Haryana BSEH Secondary Animal Husbandry key terms

The branch of agriculture that deals with the breeding, feeding, housing, health care and management of farm animals for milk, meat, eggs, wool, hides and draught power, producing food and income for rural households.

A periodic nationwide count of farm animals, carried out in India every five years, that records species, breed, age, sex and ownership so that states like Haryana can plan breeding, veterinary and extension services.

A system in which crop production and livestock rearing are practised together on the same holding, so that crop residues feed animals and dung and urine return nutrients to the fields.

A black, tightly built dairy buffalo breed of the Haryana and Punjab region, famous for high fat milk, curled horns and heavy yield; it is the main milch buffalo of Haryana and much of north India.

A dual-purpose zebu cattle breed native to Haryana, usually white or grey, with a medium build; cows give moderate milk and bullocks are valued for draught work in hot dry tracts.

A reddish-brown zebu dairy breed, originally from the Sahiwal tract of Pakistan and now kept in parts of India, known for heat tolerance, tick resistance and steady milk yield under tropical conditions.

Cattle of the humped South Asian type, Bos indicus, adapted to heat, poor feed and tropical diseases; Indian breeds such as Hariana and Sahiwal belong to this group and differ from European dairy cattle.

Cattle produced by mating an indigenous zebu with an exotic dairy breed such as Holstein Friesian or Jersey, aiming to combine high milk yield with local adaptation to heat and feed conditions.

A medium-sized dual-purpose goat breed from the Sirohi region of Rajasthan, with brown and white patches and drooping ears, kept for both meat and milk and common in adjoining semi-arid areas.

A large, long-eared milch goat breed of the Punjab and Haryana belt, usually black or brown with white spots; it yields more milk than most Indian goats and is also reared for meat.

A mutton sheep breed of the arid Rajasthan and Haryana belt, white with a brown face, noted for hardiness, carpet wool and good lamb growth on sparse grazing.

The total quantity of fleece shorn from a sheep flock in one shearing season, usually expressed in kilograms per animal; it is a key economic trait for sheep rearers.

Leafy material from shrubs, trees and bushes eaten by goats, sheep and camels; it supplies protein and minerals when pasture grass is dry and scarce, especially in arid zones.

Plant material left after harvest, such as wheat straw, paddy straw and mustard husk, used as roughage for livestock; it is cheap but low in protein and needs supplementation for milk animals.

A feed mixture rich in energy and protein and low in fibre, made from grains, oil cakes and mineral supplements, given to supplement roughage and support milk yield or growth.

A complete feed prepared by weighing and mixing roughage, concentrate, minerals and additives together, so every bite is balanced and animals cannot sort out preferred ingredients.

Green fodder preserved by controlled anaerobic fermentation in a pit or silo; acids lower the pH and keep the fodder usable for months when fresh green feed is scarce.

A dairy housing system where animals move freely in an open yard with a shaded resting area and common feeding and watering space, reducing stress and labour compared with tying animals.

The minimum area per animal needed in a shed or yard for resting, feeding and movement; overcrowding causes injury, dirty udders and lower production, so species-specific norms are followed.

The thick, yellowish first milk produced after calving, rich in antibodies and vitamin A; a newborn calf must receive it within the first hours of life to gain immunity and survive.

The planned care of calves from birth to weaning, covering colostrum feeding, clean housing, dehorning, identification, gradual introduction of solid feed and control of calf diseases.

Removal or destruction of the horn-producing tissue in young calves so that horns do not grow; it reduces injuries to herd mates and handlers and makes housing and transport safer.

Inflammation of the udder, usually caused by bacteria entering through the teat canal; it reduces milk yield and quality, and control depends on clean milking, teat dipping and dry-period therapy.

A highly contagious viral disease of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs causing fever, blisters on the mouth and feet, drooling and lameness; it spreads fast and is controlled mainly by vaccination.

Giving a vaccine to stimulate protective immunity against a specific disease before exposure occurs; in livestock it follows a schedule set for the species and region, such as FMD and HS vaccines.

Keeping newly purchased or sick animals apart from the main herd for a set period to watch for disease and prevent spread; it is a basic biosecurity step on any livestock farm.

Depositing semen collected from a selected bull into the reproductive tract of a cow or buffalo by instrument, so one superior sire can produce thousands of offspring without being kept on the farm.

Semen processed with a protective diluent and stored in liquid nitrogen at about minus 196 degrees Celsius, keeping it fertile for years and allowing transport of superior genetics to remote villages.

Recognising the period when a female is sexually receptive, by signs such as standing to be mounted, restlessness and clear mucus discharge, so insemination is timed for successful conception.

The time between conception and birth, about 280 days in cattle and 305 to 310 days in buffalo; knowing it helps plan dry-off, calving watch and feeding changes for the pregnant animal.

The non-milking interval of roughly sixty days before calving, during which the udder rests and renews milk-secreting tissue; skipping it lowers yield in the following lactation.

The number of days an animal gives milk after calving, usually about 300 days in cattle and buffalo; it is used with yield to judge productivity and culling decisions.

The proportion of butterfat in milk, commonly 6 to 7 percent in Murrah buffalo and 3.5 to 4.5 percent in cattle; it determines the price paid and the value of milk for products.

The reflex release of milk from the udder in response to oxytocin, triggered by suckling or the sights and sounds of milking; rough handling or fear can block it and reduce the milk obtained.

Practices that keep milk clean and safe, including washing hands and udder, clean utensils, rapid cooling after milking and protecting milk from flies, dust and contamination.

Processing a farm product into a higher-priced item, such as turning milk into ghee, paneer or curd, or eggs into powder, to raise income and reduce losses from spoilage.

Providing controlled warmth, feed, water and space to newly hatched chicks for the first few weeks, either under a hen or with artificial brooders, until they can regulate body heat.

A hen kept mainly for table egg production rather than meat; layer breeds are lighter, mature early and lay many eggs, and are managed under separate rearing and laying schedules.

The weight of feed eaten divided by the weight gain or product output; a lower ratio means more efficient use of feed and is a key measure of profitability in poultry and piggery.

A small group of rural people, often women, who pool savings, take small loans and run joint activities such as dairy or goat rearing, supported by banks and extension agencies.

A trained field officer who carries research-based advice to farmers through demonstrations, visits and training, and brings farmers' problems and feedback back to research and veterinary services.