AVS 1500 Unit #1: Introduction to Industries, Terminology, and History of Animal Science

Flashcards covering basic animal science terminology, species taxonomy, historical legislation, industry trends, digestion, reproduction, and species-specific production facts based on Unit #1 lecture notes.

What is arable land?

Land that can be plowed or tilled (most land is not arable)

How is global hunger defined?

A lack of resources caused purely by social and economic forces, representing a distribution problem rather than an overall food shortage.

What is a Calorie?

A unit for measuring energy.

What do the acronyms FGR and FCR stand for, and what measurement do they represent?

FGR stands for Feed to Gain ratio and FCR stands for Feed Conversion ratio. Both represent the ratio of the amount of feed needed for an animal to gain $1\,kg$ of weight.

Young (General) Horse

Foal

Young Female Horse

Filly

Young Male Horse

Colt

Mature Female Horse

Mare

Mature Male Horse

Stallion

Young/Old Castrate Horse

Gelding

Young (General) Dog

Puppy

Young Female Dog

Bitch (Puppy)

Young Male Dog

Dog

Mature Female Dog

Bitch

Mature Male Dog

Dog

Young (General) Cat

Kitten

Young Female Cat

Queen (Kitten)

Young Male Cat

Tom

Mature Female Cat

Queen

Mature Male Cat

Tom

Young (General) Cattle

Calf

Young Female Cattle

Heifer

Young Male Cattle

Bull (Calf)

Mature Female Cattle

Cow

Mature Male Cow

Bull

Young Castrate Cow

Steer

Old Castrate Cow

Stag

Young (General) Swine

Pig/Piglet

Young Female Swine

Gilt

Young Male Swine

Boar (Pig)

Mature Female Swine

Sow

Mature Male Swine

Boar

Young Castrate Swine

Barrow

Old Castrate Swine

Stag

Young (General) Sheep

Lamb

Young Female Sheep

Ewe (Lamb)

Young Male Sheep

Ram (Lamb)

Mature Female Sheep

Ewe

Mature Male Sheep

Ram

Young Castrate Sheep

Wether

Old Castrate Sheep

Stag

Young (General) Goat

Kid

Young Female Goat

Doe

Young Male Goat

Buck

Mature Female Goat

Doe

Mature Male Goat

Buck

Young Castrate Goat

Wether

Old Castrate Goat

Stag

What are the scientific taxonomy names for cattle, pigs, horses, and donkeys?

Cattle are Bos taurus or Bos indicus, pigs are Sus scrofa domesticus, horses are Equus caballus, and donkeys are Equus asinus.

What are the scientific taxonomy names for sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, dogs, and cats?

Sheep are Ovis aries, goats are Capra hircus, chickens are Gallus domesticus, turkeys are Meleagris gallopavo, dogs are Canis familiaris, and cats are Felis catus.

Morrill Act of 1862

Provided for the establishment of one land grant institution in each state

Morrill Act of 1890

Provided for the establishment of a second land grant for segregated southern states

Morrill Act of 1994

Provided for the establishment of a tribal land grant in 12 Western states

Hatch Act of 1887

Provided for the establishment of an experiment station in each state

Smith-Lever Act of 1914

Provided for the creation of the Extension Service

According to USDA estimates, what percentage of farm workers attended college?

$44\%$ of farm workers attended college.

What were the original purposes for domesticating cattle and horses?

Cattle were originally domesticated for religious reasons, and horses were domesticated for transportation and war.

What key transport and processing innovations allowed animal products to be moved further distances?

Boxed beef, railroad systems, and the interstate highway system.

What does the acronym N.I.M.B.Y. stand for in relation to food production trends?

"Not in my backyard", which describes how the production of food has shifted away from where populations live to areas where people are not.

Vertical integration

When one step or process in an industry is controlled by one party

Horizontal integration

When one party owns or controls the entire chain of production of one industry (e.g., farrowing to finishing)

Vertical Coordination

When one party does not own or control, but coordinates with other parties to have organization and competitive markets for an industry

How is animal husbandry defined?

The act of caring for animals, the art of animal production.

Why are ruminant animals typically given more space than monogastric animals?

Monogastric animals lend themselves more readily to confinement than ruminants.

What is dystocia?

General term that describes any difficulty birthing that occurs with animals.

Disease

Any deviation from normal of an animal

What animal traits favor successful species domestication?

