Animal Science

Terminology

for:
ADVS 1110
Introduction to Animal Science
In the Animal, Dairy and
Veterinary Sciences we
have the opportunity to
work and handle most of
the domestic animals on
Earth.
 Do you know the
common and scientific
names for ALL of the
domesticated farm
animals?
 If not,
then pay attention.
You will need to know
this information!
Now for the show!
 “I know of no pursuit in which more
real and important services can be
rendered to any country than by
improving its agriculture, its breed of
useful animals, and other branches of a
husbandman's cares.”
- George Washington
 Species to be covered:
 Bovine – cattle (beef & dairy cattle)
 Ovine – sheep (wool, meat, dual, dairy)
 Caprine – goats (fiber, meat, dairy)
 Porcine – pigs (meat, lard)
 Equine – horses & asses (ponies, light,
warm-bloods, draft, donkeys)
 Poultry – chickens & turkeys (layers &
broilers)
 Species to be covered:
(continued)
 Waterfowl – ducks & geese
 Lagomorphs - rabbits
 Camelids – llamas & alpacas
 Feline – cats
 Canine – dogs
 Bovine - Cattle

 Genus & Species:

 Bos taurus – temperate & European breeds
 Bos indicus – tropical & humped breeds
 Group – Herd
 Adult Male – Bull
 Adult Female - Cow
 Bovine - Cattle

 Young Male – Bull Calf

 Young Female – Heifer Calf
 Newborn – Calf
 Castrated Male – Steer
 Yearling Female-Heifer
 Bovine - Cattle

 Offspring w/Dam – Calf @ Foot or

Suckling Calf - Pair
 Birthing – Calving
 Mating – Serving or Breeding
 Bovine - Cattle

 Other Terms:
 Open – Not pregnant
 Fresh – Just after giving birth or “in milk”

 Springer – A heifer/cow that is soon to calve

 Freemartin-Heifer born twin

to a bull. >95% sterile

 Bovine-Cattle

 Auction terminology-VO or V6+ (Usually

written on the side of the cow with short-
lived, oil-base crayon)
 V refers to “calfhood” Brucellosis
vaccination
 O refers to open, 6+ refers to months
pregnant
 Brucellosis-(Bangs)
 Zoonotic disease
 Mostly eradicated in US except for SW
states and ID, MT,WY
 Heifers must be vaccinated between 4-12
months of age
 Licensed veterinarian administers vaccine,
installs state issued tag and ear tattoo.
 Historically regulated by interstate
monitoring (Ports of Entry)
 Bovine - Cattle
 Other Terms:
 Veal – Calf until three months of age, also
meat from a calf
 Bullock – a castrated young bull; also a
USDA grade for an un-castrated young bull
 Ox – An adult castrated bull intended to work
as a draft animal.
 Ovine - Sheep

 Genus & Species:

 Ovis aries
 Group:
 Flock – 2 to 700 head of ewes
 Band – 700 to 1200 head of ewes
 Adult Male – Ram, Buck, or Tup
 Adult Female - Ewe
 Ovine - Sheep

 Young Male – Ram Lamb, Buck Lamb, or

Tup Lamb
 Young Female – Ewe Lamb
 Newborn – Lamb
 Castrated Male - Wether
 Ovine - Sheep
 Offspring w/Dam – Suckling or Nursing
Lamb
 Birthing – Lambing
 Mating – Bucking-up, Joining, Breeding,
Servicing, or Tupping
 Ovine - Sheep

 Other Terms:
 Bummer Lamb – An orphaned lamb.
 Leppy Lamb – An abandoned and now
orphaned lamb
 Hogget – A yearling
 Ovine - Sheep

 Other Terms:
 Open-Faced – Sheep with short hair on face
 Closed-Face or Wool-Blind – Sheep with
wool on the face that must be clipped or eyed
out
 Ovine - Sheep

 Other Terms:
 Lamb – A young nursing ovine animal of
either sex, and the meat of sheep usually
under 14 months of age.
 Mutton – The meat of adult sheep and
usually over 14 months of age.
 Caprine - Goats

 Genus & Species:

 Capra hircus
 Group – Flock, Trip or Band
 Adult Male – Billy, Buck or Billy-goat
 Adult Female – Doe
 Caprine - Goats

 Young Male – Buckling

 Young Female – Doeling or Goatling
 Newborn – Kid
 Castrated Male - Wether
 Caprine - Goats

