ANIMAL SCIENCE GLOSSARY
Select the beginning letter of the word that you wish to look up and scroll down the list until you find it.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
abiotic - devoid of life; the nonliving components of any
environment.
abomasum - the final compartment of the ruminant stomach,
also known as the fourth or true stomach of the cow, comparable
in function to the simple-stomached animals.
abortion - expulsion of the fetus (or fetuses) by a pregnant
female before the normal end of a pregnancy.
acetonemia (ketosis) - a metabolic disease characterized
by high concentrations of ketone bodies (b-hydoroxybutyric-acid,
acetoacetic acid and acetone) in blood or other body tissues.
acclimatization - adjustment to altered environmental conditions.
adaptation - process by which organism becomes adjusted
to altered environment.
aflatoxin - toxin produced by the fungi Aspergillus
flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.
ADF - acid detergent fiber; an indicator of relative digestibility
of forages
adipose - fatty
afterbirth - the fetal membranes that attach the fetus
to the membranes of the pregnant female and which are normally
expelled from the female within 3 to 6 h. after parturition.
agency boards - these boards require the product to be
marketed through a board. Therefore, commodity board pays the
producer and collects from the buyer to whom the product has been
delivered. Some of these boards have the authority to set the
price the producer receives.
agribusiness - a combination of the producing operations
of a farm, the manufacture and distribution of farm equipment
and supplies and the processing, storage and distribution of farm
commodities.
agriculture - the science or art of cultivating the soil,
producing crops and raising livestock and, in varying degrees,
the preparation of these products for man's use and disposal (i.e.,
marketing). A human activity involving the exploitation of
selected animal or plant species to produce things people desire.
AI = artificial insemination - the technique that involves
breeding of females without the males being physically present.
albumen - a viscous protein that comprises most of the
white of eggs.
alleles - alternative forms of a gene at a specific locus;
a location on a chromosome.
all-in all-out systems - a livestock management system
in which all animals are introduced into an isolated confinement
unit, taken through the appropriate stage of the production cycle
and all moved out at the same time. The unit is then cleaned thoroughly
and disinfected before a new group comes in.
ambient - that which surrounds.
amino acid - nitrogen containing component of a protein
molecule
anabolic - tissue increasing.
analogue - a compound or product that is synthesized or
manufactured to be similar to a naturally occurring substance.
anamnestic response - the result of immunological memory. If a
previously sensitizing antigen is ever encountered again, antibody
production is much quicker and usually in greater amounts than that
observed following the initial encounter.
androgen - male sex hormones, associated with secondary
sex characteristics.
annual consumption trends - the tabulation of the food
products purchased and consumed on yearly basis by a certain population.
ante-mortem - before death.
anthelmintic - compound that kills or expels internal parasites.
antibiotic - chemical compounds from living cells, that
inhibit growth or kill microorganisms.
antibody or immunoglobulin - a globulin protein produced
by lymphocytes in response to antigenic stimulus. Antibodies bind
to antigens and reduce the latter's ability to disrupt body functions.
antigen - a substance, usually a protein molecule or cellular component, that is foreign to the body
and stimulates an immune reaction.
antimicrobial - substances used to inhibit the growth of molds, yeasts or bacteria eg. nitrites,
disinfectants, etc.
antioxidant - compounds that delay or slow the rate of
oxidation of autoxidizable substances e.g. BHA, Vitamin E.
antiseptic - compound that kills or inhibits bacterial
growth, particularly those agents applied to living tissue.
aquaculture - the production of fish.
atrophy - wasting away or decreasing in size of cells,
organs or entire body; due to disuse, disease or severe malnutrition.
autonomic nervous system - portions of the nervous system
that regulate cardiac, respiratory, glandular, renal and other
activities usually under involuntary (autonomic)# rather than
voluntary control.
avian - pertaining to poultry.
backfat - a measurement taken at the loin of a
pig and used in calculating the final price of a pork carcass.
