- A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z - Abomasum: Fourth stomach or true stomach of the ruminant animal, in which enzymatic digestion occurs. Abscess: Boil; localized collection of pus. Acidosis: Severe digestive upset from change in rumen bacteria. Acute infection: An infection or disease that has rapid onset and pronounced signs and symptoms. Afterbirth: Placental tissue that is attached to the uterus during gestation; it is expelled after the birth. Air cell: Air space usually found in the large end of the egg. Albumen: The white of the egg. Anemia: A deficiency in the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. Can be caused by loss of blood or by certain disease conditions. Anestrus: The non-breeding season; the state (for females) of being not in heat. Angora: A rabbit with a coat about 3 inches long. Raised for wool as well as for meat. Antibiotic: A drug used to combat bacterial infection. Antibody: A protein molecule in the blood that fights a specific disease. Antigen: A “foreign invader,” which the body’s immune system recognizes as such. Usually a bacteria or virus. Antiseptic: A chemical used to control bacterial growth. Artificial insemination (AI): The process in which a technician puts semen from a male animal into the uterus of a female animal to create pregnancy. Aviary netting: Fencing woven in a honeycomb pattern with ½-inch openings. B Balling gun: A device used to administer a bolus (a large pill). Bang’s disease: See Brucellosis. Bantam: A diminutive chicken about one-fourth the size of a regular chicken. Some bantams are distinct breeds; others are miniatures of large breeds. Barbicels: Tiny hooks that hold a feather’s web together. Beak: The upper and lower mandibles of chickens, turkeys, pheasants, peafowl, et al. Bean: A hard protuberance on the upper mandible of waterfowl. Beard: The feathers bunched under the beaks of some chicken breeds, such as the Antwerp Belgian, the Farcrolle, and the Houdan. Bedding: Straw, wood shavings, shredded paper, or any other material used to cover the floor of an animal pen to absorb moisture and manure. Also called litter. Bevy: A flock of ducks. Bill: The upper and lower mandibles of waterfowl. Bill out: To use the beak to scoop feed out of a trough onto the floor. Black’s disease: A usually fatal disease caused by Clostridium novyi, creating acute toxemia; similar to malignant edema and red water. Blackleg: A serious disease caused by Clostridium chauvoei, a soil bacterium, resulting in inflammation of muscles and death. Bleaching: The fading of color from the beak, shanks, and vent of a yellow-skinned laying hen. Bloat: An excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen and reticulum, resulting in distension. Blood spot: Blood in an egg caused by a rupture of small blood vessels, usually at the time of ovulation. Bloom: The moist, protective coating on a freshly laid egg that dries so fast you rarely see it; also, peak condition in an exhibition bird. Blowout: Vent damage caused by laying an oversize egg. Bolus: A large pill for animals; also, regurgitated food that has been chewed (cud). Bovine: Pertaining to or derived from cattle. Bovine virus diarrhea (BVD): A viral disease that can cause abortion, diseased calves, or suppression of the immune system. Break up: To discourage a female bird from being broody. Breech: The buttocks; a birth in which the fetus is presented “rear” first. Breed: A group of animals with the same ancestry and characteristics. Breeder ration: A feed used for the production of hatching eggs. Brisket: The front of the cow above the legs. Broiler: A young chicken grown for its tender meat. Also called a fryer. Broken: A color pattern in which blotches of color appear on a white background. Broken mouth: Having lost teeth. Brood: To set on a nest of eggs until they hatch. Also, the resulting hatchlings, collectively. Brooder: A mechanical device used to imitate the warmth and protection a mother bird gives her chicks. Broody hen: A setting hen. Browse: Bushy or woody plants; to eat such plants. Brucellosis: A bacterial disease that causes abortion. Buck: A mature male goat or rabbit. Buck rag: A cloth rubbed onto a buck goat and imbued with his odor and kept in a closed container; used by exposing to a doe and observing her reaction to help determine if she’s in heat. Buckling: A young