 Offspring w/Dam – Suckling Kid

 Birthing – Kidding
 Mating – Bucking-up, Serving, Breeding
 Caprine - Goats

 Other Terms:
 Nanny – A female goat, meaning nurse or
nursemaid
 King – The head billy in a flock
 Queen – The head doe in a flock
 Caprine - Goats

 Other Terms:
 Chevon, Cabrito, Capretto, Chivon – Goat
meat
 Chevre – Goat cheese
 Porcine - Pigs

 Genus & Species:

 Sus scrofa
 Group – Herd, Drove, or Stock
 Adult Male – Boar
 Adult Female - Sow
 Porcine - Pigs

 Young Male – Boar Pig or Boarling

 Young Female – Gilt
 Newborn – Piglet or Pigling
 Castrated Male – Barrow
 Porcine - Pigs

 Offspring w/Dam – Suckling Pigs

 Birthing – Farrowing
 Mating – Coupling or Breeding
 Porcine - Pigs

 Other Terms:
 Shoat – weaner pig of either sex
 Pig – a swine weighing less than 120 lbs.
 Hog – a swine weighing more than 120 lbs.
 Stag – a castrated boar after being used for
breeding purposes
 Equine – Horses

 Genus & Species:

 Equus caballus – Horses
 Group – Herd, Cavy, Remuda or Band
 Adult Male – Stallion or Stud
 Adult Female - Mare
 Equine – Horses

 Young Male – Colt (Horse Colt)

 Young Female – Filly
 Newborn – Foal
 Castrated Male - Gelding
 Equine – Horses

 Offspring w/Dam – Suckling Foal, or

Foal at Side
 Birthing – Foaling
 Mating – Serving or Breeding
 Equine – Horses
 Other Terms:
 Brood Mare – Female used for breeding
 Barren Mare – Intact female either never
bred or did not conceive, also ‘Open Mare’
 Maiden Mare – Female never bred
 “Proud Cut”—Gelding w/
stallion behavior
 Cryptorchidism

 Condition in males (any species) where

one (uni-lateral) or both (bi-lateral)
testicles fail to descend into scrotum.
 Can be fertile
 Can be passed on to both male and
female offspring resulting in decreased
fertility
 Equine – Horses

 Other Terms:
 Wet Mare – Female nursing a foal
 Agalactic Mare – Female not producing milk
and/or dry.
 Equine – Horses

 Other Terms:
 Hand – Standard unit of measurement for
equines, equaling 4 inches
 Pony – Equine less than 14.2 Hands when
mature (1 Hand = 4 inches)
 Equine – Horses
 Other Terms:
 Gait – the sequence in which a horse places its feet,
and each gait has a specific name, such as:
 Walk
 Trot
 Canter
 Gallop
 Pace
 Singlefoot
 Amble
 Equine – Asses, Donkeys or
Burros
 Ass – Common name for all animals
within the Ass Family
 Donkey – Common nickname for the Ass
Family
 Burro – Small members of the Ass Family
 Equine – Asses, Donkeys or
Burros
 Genus & Species:
 Equus asinus
 Group – Drove, Herd or Pace
 Adult Male – Jack or Jackass
 Adult Female – Jenny or
Jennet
 Equine – Asses, Donkeys or
Burros
 Young Male – Jack
 Young Female – Jenny
 Newborn – Foal
 Castrated Male - Gelding
 Equine – Asses, Donkeys or
Burros
 Offspring w/Dam – Suckling or Nursing
Foal
 Birthing – Foaling
 Mating – Breeding or Servicing
 How do you know if
your ass is too small?
 Equine – Mule & Hinny
 Mule – Cross between a Jack (Male Ass), and a
mare (Female Horse)
 Equus caballus X Equus asinus
 Hinny – Cross between a Stallion (Male Horse)
and a Jenney (Female Ass)
 Equus asinus X Equus caballus
 Mules & Hinnies are sterile.
 Equine – Mule & Hinny

 Adult Male Mule – Horse Mule or John

Mule
 Adult Female Mule – Molly Mule & Mare
Mule
 Equine – Mule & Hinny

 Group of Mules or Hinnies – Barren,

Pack, Rake or Span
 Large Members of the Ass Family –
Mammoth Jack or Mammoth Jennet
 Poultry - Chickens
 Genus & Species:
 Gallus domesticus
 Group – Flock, Brood, or Peep
 Group (Chicks) – Clutch, Chattering or
Brood
 Adult Male – Rooster, or Cock
 Adult Female - Hen
 Poultry - Chickens