backgrounding - feeding cattle on pasture or roughage before
finishing.
barrow - a castrated boar.
battery cage - a series of cages in which hens are confined
for laying.
biological stimulus - a living organism that is capable
of exciting a response in some other organism.
biological clock - mechanism that enables regulation of
an animal's physiological or behavioral activities to external
cycles or rhythms.
biomagnification - the accumulation/magnification of a
substance as it moves through the food
chain.
biomass - total weight of organic material present per
unit of area or volume.
biotic - living things.
boar - uncastrated male pig
bovine - pertaining to cattle.
boxed beef (pork) - precut portions of beef or pork prepared
by the meat processing plant for wholesale delivery.
breakers - eggs produced which, because they are in excess
of consumer demand are bought by the Ontario Egg Producers' Marketing
Board and sold to the processing industry for use in products
like noodles, mayonnaise and cake mixes.
breed - a group of animals descended from common ancestors
and possessing similar characteristics.
BCA - breed-class-average, a number used in official Canadian
recording systems to compare an individual's production for milk,
fat or protein with the national average.
breeder - a male or female kept for reproduction.
broilers - chickens raised for meat rather than egg-laying
purposes.
broiler-breeders - mature broiler chickens kept for breeding.
buck - male goat.
bull - male member of the bovine species.
bullock - castrated bull, used for draft
butterfat - the lipid in milk.
calf - a young bovine animal, male or female, under one
year of age.
calving - the process of a cow giving birth to a calf.
candled, candling - a method used in grading eggs in which
the eggs are passed over a bright light so their contents can
be inspected and any cracks or other irregularities detected.
capon - a castrated rooster.
caprine - pertaining to goats.
carcass - the dressed body of a meat animal.
carcinogen - a cancer causing agent.
carnivorous - feeding on animal tissues.
castrate - to remove the gonads of a male animal.
cecum (caecum) - a blind pouch at the beginning of the
large intestine, prominent in horses and pigs.
cellulose - a prevalent polysaccharide in the fibrous portions
of plants, digestible by microbial fermentation in the rumen,
cecum or large intestine.
central nervous system - the brain and spinal cord.
cereal - edible grain.
cheddaring - a process that is unique to the production
of cheddar cheese. Matted curd is cut into blocks which are turned
at 15 minute intervals and piled on one another two or three deep.
Allows acid formation and squeezes whey from the curd.
chemical stimulus - a chemical substance capable of exciting
a response.
chevon - goat meat.
cholesterol - fat soluble essential nutrient required by
the body as a part of all cell membranes and the synthesis of
sex and adrenal hormones.
chromosomes - the rod or string like structures which contain
the DNA in the nucleus of eukaryotes.
climatic (thermal) stimulus - changes in temperature or
other weather related factors that cause a response.
clones - all of the offspring produced by budding, parthenogenesis
or nuclear transfer. They are presumed to be genetically identical.
cock - male chicken.
cockerel - male chicken less than one year old.
colostrum - milk that is produced by the mother during
the first few days after giving birth. This milk contains a high
concentration of maternal antibodies to provide offspring with
temporary protection against infectious diseases.
comfort zone - the thermoneutral zone or temperature range
in which animals maintain their body temperature within the thermal
range without expending any extra energy.
commodity price - the price or value of an agricultural
product.
concentrate - a high quality, low fiber feedstuff, including
cereals and milling by-products.
concentration - reduction of water content and corresponding
increase in solids content for a preservative effect on foods.
