Maharashtra HSC Animal Husbandry & Dairy (Vocational) flashcards

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

Proximate analysis

Laboratory scheme dividing a feed into moisture, crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, nitrogen-free extract, and ash, giving a basic picture of nutrient content.

Total digestible nutrients

Sum of digestible protein, fibre, nitrogen-free extract, and 2.25 times digestible fat; an energy measure used to compare ruminant feeds.

Urea feeding limit

Urea should not exceed 1% of total dry matter in a ruminant ration and must be paired with readily fermentable carbohydrate to avoid ammonia toxicity.

Calcium phosphorus ratio

The proportion of calcium to phosphorus in a ration; 1.5:1 to 2:1 is optimal for ruminants, while wider ratios impair mineral absorption.

Heritability

The fraction of total phenotypic variation due to additive genetic effects; high values mean the trait responds well to selection within a herd.

Generation interval

Average age of parents when their offspring are born; shortening it raises annual genetic gain because superior genes spread faster through the population.

Heterosis

The superiority of crossbred offspring over the average of their parents, highest in the F1 generation and declining in later generations.

Progeny testing

Evaluation of a breeding bull by comparing the performance of his daughters with herdmates, requiring milk recording and artificial insemination records.

Normal rectal temperature

Cattle 38.0-39.0 °C, buffalo 37.5-38.5 °C, sheep and goats 38.5-40.0 °C, poultry 40.5-41.5 °C; fever indicates infection.

California Mastitis Test

A cow-side test mixing milk with a detergent reagent; gel formation indicates high somatic cells and subclinical mastitis in that quarter.

Haemorrhagic septicaemia vaccine

An annual vaccine against Pasteurella multocida, usually given before the monsoon, protecting cattle and buffalo from acute septicaemia.

Drug withdrawal period

The interval after the last dose before milk or meat can be sold; commonly 3-7 days for milk and 7-28 days for meat.

Buffalo gestation length

About 310 days from service to calving, roughly a month longer than cattle; dry-off is planned around 60 days before the expected date.

Best insemination time

For cattle, about 12 hours after standing heat begins; for buffalo, later at 24-48 hours after onset because ovulation is delayed.

Colostrum feeding

First milk rich in antibodies, fed within the first hour after birth; calves need about 10% of body weight in the first six hours.

Dry period

Sixty days before calving when milking stops, allowing udder tissue regeneration and better yield in the next lactation.

HTST pasteurisation

Heating milk to 72 °C for 15 seconds then rapidly cooling to 4 °C; kills pathogens with minimal change to flavour and nutrients.

Pearson's square

A calculation method mixing cream and milk to reach a target fat percentage, using the ratio of fat differences between components.

Reichert-Meissl value

A measure of volatile fatty acids in ghee; pure ghee typically gives 28-30, while adulteration with vegetable fat lowers the value.

Specific gravity of milk

Cow milk is 1.028-1.032 and buffalo milk 1.030-1.034; added water lowers the reading and signals adulteration.

Brooding temperature

Chick brooder starts at 33-35 °C in week one and falls about 3 °C weekly; chicks huddling or panting show the temperature is wrong.

Marek's vaccination

Given to day-old chicks to prevent Marek's disease, a herpesvirus causing tumours and paralysis; administered in the hatchery before placement.

Broiler feed conversion

Kilograms of feed needed per kilogram of live weight gained; 1.6-1.8 is typical, and higher values suggest disease or heat stress.

Ammonia threshold

Poultry house ammonia should stay below 20 ppm; higher levels damage the respiratory tract, reduce feed intake, and lower production.

Pig gestation period

About 114 days, remembered as three months, three weeks, and three days; farrowing crate preparation begins a week earlier.

Flushing in sheep

Feeding extra energy two to three weeks before mating to raise ovulation rate and increase twinning, especially in prolific breeds.

Iron injection for piglets

Given at three to five days of age to prevent anaemia, because sow milk is iron-poor and indoor piglets cannot obtain iron from soil.

Goat milk digestibility

Goat milk has smaller fat globules and is naturally homogenised, so the fat stays suspended and the milk is easier to digest.

Floor space for cows

Crossbred cows need about 3.5-4.5 square metres per animal in loose housing; buffalo require 4.5-5.5 square metres.

Shed floor slope

A gradient of 1 in 40 to 1 in 60 toward the drain keeps the floor dry, reducing hoof problems and mastitis risk.

Break-even litres

Total fixed cost divided by price per litre minus variable cost per litre; output below this figure means the dairy unit runs at a loss.

Two-axis milk pricing

Payment based on both quantity and quality, using fat and solids-not-fat percentages so that richer milk earns a higher rate.