms used in Carabao Production:

• Ad libitum - unlimited or liberal feeding

• Antibiotic - a substance produced by molds, which inhibits growth or kills bacteria
• Anthelmintics - drugs administered as drench, bolus, or mixed in feed to get rid of internal
parasites, such as worms and flukes
• By-pass protein - dietary protein, which has passed or escaped the rumen ungraded
• Calving or Parturition - the act of giving birth
• Estrus/Heat period - the sexual period in females when they are receptive to mating
• Fattening - deposition of unused energy as fat within the body tissues
• Grassland - a land or an area on which the natural dominant plant form is grass
• Hay - cut and dried forage for livestock feed
• Hand feeding - system of feeding wherein feeds are brought to the animals
• Heifer - young female cattle usually under three years old that has not yet given birth
• Herbage - grass and other herbaceous vegetation for animal feeding
• Herd - any number of cattle, carabaos, horses, sheep, goats, swine and poultry under one
management, maintained in one premise which are allowed to associate or come in contact
with one another
• Parturition - a general term for giving birth
• Post-partum - the period after birth
• Proven sire - bull which has sufficient data to show its good genetic potential and excellent
breeding performance
• Ration - feed allowance for one animal for 24 hours (1 day)
• Replacement stock - yearling heifer or bull raised primarily for breeding purposes Roughage -
feed which contains at least 18% crude fiber and low digestible nutrient
• Silage - any fermented feed material stored in a silo for feeding
• Silo - a structure usually sealed when full to exclude air and used for storing silage

RUMINANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION TMCAMPITDVM

• Soilage - forage cut and fed fresh to the animals; also called green chop, soiling, or cut and
carry
• Stag - castrated male cattle operated after the secondary sex characters have been
developed
• Steer - castrated male cattle operated before the secondary sex characters have been
developed
• Tethering - restraining an animal with a rope or chain so as to allow limited movement
• Upgrading - improving the genetic potential of an animal by using purebred sire on native
(mongrel/scrub) animal
Weaning - separating the suckling calf from its dam usually done at the age of 6-8 months
• Yearling - 1-2 year old cattle of either sex

Definition of some terms used in Carabao Production:

• Ad libitum - unlimited or liberal feeding
• Anthelmintics - drugs administered as drench, bolus, or mixed in feed to get rid of internal
Antibiotic - a substance produced by molds, which inhibits growth or kills bacteria
parasites, such as worms and flukes
• By-pass protein - dietary protein, which has passed or escaped the rumen ungraded
• Calving or Parturition - the act of giving birth
• Estrus/Heat period - the sexual period in females when they are receptive to mating
• Fattening - deposition of unused energy as fat within the body tissues
• Feeder - carabao for fattening at least 2.5-3 years old
• Flaying - deskinning or removal of carabao hide
• Fodder - feed materials for domesticated animals, either fresh or dried, but usually coarse
• Forage - anything suitable as feed for ruminants. Usually with lower nutritive value and
digestibility than concentrates
• Gestation - pregnancy, the period from fertilization to birth
• Lactation period - the period during which the dam produce milk from the time of delivery of
her young until normal milk production ceases
• Nutrient - applied to any food constituent, or group of feed constituents of the same general
chemical composition, that aids in the support of life •
• Parturition - the general term for giving birth
• Pasture - land with herbage or forage crops for grazing animals
• Postpartum - the period after birth
• Post-partum breeding - mating after calving or when uterus and other parts of the reproductive
system have returned to normal
• Ration - feed allowed for a given animals for a day or 24 hours, whether it is fed at one time or
in proportion at different times
• Roughage - feed that is relatively high (at least 18%) in fiber and low in digestible nutrients
• Scours – diarrhea
• Silage - any feed material preserved in silos
• Silent heat - undesirable characteristic of some carabao wherein animals physiologically "in
heat" do not show any visible sign
• Total digestible nutrient - the sum of its digestible protein, crude fiber, nitrogen free extract,
and fat multiplied by 2.25
• Udder - the mammary organ in the female animal that secretes milk
• Upgrading - mating of a native or relatively unimproved animal to one that is highly improved
(purebred)
• Wallow - to roll un mud or water

RUMINANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION TMCAMPITDVM

• Yoke - a piece of arched or curved timber fitted on the neck of the draft animal to connect
sleds, carts and other farm implements

Definition of some terms used in Goat Farming:

• Barrel - the trunk or middle part of the body between the fore and hind legs
• Browse plants - shrubs or trees nibbled by goats
• Buck - a mature male goat
• Buck kid - a male kid
• Chevon - goat meat
• Doe - a mature female goat that has kidded
• Doeling - a mature goat that has not yet kidded
• Doe kid - a female kid
• Fawn - light yellowish-brown in color
• Freshen - to kid or give birth to a young
• Hooks - the joint in the hind legs of an animal which correspond to the knee
• In-kid - pregnant
• Kid - a young goat still usually immature
• Kidding - same as freshening or parturition
• Maiden doe or virgin doe - a mature female goat ready for breeding
• Milking doe - a nursing or lactating female goat
• Scurf - the small shreds of epidermis that are continually shed off
• Stocky - thick-set; sturdy or firmly built
• Tan - to treat or change hide or animal skin into leather
• Wattle - fleshy lobe or appendage hanging down from the throat or chin, skin of goats

Definition of some terms used in Sheep Farming:

• Wether - castrated male sheep before the secondary sex characters appear
• Ram - breeding male sheep, any age
• Ewe - breeding female sheep, any age
• Stag - unsexed male sheep, castrated after the secondary sex characters appear Lamb - <12
months old sheep
• Yearling - 12-24 months
• Shearling - yearling sheep
• 2-tooth - yearling sheep
• Full-mouth - 4 year old sheep or older
• Short-mouth - sheep which is 5 years or older, with short teeth
• Broken mouth - very old sheep, losing its incisors
• Gummer - old sheep, no more incisors
• Fleece - wool of one sheep
• Crossbreed - both parents purebred
• Grade - 1 parent purebred
• Scrub - unknown or nondescript breeding
• Mutton - meat of sheep

RUMINANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION TMCAMPITDVM