Also decreases product volume and weight.
conception - fertilization or union of oocyte and spermatozoon.
conceptus - product of fertilization, formed through the
union of spermatozoon and oocyte, with the potential to develop
through embryonic and fetal stages into a viable offspring.
condition - refers to the amount of flesh (body weight),
quality of hair coat, and general health of animals.
conduction - the direct movement or transfer of heat from
warmer to cooler objects that are in contact with each other.
consumer - one that utilizes economic goods, a buyer of
products.
corn silage - a feedstuff consisting of fermented whole
corn plants (corn cobs and plant matter).
cost of production formula - (i.e., Ontario Egg Producers'
Marketing Board) - the national formula used to determine the
farm gate price of one dozen Grade A large eggs by taking into
account all the average costs incurred by an egg producer in the
production of those eggs.
convection - involves heat exchange through a physical
medium such as air or water. A temperature gradient occurs from
the warmer body surface through the medium to the surrounding
environment.
cow - mature bovine female.
creep - an enclosure into which young (small) animals may
enter but larger animals cannot. Any feeders in this area or in
farrowing crates or parturition pen that are only accessible to
the young are called creep feeders.
crutching - to remove wool from around the perineal and
inguinal areas of sheep to prevent soiling and to provide access
to teats
cut - to castrate.
depreciation- to lower the price or estimated
value, or of less value than usually assigned.
depressed prices - lower prices than average for a commodity
usually due to economic depression.
diet - the ingredients or mixture of feeds provided for
an animal.
disinfectant - compound that kills or inhibits bacterial
growth, particularly applied to agents that are used on inanimate
objects.
disposable income - the amount of money remaining to a
consumer after deduction of taxes.
distress - excessive stress that causes anxiety, fear or
pain.
distributor - one that markets a commodity. It may be as
a wholesaler or retailer.
docking - removal of the tail. A common practice in lambs
doe - female goat.
dry - an animal capable of lactating that is no longer
producing milk.
Dutch auction - a public sale in which the prices of an
object or article is decreased electronically until the first
bidder offers to buy. Prices are flashed on the board and the
bidder (buyer) pushes a button to indicate his intention to buy.
ecosystem - an interacting community of biotic
organisms including their physical environment.ectotherms - animals
whose body temperature fluctuates with ambient temperature.
edible oil - an oil product, i.e., corn oil, canola oil,
sunflower oil, soybean, peanut, beef, pork and olive oil that
is used in the preparation or cooking of food.
egg grading station - a facility licensed by Agriculture
Canada where producers bring their eggs to be graded. They must
collect the levies on all eggs purchased and remit them to the
Ontario Egg Producers' Marketing Board.
elastrator - an instrument for use in stretching a specially
made rubber ring, which may be used in dehorning cattle as well
as in castrating cattle and sheep.
electronic bidding - using electronic means, a buyer indicates
his intention to buy. The buyer therefore does not have to be
present at the auction.
embryonic mortality - loss of conceptus in first few weeks
or months of gestation.
endosperm - main portion of a cereal kernel (85% by wt)
consisting mainly of starch and protein. Recovered and pulverized
in the milling process to yield flour.
endotherms - animals that maintain stable body temperatures.
enrichment - addition of specified amounts of selected
nutrients in accordance with a standard identity as defined by
the Food and Drugs Act.
environment - the sum total of all external conditions
affecting well-being and performance.
environmental contaminant - a compound present in soil,
water or air.
essential amino acids - amino acids required by animals
but not synthesized by them.
estrus - period of time when the female will allow mating.
ET = embryo transfer - technique of harvesting embryos
from one female and placing them into other females to complete
gestation.
evaporation - heat loss resulting from the latent heat
of vaporization which removes heat from a wetted surface.
evisceration - removal of the internal organs; performed
after an animal has been slaughtered.
ewe - mature female sheep.
exsanguination - removal of blood; performed after an animal
has been slaughtered.
farmer - a person who cultivates the land to grow
crops or raise livestock for food production.
farmgate sales - the direct sale of a product from the
farmer to the consumer, without going through a marketing board
or grocery store.
farrowing - the process of a sow giving birth to piglets.
farrowing crate - a small enclosure for confining a sow
and her litter in such a way that the sow may farrow normally,
without hazard to the newborn pigs, and which provides them with
space of their own on either side of the sow's compartment.