male goat or rabbit. Bull: An uncastrated male bovine of any age. Bummer: A lamb that has to be bottle-fed by the shepherd: Usually an orphan, though sometimes a lamb whose mother doesn’t produce enough milk for multiple lambs. Bunny: A cutesy term for rabbit: Babies are called bunnies for lack of another term, although some call the babies kits, even pups. Burdizzo: A castrating device that crushes the spermatic cords to render a male animal sterile. Calf: A young bovine of either sex, less than a year old. California Mastitis Test (CMT): A do-it-yourself kit to determine if a female animal has mastitis. Calve: To give birth to a calf. Candle: To determine the interior quality of an egg by shining a light through it. Cannibalism: The bad habit some chickens have of eating one another’s flesh or feathers. Cape: The narrow feathers between a chicken’s neck and back. Capon: A castrated male fowl having an undeveloped comb and wattles and longer hackles, saddle, and tail feathers than the normal male. Caprine: Pertaining to or derived from a goat. Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE): A serious and widespread type of arthritis, caused by a retrovirus. Card: To convert loose, clean wool into continuous, untwisted strands. May be done with hand cards or a carding machine. Carrier: An animal that carries a disease but doesn’t show signs of it. Caruncle: A fleshy outgrowth: Often seen around the eyes and head of certain species of fowl. Castrate: To remove the testicles of a male animal so that he is permanently incapable of breeding. Cervix: The opening (usually sealed) between the uterus and the vagina. Chalazae: White, twisted, ropelike structures that anchor the egg yolk in the center of the egg, by their attachment to the layers of thick albumen. Chevon: Goat meat. Chicken wire: Fencing woven in a honeycomb pattern with 1-inch openings. Clean legged: Having no feathers growing down the shanks. Clean wool: Usually refers to scoured wool, though hand-spinners may describe grease wool that has little or no vegetable contamination as clean wool. Clip: The total annual wool production from a flock. Cloaca: The cavity just inside a fowl’s vent, into which the intestinal and genito urinary tracts empty. Closed face: In sheep, having heavy wool about the eyes and cheeks. Clostridial diseases: Diseases caused by Clostridia bacteria (including blackleg, Black’s disease, tetanus, red water, and enterotoxemia) that produce powerful toxins causing sudden illness. Clutch: A batch of eggs that are hatched together, either in a nest or in an incubator. Coccidiosis: An intestinal disease caused by protozoa; usually causes diarrhea. Coccidiostat: A drug used to prevent coccidiosis. Cock: A male chicken; also called a rooster. Cockerel: A male bird under 12 months of age. Colic: An abdominal condition generally characterized by severe pain. Colostrum: The first milk from a female animal that has just given birth; contains antibodies that give to the newborn animal temporary protection against certain diseases. Comb: The fleshy prominence on the top of the head of fowl. Also, to remove short fibers from wool and leave long fibers laid out straight and parallel. Concentrate: Feed that is low in fiber and high in food value; grains and oil meals. Condition: Degree of health. Conformation: The overall physical attributes of an animal; its shape and design. Congenital: Acquired before birth (e.g., a birth defect). Coop: The house or cage in which a chicken lives. Count: The fineness to which yarn may be spun; a system of grading wool based on how finely it can be spun: Cow: A bovine female that has had one or more calves. Creep feeder: An enclosed feeder for supplementing the ration of young animals that excludes larger animals. Creep-feeding: Providing extra feed (such as grain) to young animals that are still nursing their mothers. Crest: The elongated feathers on the head of some breeds of ducks and chickens. Crimp: The “wave” effect in wool fibers. Crop: An enlargement of the gullet of fowl where food is stored and prepared for digestion. Crossbreed: The offspring of two different breeds. Cross-fencing: Fences used to subdivide pastures into smaller paddocks. Crotch: To trim wool or hair from around the tail and udder. Cryptosporidiosis: Diarrhea in young animals caused by protozoa; may also cause diarrhea in humans. Cud: In ruminant animals, a wad of food burped up from the rumen to be re-chewed. Cull: To remove a substandard animal from the herd. Cycling: Heat cycles in non-pregnant females. D Dam: The female parent. Degreased wool: Wool that’s been cleaned chemically to remove all “grease,” or lanolin. Dehorn: See Disbud. Dewclaw: A horny structure on the lower leg above the hoof. Dewlap: Loose skin under the neck. Diphtheria: A bacterial disease in the mouth or the throat. Disbud: To remove the horn buds from young animals to prevent horn growth. Disbudding iron: A tool, usually electric, that is heated to burn the horn buds from young animals. Dished face: Having a concave nose, such as that of the Saanen goat. Disqualification: A temporary or permanent physical defect serious enough to bar an animal from a show. Dock: To cut off the tail; the remaining portion of the tail that has been docked. Doe: A female goat or rabbit. Doeling: A young female goat or rabbit. Down: The fur-like covering of newly hatched ducklings. Also, the inner layer of soft, light feathers on waterfowl and the fluffy bottom of chicken feathers. Drake: A male duck. Drake feather: One of three curly feathers on a drake’s tail. Drakelet: A young male duck. Drench: To give medication from a bottle. Dress: To clean meat in preparation for cooking. Dry: Not producing milk. Dry period: The time when a female animal is not producing milk. Duck: Any member of the family Anatidae and specifically a female. Ducklet: A young female duck. Duckling: A baby duck. Dwarf: A rabbit weighing no more than 3 pounds at maturity. E Ear canker: A scabby condition inside the ear caused by mites; usually found in rabbits. Eclipse molt: A 3- to 4-month period each year, after the breeding season, when the bright plumage of colored adult drakes is replaced with subdued colors similar to those of females. Edema: Swelling due to excess accumulation of fluid in tissue spaces. Egg tooth: A small, horny protuberance attached to upper mandible of a hatching bird’s beak or bill that it uses to help break open the shell: It falls off several days after hatching. Elasticity: The ability of wool fibers to return to their
original length after being stretched. Good-quality wool has a great deal
of elasticity Gaggle: A flock of geese. Gander: A male goose. Germinal disc: In an egg, the fertility spot from which an embryo grows. Gestation: The time between breeding and birth. Giant: A rabbit weighing 12 to 16 pounds or more at maturity. Gizzard: The muscular stomach of fowl that contains grit for grinding food. Goose: The female goose, as distinguished from the gander. Gosling: A young goose of either sex. Grade: Unregistered; not purebred. Graft: To have an adult female accept and mother a young animal that isn’t her own. Grease wool: Raw wool that has not been cleaned. Green: For young waterfowl, to have gone into the first molt. Grit: The hard, insoluble materials eaten by birds and used by the gizzard to grind up food. Gut: The digestive tract. H Hackle: A rooster’s cape feathers. Halter: A rope or leather headgear used to control or lead an animal. Hardware disease: Peritonitis (infection in the abdomen) caused by a sharp foreign object penetrating the gut wall. Hatch: To come out of the egg; also, a group of birds that come out of their shells at roughly the same time. Hatchability: The percentage of fertilized eggs that hatch under incubation. Hatchling: A bird that has just hatched. Hay: Dried forage. Heat: See Estrus. Heifer: A young female bovine that has not calved. Hemoglobin: The compound in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Hen: A female chicken more than 12 months of age. Hen-feathered: In a cock, having round feathers on the hackle and saddle. Herd: A group of goats or cattle. Hock: The large joint halfway up the hind leg. Hoof rot: See Foot rot. Hopper: A food container that is filled from the top and dispenses from the bottom; used for free-choice feeding of grain, grit, and other supplements. Horn bud: A small bump from which a horn grows. Hutch: A rabbit cage. I Incubate: To sit on eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. Incubation period: The number of days it takes eggs to hatch once they are warmed to incubation temperature. Incubator: A mechanical device for hatching fertile eggs. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR): A respiratory disease caused by a virus; also called red nose. International unit (IU): A standard unit of potency of a biologic agent such as a vitamin or antibiotic. Intramuscular (IM): Into a muscle. Intravenous (IV): Into a vein. Iodine: A harsh chemical used for disinfecting. I-clip: A J-shaped metal clip used in hutch construction. Special pliers are required for application. J Joline’s disease: A wasting, often fatal form of enteritis. Jug: A small pen large enough for just one ewe and her offspring. Junior: See Green. K Ked: An external parasite that affects sheep. Keel: The breastbone or sternum of fowl. Kemp: Straight, brittle, chalky white mohair fiber. Ketosis: An over-accumulation of ketones in the body. Kid: A goat under 1 year of age; also, in goats, to give birth. Kindle: To give birth to a litter of rabbits. Knob: A rounded protuberance appearing at the base of the bill (between the eyes) of some species of goose. L Lactation: The period in which an animal is producing milk; the secretion or formation of milk. Lamb: A newborn or immature sheep, typically under 1 year of age. Laminitis: See Founder. Lanolin: The naturally occurring “grease” that coats wool. Lay ration: Feed that is formulated to stimulate high egg production. Legume: A plant belonging to the pea family (alfalfa, clover, etc.). Leptospirosis: A bacterial disease that can cause abortion. Lice: Tiny external parasites on the skin; there are two kinds — biting lice and sucking lice. Listeriosis: A bacterial disease that can cause abortion. Litter: Collectively, the offspring of a rabbit, from a single birth: See also Bedding. Liver flukes: Parasites that infest snails and spend part of their life cycle in cattle, damaging the liver and making the host more susceptible to red water and Black’s disease. Loft: The tendency of down to fluff up: The greater the loft, the better the insulating ability of the down. Lop eared: Having bent or drooping ears. Lumpy jaw: An abscess in the mouth caused by infection. Luster: The natural gloss or sheen of a fleece. M Maintenance ration: A feed used for adult fowl that are not in production. Malocclusion: An abnormal coming together of teeth. Mammary tissue: Milk-producing tissue in the udder. Mandible: The upper or lower bony portion of a bird’s beak. Mange: A skin disease caused by mites that feed on the skin. Marbled: In beef, havings flecks of fat interspersed in muscle. Mash: A mixture of finely ground grains. Mastitis: Infection and inflammation in the udder. Mature: Old enough to reproduce. Meconium: The dark, sticky first bowel movement of a newborn animal. Milking bench (or stand): A raised platform, usually with a seat for the milker and a stanchion for the goat’s neck, that a goat stands upon to be milked. Milk letdown: A physiological process that allows milk to be removed from the udder by sucking or mechanical means. Mites: Very tiny parasites that feed on skin, causing mange or scabies. Molt: To shed old feathers, fur, or hair and grow a new “coat.” Mount: To rear up over the back of an animal to “ride” it, as a bull does a cow when breeding. Mutton: Meat from a mature or aged sheep over 1 year old. N Nematode: Roundworm. Nest box: A place for fowl or rabbits to give birth. Nolvasan: An all-purpose disinfectant. O Off feed: Not eating as much as normal. Omasum: One of the four stomach compartments in the ruminant animal. Open: Non-pregnant. Open face: In sheep, not having much wool around the eyes and cheeks. Over-conditioned: Overfed; fat. Oviduct: The long, glandular tube of female fowl in which egg formation takes place; leads from ovary to the cloaca. Para-influenza (P13): A viral respiratory agent that by itself causes a mild disease, but in combination with bacterial infection can be severe. Parasite: An organism that lives in or on an animal. Parturition: The birth process. Pastern: The area between the hoof and the fetlock joint; “ankle.” Pasting: Loose droppings sticking to the anal area. Pathogen: A harmful invasive microorganism, such as a bacterium or virus. Peck order: The social rank of chickens. Pedigree: A paper showing an animal’s forebears. Peritonitis: An infection in the abdominal cavity. PH: The measure of acidity or alkalinity; on a scale of 1 to 14, 7 is neutral, 1 is most acid, and 14 is most alkaline. Pigeon-toed: Having toes turning inward instead of pointing