UPMSP Intermediate Animal Husbandry - Code 171 key terms

The branch of agriculture that deals with the breeding, feeding, housing, health care and management of farm animals for useful products such as milk, meat, eggs, wool and hides.

Domesticated animals reared on a farm for economic use, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry, along with their produce and manure value.

A sturdy working animal such as a bullock, buffalo or camel used for ploughing, carting and other farm power tasks instead of, or alongside, machines.

A cow, buffalo or goat kept mainly for milk production, judged on lactation yield, fat content and persistency rather than on working ability.

The period during which a female mammal secretes milk after calving or kidding, usually measured in days and recorded as total yield for that cycle.

The non-milking interval between the end of one lactation and the next calving, normally about sixty days, during which the udder rests and rebuilds secretory tissue.

The number of days from calving to the first successful service or insemination that results in conception; a short period indicates good reproductive efficiency.

The time between conception and birth, roughly 280 days in cattle, 310 in buffaloes, 150 in goats and 21 days in hens for egg incubation.

Depositing collected, diluted and preserved semen of a proven sire into the female reproductive tract to achieve conception without natural mating.

A breeding male whose genetic merit has been statistically verified through the performance of a sufficient number of his daughters in milk yield and quality.

The recorded ancestry of an animal over several generations, used to judge breeding value and to avoid close inbreeding when planning matings.

Mating of closely related animals such as sire to daughter or full siblings; it increases homozygosity and uniformity but can cause inbreeding depression and reduced vigour.

Mating of animals from two or more distinct breeds to produce offspring that combine desirable traits, often exploited for hybrid vigour in commercial herds.

Repeated mating of local non-descript females to sires of an improved breed over successive generations so that the progeny progressively approach the exotic breed type.

Local, unimproved cattle that do not belong to any recognised breed, usually low in milk yield but hardy, disease tolerant and well adapted to local feed resources.

Humped cattle of Indian origin, Bos indicus, adapted to heat and tropical conditions and including well-known milch and draught breeds of the subcontinent.

A leading Indian buffalo breed of Haryana and Punjab, black and massive with tightly curled horns, famed for high fat milk yield and used widely for upgrading.

Fibrous feed material such as green fodder, hay, straw or silage that supplies bulk and energy to ruminants and stimulates chewing and rumen function.

Feed low in fibre and high in digestible nutrients, such as cereal grains, oil cakes and bran, given in measured amounts to supplement roughage for production.

A balanced feed mixture in which roughage, concentrate, minerals and additives are blended together so that every mouthful supplies the intended nutrient proportions.

Green fodder preserved by controlled anaerobic fermentation in a pit or silo, retaining moisture and nutrients for feeding during lean fodder periods.

Fodder crop cut and dried quickly to a safe moisture level so that it can be stored without mould growth and fed when green fodder is scarce.

The largest compartment of the ruminant stomach, where microbes ferment fibrous feed, produce volatile fatty acids and synthesise microbial protein for the animal.

Abnormal distension of the rumen with gas trapped in a stable foam, often after lush legume grazing, causing discomfort and potentially fatal pressure on the diaphragm.

Inflammation of the udder tissue, usually caused by bacteria entering through the teat canal, resulting in clots in milk, reduced yield and economic loss.

A set of hygienic practices covering udder washing, clean utensils, rapid cooling and safe handling that keep raw milk free from dirt and excessive bacterial growth.

Release of milk from the udder alveoli in response to oxytocin triggered by suckling or handling, which is easily disturbed by fear, pain or rough treatment.

The number of white blood cells and epithelial cells per millilitre of milk, used as an indicator of udder health and subclinical mastitis in a herd.

Care of young chicks during their first weeks of life by supplying artificial heat, proper ventilation, clean water and starter feed until they can regulate body temperature.

The process of keeping fertile eggs at controlled temperature and humidity so that embryos develop and hatch, either under a hen or in a mechanical incubator.

Removal of unproductive, diseased or low-quality animals from a herd or flock to improve overall efficiency and make better use of feed and housing.

Choosing animals for breeding on the basis of their own performance or their relatives' records, so that desirable traits are passed to the next generation.

The absorbent bedding material spread on the floor of a poultry or livestock shed to absorb moisture, insulate against cold and dilute droppings.

Controlled movement of fresh air through an animal house to remove moisture, heat, ammonia and dust while avoiding draughts harmful to young stock.

Decomposed mixture of animal dung, urine and bedding collected from sheds and rotted in pits before being spread on fields as an organic nutrient source.

Nutrient-rich organic fertiliser produced by earthworms feeding on decomposed dung and farm waste, widely used to improve soil structure and fertility.

The digested residue left after dung is fermented in a biogas plant, rich in plant nutrients and used as a slurry fertiliser on cropland.

A system linking animal rearing with crops, fishery or biogas units so that waste from one enterprise becomes feed, fuel or fertiliser for another.

Planned communication that helps rural people acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes to improve their livestock practices and living standards through their own effort.

A teaching method in which a new technique is shown and practised in front of farmers on a field or farm so that results can be seen and copied.

A voluntary organisation of farmers who pool resources for milk collection, processing, input supply or marketing and share the benefits on a democratic basis.

A village point where producers bring milk for weighing, testing and chilling before transport to a dairy plant, often run by a cooperative or private buyer.