fertile land - land that has good soil composition for
the growing of agricultural products, capable ofsustaining abundant
plant growth.
fecundity - efficiency of an individual in production of
young. Animals that bring forth young frequently, regularly, and,
in case of those that bear more than one offspring at a birth,
in large numbers, are said to be fecund.
fertility - the ability to produce offspring.
fetus - the unborn young in the later stages of development.
filly - a young female horse.
fingerling - smaller fish, usually applied to trout of
about 50 - 100 gm in weight or 16- 20 cm in fork length.
first buyer the first purchase of a commodity by a processor,
marketing board, retailer or consumer when the product leaves
the farm.
fluctuating market - an uncertain shift up and down of
demands for agricultural products, the levels of productions and
the costs for those products.
fluid milk - milk used in the manufacture of pasteurized
fluid milk and cream.
foal - a young horse
foaling - the act of giving birth to a foal
Food and Drugs Act - consumer oriented legislation passed
in 1953 designed to protect Canadians in the use and consumption
of food and drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
food processors - a person or company that slaughters and/or
processes agricultural commodities for retail use.
food system - the production, processing, transportation,
distribution and preparation of food.
fortification - addition of nutrients to a food to render
it a good to superior source of the added nutrients. May include
nutrients not normally associated with the food.
free stall - a housing system for dairy cattle in which
the barn is constructed with a series of stalls (one per cow)
and in which the cow can choose in which stall she wishes to rest.
freshen - a cow giving birth to a calf.
fry - newly hatched fish larva still with its yolk sac
attached.
galactopoiesis - stimulating milk
production.
gelding - a castrated male horse.
gene - the particular nucleotide sequence of a chromosome
segment which influences development of a specific characteristic.
genotype - the specific genetic material on the chromosomes
of an individual.
germ - the embryo of a cereal kernel.
gestation - pregnancy.
gestation crate - a stall for housing an individual sow
or gilt during pregnancy.
gilt - female pig, prior to first calving.
graded - to assign, through an inspection process, grades
which indicate the standard of food quality.
grower fish - fish past the fingerling stage, growing up
to market weight.
harvest - the season for gathering in agricultural
crops, to gather in a crop by mechanical or manualmeans.
hay - whole forage plants which are cut and dried for animal
feed.
haylage - forage ensiled at relatively low moisture content
(usually 40 to 50 %).
heat - see estrus.
heifer - female cow, prior to the first calving.
helminths - parasitic worms
herbivorous - feeding on plant tissues.
heterozygosity (heterogeneous) - an organism possessing
dissimilar alleles of a particular trait.
heritability - the proportion of total variability among
animals due to genotype.
heterosis - see hybrid-vigour.
high moisture grain - cereal grain (most commonly corn)
stored in silos at moisture content of 22 to 40%.
homeotherms - animals that maintain a stable body temperature.
homeostasis - maintaining stable internal body conditions.
homogenization - mechanical treatment of milk which breaks
large fat globules into many small ones. The resulting small fat
globules remain dispersed in the milk and do not migrate to the
top of the container to form a cream layer.
homozygosity (homogeneous) - an organism possessing similar
genes (alleles) for a trait.
hormone - a chemical messenger secreted by ductless glands
in the body and which exerts a profound effect on physiological
function. Examples are thyroxin, estrogen, cortisone,, etc.
hybrid-vigor (heterosis) - offspring performance greater
than average of parents.
hyperplasia - growth by increase in cell numbers.
hypertrophy - growth by increase in cell size.
immunity - developing resistance to a specific
pathogenic microorganism.
implant - an object or material inserted into the body
tissue (usually beneath the skin of domesticated animals).
import quota - a limit or restriction on the amount of
a product which can be brought into Canada
from another country, imposed to prevent dumping (goods sold in
Canada at a price lower than that in the country of origin) or
to support a national supply management program.
