Animal Nomenclature 101 class. UW-Madison

Stallion

Mature male horse

Colt

Young male horse

Filly

Young female horse

Sow

Mature female pig that has given birth

Boar

Mature male pig; uncastrated

Bos

Genus of cattle

Herd (cattle)

Group of cattle

Calf

Newborn cattle; young male or female bovine. Usually sexually immature

Stag

Male castrated after puberty.

Heifer

Young female cattle; used from birth through first lactation

Cow

Mature female cattle, usually after first lactation

Veal

Male calf raised on milk diet for meat production.

‘Wet calf’

Young dairy bovine being fed milk or milk replacer

Yearling

Male or female approximately one year old.

Capra

Genus of goats

Springing

Heifer or cow that is in late stage of pregnancy

Freemartin

Infertile female calf twin to a bull calf

Sus

Genus of pigs

Herd (pigs)

Group of pigs

Piglet

Newborn pig

Barrow

Castrated male

Gilt

Female pig that has never farrowed

Sow

Female that has farrowed at least once

Nursery

Facility for raising weaned pigs until they are feeder pigs

Gallus

Genus of chickens

Flock (chickens)

Group of chickens

Cornish rock/fryer/broiler

meat chicken

Layer

egg producing chicken

Breeder

chicken laying fertile eggs

Broody

hen that wants to incubate

Brooder chick

chick needing added heat

Nursery pig

piglet needing added heat

Feeder

young needing to be grown

Finisher (pig)

late stages of growth for meat

Gestation

period of fetal development

Incubation

embryonic development of eggs

Hen day

Number of eggs divided by the number of live hens on a given day

Hen house

Number of eggs divided by the number of hens put in the house on day 1

Molting

Interruption of egg-laying; process of replacing feathers

Oviposition

Act of laying an egg

Cannibalism

Injury caused by pecking

Points of feed

1/100ths lb feed per lb gain

Egg production

Percentage hens that laid egg that day

Feeder pig

Recently weaned pig at least 8 weeks old or 40-100 lb in weight

Market hog

Pig raised for meat production in a finishing facility

Lactation curve

Curve showing milk production across the months of lactation

Peak milk

Highest point of milk production during lactation

Breeding

Reproductive period indicated on the lactation curve

Dry period

Period when the cow is not producing milk before the next lactation

Pre-fresh

Period immediately before freshening/parturition

Parturition

Birth - calving

Peak intake

Point of highest feed intake during the lactation period

ADG (Average Daily Gain)

Daily weight gain, expressed as weight gained per day

Feed conversion

Feed consumed relative to weight gain

Mortality

Percentage of animals that die during a production period

Dorsal

Nearer the back of the animal than

Ventral

Nearer the belly of the animal than

Cranial (or anterior)

Nearer to the skull than.

Caudal (or posterior)

Nearer to the tail than.

Proximal

Closer to the body than; used for structures on limbs.

Distal

Further from the body than; used for structures on limbs.

Medial

Nearer to the midline than.

Lateral

Further from the midline than.

Rostral

Toward the muzzle.

Palmar

The "walking" surface of the front paw

Plantar

The "walking" surface of the hind paw.

Rostral

The nasal area of an organism

Anal

Region around the digestive system’s exit from the body

Ipsilateral

On the same side of the body than

Contralateral

The opposite side of the body than

Parietal

Pertaining to or forming the outer wall of a body cavity

Visceral

Pertaining to the covering of an organ within ventral body cavity

Superficial

Toward or on the surface of the body or surface of a structure

Deep

Away from the surface of the body or the surface of a structure

Stallion

Mature male horse

Colt

Young male horse

Filly

Young female horse

Sow

Mature female pig that has given birth

Boar

Mature male pig; uncastrated

Bos

Genus of cattle

Herd (cattle)

Group of cattle

Calf

Newborn cattle; young male or female bovine

Bull

Young or mature male cattle

Heifer

Young female cattle; used from birth through first lactation

Cow

Mature female cattle, usually after first lactation

Steer

Castrated male cattle

Calving

Birth in cattle

Beef

Meat from cattle

Capra

Genus of goats

Band (goats)

Group of goats

Kid

Newborn goat

Buck

Young or mature male goat

Doe

Young or mature female goat

Wether

Castrated male goat or sheep

Kidding

Birth in goats

Chevon

Meat from goats

Ovis

Genus of sheep

Flock (sheep)

Group of sheep

Lamb

Newborn sheep

Ram

Young or mature male sheep