APSC study guide 2

Continuous farrowing

where sows are bred and farrow throughout the year to produce pigs at regular intervals. This method allows for consistent production and better management of breeding cycles.

Sow

mature female pig

Farrowing

act of birthing - (pigs)

Thermoneutral Zone

temperature range in which animal doesn’t have to
expend additional energy to regulate its body temperature

piglet

young pig, especially newborn

Boar

intact male 

Barrow

castrated male pig

pork

meat from pigs

gilt

young female pig

genus word for pigs

sus

Vertical integration

entire supply chain is controlled and owned by a single organization

All in All out

where swine are kept in groups throughout their cycle with no mixing groups

Chick

young baby

Genus for chickens

Gallus

pullet

young female 

Cockerel

young male

Hen - turkey & chicken

Adult female

Rooster

Intact male

Capon - chicken & turkey

castrated male

Turkey genus

Meleagris

Poult

young baby

Jenny

young female

Jake

young male

Tom

intact male

Laying

act of making an egg

Hatching

chick emerging from egg

flock

group of animals

Broiler

chicken bred for meat

Layer

chicken bred for production

brooding

management & care of chicks from hatching till they’re about 8 weeks old

in ovo

vaccines and nutrients are administered in the embryo inside the egg

molt

chickens are shedding their feathers for new ones- if not their egg size decreases within age

Zoonotic Disease

infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans or humans to animals

Spent Hen

stage where hens egg production and value decreases and spends their time here before being culled for by-products

Companion Animal

one whose owner has emotional connection with the animal

Cat genus

felis

Kitten

young baby

Queen

female cat

Tom

male cat

littering

act of giving birth

Bevy

group of cats

Dog genus

Canis

Puppy

young baby

Bitch

female dog

Dog

male dog

whelping

act of giving birth

Pack

group of dogs

No-kill shelter

Greater than 90% “live release rate”
• Frequently very limited admission

Kill shelters / traditional shelters

Euthanizes animals once full or after
certain time
• Most legally cannot turn away animals

Neotony

retention of juvenile traits as an adult

Diploid

Two copies of genetic material, one from each parent

Locus

position of gene on chromosome

Heterozygous

two alleles for a particular gene are different (Bb)

Homozygous

two alleles for a particular gene are identical (BB, bb)

Allele

are considered dominant (A, B, C) or recessive (a, b, c)

Gene

functional units within chromosomes

Chromosomes

DNA organized into long, unbroken strands are called

Simple Dominance

Ex) BB, Bb – black, bb – red
BB bb

Incomplete Dominance

Heterozygote is intermediate of the two homozygotes

Codominance

Heterozygote expresses both alleles
• Ex) Shorthorn cattle coat color
• Often denoted by X, X

Overdominance

Heterozygote is superior to either
homozygote
• Usually associated with fitness or
survivability
• Often what we get with heterosis

Epistasis

interaction of non-allelic genes

Ex) coat color in Labrador
Retrievers
• Locus #1 – coat color gene locus:
black (B)/chocolate (b)
• Locus #2 – expression gene locus:
Yes (E)/No (e)

E/e gene influences B/b gene even
though they are not alleles

Trait

observable or measurable
characteristic
• Weight
• Height
• Color

Phenotype

observed category or
level of performance (what you see)
• 1,200 lbs
• 16.2 hands
• Bay

Polygenic traits (typically in animal breeding)

characteristics/traits influenced by multiple genes rather than being determined by a single gene

Monogenic (think mendel)

characteristics/traits influenced by only a single gene

Qualitative Traits

Coat color
• Udder score, vulva score, foot
and leg score
• Puppies, kittens in a litter
• Etc

Quantitive Traits

Continuous spectrum
• Objectively measured
• Carcass data, weight related measures, muscle
ultrasound, running speed, methane emissions,
etc.

Genotype

The genes an animal possesses

Heritability

degree of phenotypic variation that is due to genetics
• Lower = less responsive to selective breeding and slower the genetic progress

• phenotype=genetics + environment

• High heritability
• Phenotype = GENETICS + environment

Breeding Value (BV) -

Value of that animal as a parent

Expected Progeny Difference (EPD)

difference in performance from expected progeny of a sire compared to the performance of progeny of an average sire

Line Breeding

form of inbreeding
• Maximize relationship to a superior ancestor
• Minimize inbreeding
• Swine, poultry, horses

Heterosis

hybrid vigor, superiority of crossbred relative to average of parent breeds

Inbreeding

mate related animals
• Increase homozygosity, uniformity
• Reduced performance and survivability