in-calf - pregnant cow.
index - a value assigned to a pork carcass based on the
weight of the carcass and the thickness of the backfat. A high
index predicts high yield of meat from the carcass. The price
paid to the farmer increases as the index value increases.
industrial milk - milk used in the manufacture of milk
products, such as cheese, evaporated and dried milk products,
butter, ice cream and yogurt. Also referred to as manufacturing
milk.
infection - entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the
body.
inflammation - tissue reaction to injury or infection,
characterized by heat, redness, swelling and pain.
initial sale - the first sale of a farm product. The initial
sale of livestock is usually made to the packer. Fruits and vegetables
are sold initially to a processor, a wholesaler or, occasionally,
directly to the consumer.
in-lamb - pregnant ewe.
in-pig - pregnant sow.
inputs - products used by the farmer to produce livestock
or a crop, i.e., fertilizer, pesticides, seed, animal feed, fuel.
involution - a decline in size or activity of tissues and/or
organs. For example, the mammary gland tissues normally involute
with advancing lactation. The uterus involutes within a few days
or weeks after a female gives birth to young.
ketosis - a metabolic disease (also called
acetonemia) characterized by high concentrations of ketone bodies (b-hydoroxybutyric-acid, acetoacetic acid and
acetone) in blood or other body tissues.
kid - young goat.
kidding - doe giving birth to kid.
lactation - production of milk.
lamb - young sheep.
lambing - a ewe giving birth to a lamb.
layer - a hen which is kept specifically for the production
of eggs. Most layers in Ontario are WhiteLeghorns.
legislation - rules or laws passed by Parliament. The Parliament
of Ontario has given the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Board
power to monitor the action of all the commodity marketingboards
in the province.
leucocyte (leukocyte) - usually referring to white blood
cells.
levy - a fee paid by each producer for each dozen eggs
sold. These fees finance the administration of the Ontario Egg
Producers' Marketing Board and the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency,
aswell as the promotion of eggs and egg products.
lower critical temperature (LTC) - the temperature at which
an animal must begin to expend energy to prevent a decrease in
body temperature.
manufacturing milk - see industrial
milk.
mare - a sexually mature female horse.
market conditions - the state of the prices paid to farmers
for their products. If market conditions are stable for a specific
product the, price paid for that product is not changing drastically
from day to day.
marketing - selling farm products to the processor, wholesaler
or consumer.
marketing board - a group of people elected to represent
the producers of a specific product and to devise a plan for selling
the product.
marketing plan - a system for selling a specific agricultural
product.
marketplace - the buyers of a product and the price they
are willing to pay.
market price - the amount that a buyer will pay for a specific
product on a given day.
market service charge - as an example the fee paid by the
hog farmer to the Ontario Pork Producers' Marketing Board for
each hog sold. This pays for the operation of the market yards,
selling, settlement, organization, research and product promotion.
market yard - the location to which a farmer ships his
hogs when they are ready for market. There are many market yards
in Ontario operated by the Ontario Pork Producers' Marketing Board.Most
Ontario hogs must be sold through these yards.
mastitis - inflammation of the mammary gland.
metritis - an inflammation of the uterus
milk fever - substantial reduction in plasma calcium which
interferes with nerve transmission, causing partial or almost
total paralysis occurring at or just giving birth and initiation
of lactation.
monogastric - animal with a single compartment stomach.
mycotoxin - toxic compounds, produced by fungi, that contaminate
plants.
negotiating board - represents the
farms in dealings with the initial buyers of a farm product. The buyers
and the board must agree on a minimum price and on the terms of sale (quality
and amount of produce).
offshore supplies - quantity of a product
that countries outside Canada have produced.
omasum - the third compartment of the ruminant stomach,
also known as the third stomach. It has a book-leafed appearance
and is the site of water absorption from the digesta.
omnivorous - feeding on both animal and plant tissues.
