BGCSE Animal Production 1255 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Rumen

The largest stomach compartment in ruminants, where microbes ferment fibrous feed into volatile fatty acids; pH 6.0–7.0 supports healthy fermentation.

Eructation

The process of releasing fermentation gases from the rumen through the mouth; failure to eructate causes bloat, which can be fatal if untreated.

Milk let-down

Release of milk from the mammary gland in response to oxytocin, triggered by teat stimulation or suckling; stress and adrenaline inhibit this reflex.

Crude protein

A feed measure calculated as nitrogen content multiplied by 6.25; it estimates total protein but does not indicate amino acid quality or availability.

Feed conversion ratio

Feed consumed divided by weight gain or product output; a lower value means the animal converts feed into meat, milk, or eggs more efficiently.

Roughage

Fibrous feed such as grass, hay, or silage with high fibre and lower energy; essential for rumen function and normal digestion in ruminants.

Total digestible nutrients

A measure of feed energy based on digestible carbohydrate, fat, and protein fractions; higher values indicate more usable energy per unit of feed.

Withdrawal period

The required time after giving a drug before milk, meat, or eggs may be sold for human consumption, allowing residues to fall below safe limits.

Quarantine

Isolation of new or sick animals, usually for 21–30 days, to prevent introduction or spread of infectious disease within a herd or flock.

Zoonosis

A disease that can pass from animals to humans, such as brucellosis, anthrax, or rabies; protective clothing reduces exposure risk.

Tick control

Managing external parasites by acaricide treatment, pasture rotation, and inspection; reduces tick-borne diseases and should rotate chemical groups to slow resistance.

Heritability

The proportion of observed phenotypic variation in a trait that is due to additive genetic effects; high values mean faster response to selection.

Heterosis

Hybrid vigour, where crossbred offspring outperform the average of their parent breeds, especially for fertility, survival, and growth traits.

Estimated breeding value

A prediction of an animal's genetic merit for a trait, based on its own records and those of relatives; higher accuracy needs more data.

Inbreeding depression

Reduced performance and fertility caused by mating close relatives; it raises homozygosity and exposes harmful recessive alleles in offspring.

Stocking rate

The number of animals kept per unit area of land; overstocking degrades pasture, raises parasite exposure, and lowers individual animal performance.

Rotational grazing

A system where paddocks are grazed in turn and rested for regrowth; it improves pasture use and reduces internal parasite larvae on pasture.

Culling

Removal of animals from the herd or flock based on low fertility, poor production, disease, or age; records guide consistent culling decisions.

Brooding

Providing heat to young chicks, starting near 32–35°C and reducing about 3°C weekly; chick behaviour shows whether temperature is correct.

Candling

Shining light through an incubated egg, usually around day 7–10, to identify infertile eggs and dead embryos so they can be removed.

Incubation period

The time from setting eggs to hatch: about 21 days for chickens, 28 days for ducks and turkeys; correct temperature and humidity are critical.

All-in/all-out

A biosecurity system where a group of animals enters and leaves a house together, followed by cleaning and disinfection before restocking.

Gestation length

The pregnancy period: about 150 days for goats, 147 days for sheep, and 114 days for pigs, used to plan mating and farrowing dates.

Iron injection

A routine treatment for newborn piglets to prevent anaemia, because sow milk contains too little iron to meet the piglet's needs.

Creep area

A warm, protected space for young animals with access to special feed; in pig farrowing pens it reduces crushing of piglets by the sow.

Space allowance

The floor area provided per animal; too little space increases aggression, reduces feed intake, and lowers growth or production performance.

Ventilation

Movement of air through a building to remove moisture, heat, ammonia, and dust; good design avoids draughts on animals while keeping air fresh.

Crush

A narrow handling race with a head bail that restrains cattle or sheep for examination, vaccination, and treatment, protecting both animal and handler.

Gross margin

Gross output from an enterprise minus its variable costs; fixed costs are excluded, so it measures the return from production decisions.

Break-even output

The production level where total revenue equals total costs, calculated as fixed costs divided by price minus variable cost per unit.

Five freedoms

A welfare framework covering freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, fear, and freedom to express normal behaviour; used to assess housing and management.

Biosecurity

Measures that prevent disease entering or spreading on a farm, including visitor control, footbaths, all-in/all-out systems, and pest control.