Docility, existing social hierarchies, ease of breeding and reproduction, less timidity, and a herbivorous diet.

How do monogastric and ruminant digestive structures differ?

Monogastrics have a single-chambered stomach, whereas ruminants have a multi-chambered stomach with one chamber acting as the true stomach.

What is the difference between precocial and altricial offspring?

Precocial offspring are fully developed and slightly independent when born or hatched, whereas altricial offspring are underdeveloped and entirely dependent on parents at birth.

Breed

What the breeder says it is

Dressing Percentage

The percent of a carcass that produces meat product

What are the dressing percentages for turkeys, pigs, cows, and sheep/goats, and why do monogastrics dress higher?

Turkeys dress at $83\%$, pigs at $75\%$, cows at $63\%$, and sheep/goats at $\sim 50\%$. Monogastrics dress higher because they have smaller digestive tracts.

How do Feed Conversion Ratios (FCR) compare between cattle, swine, chickens, and fish?

Cattle have an FCR of 7:1, swine 4:1, chickens just over 2:1, and fish under 2:1.

Castration

Occurs in order to prevent an animal from reproducing or to manage behavior of animal

How do Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle differ in climate adaptation and origin?

Bos taurus originate from Europe and are adapted for colder, dry climates, while Bos indicus are adapted to endure hot and humid climates.

What distinct characteristics separate Holstein and Jersey dairy cattle breeds?

Holstein cattle are black and white spotted and produce the highest volume of milk, whereas Jersey cattle are smaller light brown cows that produce the highest milk fat content.

What is the strategy and purpose behind 'Beef on Dairy' crossbreeding?

Beef and dairy cattle are crossed to improve carcass quality for the $70\%$ of dairy offspring not kept as herd replacements, allowing them to be better utilized in the beef space and reducing waste.

Gestation

Period of development of young in the womb

Seasonal Breeder

Animals that mate only one time of year

Polyestrous

Animals can mate multiple times of year

Estrous

Entire reproductive cycle

Estrus

Time during the reproductive cycle where a female is receptive to the male

Lactational Anestrus

Period of time in which estrous cycle is paused while mother is nursing baby

Trait Heritability

Some traits are more heritable than others (Ex: traits range from 0-1 on a heritability scale)

DFD

Dark, Firm, Dry

RFN

Red, firm, normal

PSE

Pale, soft, exudative

What are the market timelines and parameters for commercial swine production?

Swine have a gestation period of $115\,\text{days}$ ($4\,\text{months}$), are weaned at $3\,\text{weeks}$, and are harvested at $6\,\text{months}$ weighing $280\text{--}300\,\text{lbs}$.

What caused Porcine Stress Syndrome (PSS) and what are its main impacts?

PSS was caused by rapid breeding selection for leaner pigs in the 1990s that spread the PSS gene; it causes excessive stress in pigs, leading to poor meat quality and death.

What distinct reproductive characteristics apply to poultry (chickens & turkeys)?

Poultry are oviparous: egg laying (shell gland instead of uterus), have no external genitalia (mate via cloacal contact), cannot be sex-sorted as chicks, require artificial insemination (turkeys), and have incubation periods of $21\,\text{days}$ (chickens) or $28\,\text{days}$ (turkeys).

What tool is used to monitor parasite loads in small ruminants, and how is their age assessed?

The FAMACHA scale is used to gauge parasite severity, and age is determined by assessing the spool joint growth plate.

Which sheep breeds produce the highest quality wool, and which goat breeds excel in milk vs. meat?

Merino and Rambouillet produce the highest wool quality. Boer and Kiko are meat goat breeds, while Nubian (highest milk fat) and Lamancha (highest milk quantity) are milk goat breeds.

How are horses categorized, measured, and managed reproductively?

Horses are monogastric hindgut fermenters, measured in hands ($1\,\text{hand} = 4\,\text{in}$ ) from wither to hoof, with an $11\text{-month}$ gestation period.

What factor determines beef quality grading, and what are the four USDA quality grades?

Beef quality grade is determined by marbling (intramuscular fat), and the four USDA quality grades are Prime, Choice, Select, and Standard.

EPD

(Expected Progeny Difference) Predictions of the genetic transmitting ability of a parent

P = G+E

Phenotype = Genotype + Environment

Pyramid of production to information

Consumers, Finishing and Harvesting, Pastured/Broiler House, Nursery/Hatchery, Parent Stock, Grandparent Stock