Ontario Farm Products Marketing Act - given power under
the Farm Products Marketing Act to oversee the provisions of the
Act, Regulations or any Marketing Plan. Plans reviewed by the
Board may apply to one or more farm products or to person engaged
in the production and marketing of the regulated product, and
may be limited to one or more areas in Ontario.
oocyte - female gamete or egg.
open - not pregnant.
output - quantity of product available for sale to marketplace.
ovary - primary female reproductive organ.
overhead - operating expenses of the farm excluding labour
and materials. Taxes, utilities, rent or mortgage payments are
overhead expenses.
ovine - pertaining to sheep.
packing plants - a meat processing factory.
Cattle, sheep and hogs are shipped to a packing plant where they are
slaughtered, inspected by government inspectors and prepared for wholesale
or retail distribution.
palatability - refers to the avidity with which an animal
selects a component from among several different feed choices.
pale-soft-exudative (PSE) pork - pork that is soft, pale
and loose-textured with little or no marbling.
parous - females that have produced young.
parturient paresis - substantial reduction in plasma calcium
which interferes with nerve transmission, causing partial or almost
total paralysis occurring at or just giving birth and initiation
of lactation.
parturition - the act of giving birth to offspring.
pasteurization - a heat process designed to destroy food
pathogens and most food spoilage organisms but not to sterilize
the product.
pathogenic - able to cause disease
pathological - pertaining to pathology
pathology - structural and functional manifestation of
disease
performance test - merit testing of individual animals,
usually for rate of weight gain, feed efficiency, milk production,
or other performance trait.
phenotype - set of observable characteristics of individuals
groups as determined by genotype and environment.
physical stimulus - some abiotic factor capable of producing
a response, usually through pressure, friction or some other mechanical
force.
pinch - castrate by crushing the spermatic cord.
placenta - the vascular structure by which the fetus is
nourished in the uterus.
poikilotherms - animals whose body temperature fluctuates
with external environmental temperature.
porcine - pertaining to pigs.
porcine stress syndrome (PSS) - a clinical syndrome characterized
by rapid death of pigs after exposure to distress. Contributing
factor in pale-soft-exudative (PSE) pork.
post mortem - after death.
postpartum - after birth.
prepartum - before birth.
price-setting board - an elected group of producer representatives.
They regulate the selling price for a product and the amount of
product which can be sold in Ontario. Sometimes called a Supply
Management Board.
probiotic - living organisms used to manipulate fermentation
in the rumen.
processor - the person or company that buys the farm-fresh
products and prepares them for retail sale so that flavor and
nutritional values are preserved. Canning, freezing, pickling
and drying are a few processing methods.
production cycle - a sequence beginning with the mating
of a mature female and progression through gestation, parturition
and subsequent events in the life of both the dam and offspring.
production quota - a limit or restriction on the amount
of a specific product that one farmer is allowed to produce for
sale. Farmers buy or sell quota, the right to produce specified
amount.
progeny - offspring.
progeny test - genetic evaluation based on performance
of offspring.
prolificacy (fecundity) - the number of offspring actually
produced by a female.
proteinaceous - containing protein.
provincial inspector - a person employed by the provincial
government to ensure the wholesomeness of food products.
pullet -a young female chicken
raceway - long, narrow culture ponds with inlets
and outlets at opposite ends so fish can grow in streams of controlled
velocity.
radiation - the transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves
passing between two separated objects without any heating of the
intervening space between emitter and absorber.
ram - male sheep.
rancidity - the oxidation of fats.
ration - the 24h feed allowance for an animal.
rbST - recombinant bovine somatotropin (see somatotropin).
receivership - a loss of ownership of a business due to
inability to pay back borrowed money. The receiver, usually a
bank or other financial institution, takes possession of the business
and often sells it to recover the money lent to the original owner.
