Animal Science Terms – Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering general terms, species-specific terms across cattle, horses, swine, sheep and goats, meat products, poultry, and common animal-science terms as presented in the notes.

Parturition

The act of giving birth; general term for birth in animals.

Calving

Giving birth in cows.

Farrowing

Giving birth in sows (female pigs).

Kidding

Giving birth in does (female goats).

Foaling

Giving birth in mares (female horses).

Lambing

Giving birth in ewes (female sheep).

Gestation

The period of pregnancy; from conception to birth.

Conception

Implantation of the zygote; the moment pregnancy begins.

Dam

Female parent.

Sire

Male parent.

Fertility

In females, the ability to produce fertilizable ova and support embryonic development.

Fecundity (or prolificacy)

Ability to give birth to offspring frequently or produce many young.

Sterility

Inability to produce normal young.

Impotency

Failure to copulate.

Puberty

Sexual maturity, indicated by first heat or ovulation.

Weanling

A young animal after separation from its dam.

Weaning

The process of separating the young from its dam.

Ox

Member of the bovine family; sometimes a male used for draft.

Cattle

Domesticated bovine animals.

Bull

Mature male cattle used for breeding.

Cow

Mature female cattle for breeding.

Heifer

Young female cattle under three years, typically not yet calved.

Steer

Male cattle castrated before secondary sex characteristics develop.

Stag

Male cattle castrated after sexual maturity.

Calf

Young cattle of either sex under one year old.

Bull calf

Young male calf under one year old.

Cara

Prefix for carabao terms (as proposed) to apply to carabaos.

Carabull

Mature male carabao used for breeding.

Caracow

Mature female carabao for breeding.

Caraheifer

Young female carabao under three years, usually not yet calved.

Caracalf

Young carabao of either sex under one year.

Bullock

A stag used for draft purposes.

Proven sire

A male animal with established breeding ability through his offspring.

Transmitting ability

Genetic potential of an animal to pass on desirable traits to progeny.

Stallion

Mature male horse; Stud Horse when used for breeding.

Mare

Mature female horse; Brood mare when used for breeding.

Colt

Young male horse, usually up to 3 years old.

Filly

Young female horse, usually up to 3 years old.

Foal

Young horse of either sex under one year old.

Gelding

Horse castrated while young.

Geld mare

Dry mare that has not produced young during the breeding season.

Ridgling

Stallion with only one testis or undescended testes.

Equitation

Horsemanship; the art of riding on horseback.

Boar

Male pig of any age.

Sow

Mature female pig.

Gilt

Young female pig under one year that has not yet farrowed.

Shote

Young pig of either sex weighing about 60 kg.

Barrow

Male pig castrated while young or a castrated pig previously unsexed.

Stag

Male pig castrated after sexual maturity.

Suckling

Young pigs separated from dam, about 2 months old.

Weanling (swine)

Young pigs separated from dam, about 2 months old.

Litter

Group of pigs in one farrowing.

Litter size

Number of piglets born in one litter.

Ram (buck)

Male sheep used for breeding.

Ewe

Female sheep of any age.

Lamb

Young sheep of either sex below one year.

Wether (sheep)

Male sheep castrated young (1–3 weeks preferred).

Shearling

Yearling sheep with two teeth.

Fleece

Wool covering of the sheep.

Buck

Mature male goat.

Buck Kid

Male kid (young goat).

Doe

Mature female goat that has kidded.

Doeling

Mature female goat that has not yet kidded.

Doe kid

Female kid.

Pelt

Wool and skin of a sheep.

Kid

Young goat of either sex under one year.

Milking doe

Nursing or lactating female goat.

Wether goat

Castrated male goat unsexed before secondary sex characteristics.

Beef

Meat of cattle 1 year or over.

Veal

Meat of cattle 1 year or younger.

Pork

Meat of pig.

Venison

Meat of deer.

Mutton

Meat of sheep 1 year or older.

Lamb (meat)

Meat of sheep under one year.

Chevon

Meat of goat.

Horse meat

Meat of horse.

Carabeef

Meat of carabao 1 year or older.

Caraveal

Meat of carabao 1 year or younger.

Game meat

Meat from game animals.

Poultry meat

Meat from domesticated birds.

Lapan

Rabbit meat.

Meat

Properly dressed flesh from mature animals suitable for slaughter.

Slaughtering

Process from fasting to stunning, bleeding, skinning, evisceration and halving.

Butchering

Processing the carcass into retail cuts.

Backyard poultry raising

Small-scale poultry farming for home consumption (broiler < 500 heads).

Broiler

Young bird grown for about 6 weeks to reach ~1 kg.

Candling

Passing eggs over light to check fertility.

Capon

Castrated male chicken.

Brooding

Providing heat to young animals to improve survival.

Chick

Young chicken of either sex.

Cockerel

Young male chicken.

Contract growing

Raising animals for someone else for a fee.

Culling

Eliminating undesirable animals.

Domesticated birds

Birds tamed or trained to serve humans.

Dubbing

Removing the comb and wattle.

Duck

Waterfowl with broad bills and waddling gait.

Duckling

Young duck regardless of sex.

Drake

Male duck.

Fowl

Domesticated bird; often refers to a cock or hen.

Fryer

Bird developed to a size suitable for frying.