Dairy Cattle and Animal Science Review Notes

Vocabulary flashcards generated from dairy cattle study notes covering breeds, terminology, traits, and digestive system review questions.

Holstein

Black & white large dairy breed.

Ayrshire

Red and white medium sized.

Jersey

Tannish-fawn colored dairy breed with darkness around the head.

Guernsey

Almost it’s orange colored.

Brown Swiss

Solid brown with more grey, light band around the muzzle.

Milking Shorthorn

Red and white speckled or solid red/white.

bull

An uncastrated male bovine.

cow

A female bovine that’s had an offspring.

heifer

A female bovine that’s had hasn’t had an offspring.

calf

Baby bovine.

Springer

Pregnant cow or heifer, close to giving birth.

Steer

A castrated bull.

breed characteristics

Features that make an animal look and act like it’s breed.

feed efficiency

How well the animal uses their food to cream body mass or milk production.

lactation

Process of producing milk to feed an offspring.

How long is lactation?

305 days, 60 day dry period.

disposition

Personality

calving

The process of giving birth.

DHI

(dairy herd improvement) someone comes to your farm to test your milk to improve milk, feed, & health.

Udder

A bag-like organ, producing milk (the most important part).

Grade

Unregistered animal.

Dairy character

Characteristics exhibited for judging to make them look more feminine (how feminine they look).

Discrimination

Evaluating and something you don’t like about the animal.

Disqualification

To be kicked out of a contest.

Mammary system

The part of the body that produces milk.

pedigree

Large animal family tree

Lineage

Short animals family tree.

Butterfat

Natural fat found in milk used to give diary products a creamy, rich texture.

Milk Production

Milk production per lactation

5 functions of the digestive system

Ingestion, chewing, swallowing, absorption of nutrients, & elimination of solid waste.

What are the parts of the digestive tract?

Mouth, teeth, tongue, salivary glands, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, colon, rectum, anus

Ruminants

Animals that contain a multi-chambered digestive system (polygastric).

Parts of the stomach

Rumen: first & largest part, acts as storage and introduces microorganisms to start breaking down food, Reticulum: honeycomb texture, any foreign material gets stuck here, Omasum: round & muscular, grinds the food & prepares for chemical breakdown, Abomasum: similar to the stomach of non ruminants, majority of chemical breakdown, mixes digestive enzymes.