🐖 Topic 1: Anatomical Terms + Pig Structures

Anatomical Terms (Regional/Cavity) *MEMORIZE

Abdominal
 Relating to the abdomen

Axillary
 Relating to the armpit

Cervical
 Relating to the neck

Cranium
 Relating to the skull

Digital
 Relating to the fingers or toes

Inguinal
 Relating to the groin

Lumbar
 Relating to the lower back

Nasal
 Relating to the nose

Oral
 Relating to the mouth

Pelvic
 Relating to the pelvis

Perineal
 Relating to the area between the anus and genitalia

Perianal
 Relating to the area around the anus

Sacral
 Relating to the sacrum (lower back above the tail)

Thoracic
 Relating to the chest

Anatomical Regional Terms – Horse *MEMORIZE

Muzzle
 Front of the face including the nose and mouth

Poll
 Top of the head between the ears

Shoulder
 Area where the forelimb attaches to the body

Elbow
 Joint between the upper and lower forelimb

Carpus
 Knee of the horse (forelimb)

Cannon (Bone)
 Long bone of the lower limb

Withers
 Top of the shoulders where the neck meets the back

Barrel
 Main body/trunk of the horse

Girth
 Area behind the forelimbs where the saddle girth lies

Point of Hip
 Prominent hip bone (hooks in cows)

Tail
 Rear appendage of the horse

Flank
 Side of the body between ribs and hip

Stifle
 Hindlimb joint equivalent to the human knee

Hock (Tarsus)
 Hindlimb joint equivalent to the human ankle

Fetlock
 Joint above the hoof

Pastern
 Area between fetlock and hoof

Chestnut
 Horn-like growth on the inner leg

Ergot
 Small horn-like growth near the fetlock

External Anatomical Terms – Horse

Chestnut
 Horn-like, roughened growth on the inner side of the leg
 Located above the knee on forelimbs and above the hock on hindlimbs

External Anatomical Terms – Horse *MEMORIZE

Chestnut (1)
 Horn-like, roughened growth on the inner side of each leg
 There are 4 chestnuts in total (one per leg)

Ergot (2)
 Small, horn-like growth near the fetlock of each leg
 There are 4 ergots in total (one per leg)

External Anatomical Terms – Bovine *MEMORIZE

(new terms in addition to repeats from the horse)

Dewlap
 Loose skin hanging from the neck

Paralumbar Fossa
 Indented area on the side behind the ribs

Hooks and Pins
 Prominent hip bones
 Hooks – cranial hip bones
 Pins – caudal hip bones

Udder
 Mammary gland of the cow

Teat
 Projection from the udder through which milk is delivered

Switch
 End of the tail with long hair

Heart Girth
 Circumference of the chest behind the forelimbs

External Anatomical Terms: Hooks and Pins *MEMORIZE

Hooks
 Cranial (front) prominent hip bones

Pins
 Caudal (rear) prominent hip bones

Adjectives Describing Species *DON’T MEMORIZE, JUST KNOW

Cattle – Bovine

Sheep – Ovine

Pigs – Porcine

Horses – Equine

Goats – Caprine

Example
 A reference to the equine digestive system means the digestive system of horses

Types of Farm Animals (M/F) *DON’T MEMORIZE, JUST KNOW

Cattle
 Male (sire) – Bull
 Female (dam) – Cow

Sheep
 Male – Ram
 Female – Ewe

Pigs
 Male – Boar
 Female – Sow

Chicken
 Male – Cock
 Female – Hen

Turkey
 Male – Tom
 Female – Hen

Note
 Male versus female refers to the breeding herd
 These terms generally describe animals used for breeding
 They usually do not enter the human food chain until the end of their reproductive life
 When they do enter the human food chain, they are often used in processed products (there are exceptions) as they may be less tender or have an unusual flavor – applies to Bull, Ram, Boar, Tom, Hen

Types of Farm Animals (Neonates/Newborns)

Cattle
 Newborn – Calves
 Gender-specific – Heifer (female), Bull (male), Steer (castrated male)