 Young Male – Cockerel

 Young Female – Pullet
 Newborn – Chick
 Castrated Male - Capon
 Poultry - Chickens

 Offspring w/Dam – Clutch or Brood

 Birthing – Hatching
 Mating – Mating ‘Ritual’
 Poultry - Chickens

 Other Terms:
 Layer – Mature egg laying chicken
 Broiler – Meat-type chicken
 Poultry - Chickens
 Roaster – Meat-type chickens marketed at
older ages and heavier weights
 Spent Hen – Hen at the end of her
production cycle and sold to soup companies
 Poultry - Chickens
 Other Terms (continued):
 Stewing Hen – Broiler breeders processed
for stewing
 Moult – Changes of feathers once a year,
usually in the autumn
 Fowl – Domestic cock or Hen Bird kept for
eggs or meat
 Battery Hen – Female bird housed in
intensive egg production unit
 Poultry - Turkeys

 Genus & Species:

 Melleagris gallopavo
 Group – Flock or Brood
 Adult Male – Tom
 Adult Female - Hen
 Poultry - Turkeys

 Young Male – Poult

 Young Female – Poult
 Newborn – Poult
 Castrated Male - Capon
 Poultry - Turkeys

 Offspring w/Dam – Brood

 Birthing – Hatching
 Mating – Mating ‘Ritual’
 Waterfowl - Ducks

 Genus & Specis:

 Anas platyrhyncha
 Group – Bevy, Brace, Flock, Flush,
Paddling, Raft, or Team
 Adult Male – Drake
 Adult Female – Duck
 Waterfowl - Ducks

 Young Male – Drake Duckling

 Young Female – Duckling
 Newborn – Duckling or Hatchling
 Castrated Male - Capon
 Waterfowl - Geese

 Genus & Specis:

 Anser anser
 Group – Flock, Gaggle, Skein (in flight), &
Wedge (in flight)
 Adult Male – Gander
 Adult Female - Goose
 Waterfowl - Geese

 Young Male – Gander Gosling

 Young Female – Goose Gosling
 Newborn – Gosling
 Castrated Male - Capon
 Lagomorphs - Rabbits

 Genus & Species:

 Oryctolagus cuniculus
 Group – Bury, Colony, Down, Drove,
Husk, Leash, Trace, Trip, & Warren
 Adult Male – Buck
 Adult Female - Doe
 Lagomorphs - Rabbits

 Young Male – Male Kit

 Young Female – Female Kit
 Newborn – Kit
 Castrated Male - Lapin
 Lagomorphs - Rabbits

 Offspring w/Dam – Litter of Kits

 Birthing – Kindling
 Mating - Mating
 Lagomorphs - Rabbits

 Other Terms:
 Groups of Young Rabbits – Nest or Wrack
 Camelids – Llamas & Alpacas

 Genus & Species:

 Lama glama – Llama
 Lama pacos – Alpaca
 Group – Flock or Herd
 Adult Male – Male
 Adult Female – Female
 Camelids – Llamas & Alpacas

 Young Male – Cria

 Young Female – Cria
 Newborn – Cria
 Castrated Male - Gelding
 Camelids – Llamas & Alpacas

 Offspring w/Dam – Suckling or Nursing

Cria
 Birthing – Birthing
 Mating – Kushing or Mating
 Feline - Domesticated

 Genus & Species:

 Felis catus
 Group – Clowder, Clutter, Glaring,
Pounce, Dout (house cats), & Nuisance
(house cats)
 Adult Male – Tom
 Adult Female - Queen
 Feline - Domesticated

 Young Male – Kitten

 Young Female – Kitten
 Newborn – Kitten
 Castrated Male - Neuter
 Feline - Domesticated

 Offspring w/Dam – Nursing kitten

 Birthing – Queening
 Mating - Calling
 Feline - Domesticated

 Other Terms:
 Groups of Kittens – Litter, Kendle, Kindle,
or ‘Cuddle’!
 Canine - Domesticated

 Genus & Species:

 Canis familaris
 Group – Kennel or Pack
 Adult Male – Dog or Stud
 Adult Female - Bitch
 Canine - Domesticated

 Young Male – Whelp or Pup

 Young Female – Whelp or Pup
 Newborn – Whelp or Pup
 Castrated Male - Neuter
 Canine - Domesticated

 Offspring w/Dam – Litter of Whelps or

Pups
 Birthing – Whelping
 Mating – To Mate
Are you tired of animal terms
yet?

I’m not!
 The End

Any questions?