ROP - Record of Performance, an Officially certified measure
of production.
rennet - extracted from the fourth stomach of the calf,
the enzyme component rennin is used to coagulate milk.
retailer - one who sells directly to the consumer.
reticulum - the second compartment of the ruminant stomach,
also known as the second stomach. The lining has a honeycombed
appearance to increase the surface are for absorption.
rigor mortis - the permanent contraction of skeletal muscle
associated with death.
rooster - male chicken.
roughage - a high fiber feedstuff, usually low in energy
and often utilized by ruminants.
rpST - recombinant porcine somatotropin (see somatotropin).
rumen - the first compartment of the ruminant stomach,
also known as the first stomach. This is the site of fermentation
of the consumed feed by microbes.
rumination - the process of regurgitation and re- chewing
food from the rumen.
salmonellosis - illness resulting from
infection by salmonella species of bacteria.
senescence - those processes that follow physiological
maturity or horticultural maturity and lead todeath of tissue.
serve - to mate.
settle - to become pregnant or to conceive.
ship - transport goods from one location to another by
road, rail, air or water.
shipping fever - respiratory disease usually accompanying
transport.
silage - forage preserved by fermentation in a silo or
under conditions that exclude air.
silo - a structure in which forage is preserved by fermentation
under anaerobic conditions and subsequently stored until fed to
livestock.
slatted (or slotted) floor - floor composed of solid slats
with spaces or slots between to permit excretia to pass through,
usually into a pit below.
somatotropin - growth hormone. A compound that can improve
the milk yield of a cow or growth and carcass composition of a
meat producing animal by repartitioning the nutrients. (i.e.,
rpST or rbST).
sow - mature porcine female.
SPF - (Specific Pathogen Free) - used to designate a herd
or flock that is certified free from certain specific pathogenic
organisms.
spermatozoa - male gametes.
stag - male deer or a boar castrated after maturity.
stallion - a sexually mature male horse.
steer - a castrated bull.
sterilization - the complete destruction of microorganisms.
stimulus - something initiating activity, see stress.
stoker - cattle fed lower levels of nutrients for a longer
period of time, often on pasture.
stockyards - place where animals from different sources
are assembled , usually for sale.
stress - any force or stimuli causing mental or physical
response.
superovulation - release of more than the normal number
of oocytes from the ovary.
supply management - regulations controlling the amount
of a product which a farmer can produce for sale and the method
of sale of the product.
swim-up fry - fry that have absorbed their yolk sac and
are ready to consume feed.
table eggs - eggs which are sold directly to the
consumer, either through retail stores or in restaurants.
teaser - a vasectomized or otherwise altered male that
cannot fertilize but may stimulate estrus and, if fitted with
an appropriate device, mark estrous females. A cow, sow or mare
used for semen collection.
testis - primary male reproductive organ.
thermal (climatic) stress - changes in temperature or other
weather related factors that produce a response.
thermoneutral zone - temperature range where animal does
not have to use extra energy to conserve or dissipate heat.
thermoregulation - the regulation of body temperature.
tie stall - restraint facility by which animals are held
by collars or chains around the neck.
tom - male turkey or cat.
total confinement - raising animals within enclosed buildings
for their entire lives.
UHT - Ultra High Temperature heat processing results in
a sterile product (140°C for 3-4
seconds).
upper critical temperature (UTC) - the environmental temperature
above which an animal must begin to expend energy to prevent an
increase in body temperature.
uterus - portion of the female reproductive tract where
conceptuses develop prior to birth (womb).
vacuum packaging - the packaging of a
product in the absence of oxygen.
virulence - the relative ability of a pathogenic microorganism
to cause disease.
weaned - offspring removed from mother.
wether - a castrated ram.
white veal - the meat from a young calf fed primarily a
milk based diet.
withdrawal period -the time when a drug must not be administered
prior to marketing to insure that no residues remain in the meat
or milk.
worms - Parasitic helminths