Sheep
 Newborn – Lambs
 Gender-specific – Ewe (female), Ram (male)

Pigs
 Newborn – Piglets
 Gender-specific – Gilt (female), Boar (male), Barrow (castrated male)

Chickens and Turkeys
 Newborn – Chicks or Poults
 Chicks further classified – Cockerels (male), Pullets (female)

Ducks and Geese
 Newborn – Ducklings, Goslings

Types of Farm Animals (Castrates)

Cattle
 Intact male – Bull
 Castrated male – Steer

Pigs
 Intact male – Boar
 Castrated male – Barrow

Sheep
 Intact male – Ram
 Castrated male – Wether

Chickens
 Intact male – Cock
 Castrated male – Capon

Methods of Castration
 Surgical removal of testes
 Crushing of spermatic cords to stop blood supply
 Chemical or immunological approach to stop testicular function
  This method avoids pain and stress associated with traditional castration

Why We Have Castrates (Practical Aspects)

Beef Cattle Practical Aspects
 Stop the production of male hormones
 Prevent unplanned mating in the herd
 Decrease aggression to improve safety for handlers and animals
 Reduce costs of managing bulls (larger, stronger facilities needed)

Why We Have Castrates (Productivity Aspects)

Beef Cattle Productivity Aspects
 Decrease the rate of skeletal muscle growth
 Increase the rate of fat tissue deposition
 Slow the overall growth rate
 Animals need more time on feed before slaughter
 This impacts the costs of production

Comparison
 Castrated – slower growth, more fat deposition
 Non-castrated – faster growth, leaner meat

Why We Have Castrates (Meat Quality Aspects)

Beef Cattle Productivity Aspects
 Improve the quality of beef

Factors Affected
 Color of the beef
 Tenderness
 Juiciness
 Marbling

Comparison
 Non-castrated – different quality
 Castrated – improved quality (better marbling, color, etc.)

Why We Have Castrates (Pigs)

Pigs
 Avoid aggressive behavior that could injure other pigs
 Prevent boar taint in non-castrated males

Boar Taint
 Unpleasant odor in male pork
 Impactful in the pork industry
 Perceived as urine- or fecal-like odor

Why We Have Castrates (Sheep)

Sheep
 Lamb quality is not affected by castration
 Castration is usually applied for better management practices

Reasons for Castration in Sheep
 Prevent breeding of related individuals (inbreeding)
 Manipulate carcass traits depending on production strategy
 Avoid unwanted pregnancies and mating of young females

Why We Have Castrates (Chickens)

Broiler Production
 Males are not usually castrated
 Broilers go to market at 6–8 weeks of age
 Sexual maturity is reached at 15–17 weeks
 Sexes can be managed together during production

Major Pig Structures (Snout)

Snout
 Consists of the nose, mouth, and jaws

Major Pig Structures (Jowl)

Jowl
 Consists of a flabby, lateroventral part of the neck
 Can be used to make a type of bacon

Major Pig Structures (Flank)

Flank
 Major structure of pig
 Refers to part of the underbelly
 Location of outer abdominal muscles

Major Pig Structures (Belly)

Belly
 Part of the underbelly of the pig
 Used to make traditional bacon

Major Pig Structures (Hock)

Hock
 Refers to the tarsus or a bone in the hindlimb
 Equivalent to the human ankle

Major Pig Structures (Shoulder)

Shoulder
 Located on the dorsal surface
 Heavily involved in locomotion

Major Pig Structures (Loin)

Loin
 One of the most valuable parts of the carcass
 Fabricated into pork chops

Major Pig Structures (Rump)

Rump
 Located dorsally and posteriorly on the pig
 Site of muscle associated with the hip

Identification of Body Structures – Pig

Major Structures & Carcass Cuts
 Back fat
 Loin (Clear plate)
 Pork shoulder / Boston butt
 Pork belly
 Ham hocks
 Ham

Note
 These represent several common carcass cuts of the hog