straight ahead. Pinfeathers: New feathers that are just emerging from the skin. Pinion: The tip of a wing. Also, to cut off the tip of a wing to prevent flight. Pinkeye: A contagious eye infection spread by face flies. Pip: The hole a chick makes in its egg’s shell when it is ready to hatch; also, the act of making the hole. Placenta: Afterbirth; attached to the uterus during pregnancy as a buffer and lifeline for the developing animal. Plumage: All of a bird’s feathers, collectively. Poll: The top of the head. Polled: Born without horns; naturally horniess. Post-legged: Having hind legs that are too straight, with not enough angle in the hocks and stifles. Preen: To clean and organize feathers with the beak or bill. Primary feather: One of the long feathers at the end of a wing. Prolapse: Protrusion of an inverted organ such as rectum, vagina, or uterus. Protozoa: One-celled animals; some can cause disease. Puberty: The age when an animal matures sexually and can reproduce. Pullet: A female chicken less than 1 year of age. Purebred: An animal whose ancestry can be traced back to the establishment of a breed through the records of a registry association. Q Quarantine: To keep an animal isolated from other animals to prevent the spread of infections. Quarter: One of a cow’s four teats. Quill: A primary feather. R Ram: A mature male sheep. Ram lamb: An immature male sheep. Ration: The combination of all feed consumed in a day. Raw milk: Milk as it comes from an animal; unpasteurized milk. Red water: A deadly bacterial disease of cattle caused by Clostridium haemolyticum; animals with liver damaged by flukes are susceptible. Registered: Having an animal’s birth and ancestry recorded by a registry association. Relative humidity: The percentage of moisture saturation in the air. Rennet: An enzyme used to curdle milk and make cheese. Reticulum: The second of the four stomach compartments in the ruminant animal. Rex: A rabbit with short, plush fur. Ringworm: A fungal infection causing scaly patches of skin. Roaster: A young chicken of either sex, usually 3 to 5 months of age, that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin and with a breastbone cartilage somewhat less flexible than that of the broiler-fryer. Roost: A perch on which fowl rest or sleep; the place where chickens sleep at night. Also, to rest on a roost. Rooster: A male chicken; also called a cock. Rotational grazing: The use of various pastures in sequence to give each one a chance to re-grow before grazing it again. Roughage: Feed that is high in fiber and low in energy (e.g., hay, pasture). Rumen: The largest stomach compartment in the ruminant animal, in which roughage is digested with the aid of microorganisms in a fermentation process. Ruminant: An animal that chews its cud and has four stomach compartments. Satin: A rabbit with transparent hair shafts that create an extremely lustrous coat. Scabies: A skin disease caused by a certain type of mite. Scales: The small, hard, overlapping plates covering a chicken’s shanks and toes. Scours: Persistent diarrhea in young animals. Scrapie: A usually fatal disease of the nervous system. Scratch: The habit chickens have of scraping their claws against the ground to dig up tasty things to eat; also, any grain fed to chickens. Scurs: Horny tissue or rudimentary horns attached to the skin rather than to the skull. Second cuts: Short lengths of wool resulting from cutting the same spot twice during shearing. Selenium: A mineral needed in very small amounts in the diet (too much is poisonous). Set: To keep eggs warm so they will hatch. Settle: To become pregnant. Sex: To sort by gender. Shank: The part of a chicken’s leg between the claw and the first joint. Shear: To clip wool from a sheep or goat. Sickle-hocked: Having too much angle in the hind legs (weak construction). Silage: Feed cut and stored green, preserved by fermentation. Sire: The male parent; to father. Skirt: To remove the edges of a fleece at shearing. Snuff les: A highly contagious respiratory disease of rabbits marked by nasal discharge. Sore hocks: Ulcerated footpads in rabbits. Splayfooted: Having toes that turn out. Spur: The sharp points on a rooster’s shanks. Stag: A late-castrated steer or improperly castrated steer that still shows masculine characteristics. Stanchion: A device for restraining an animal by the neck for feeding or milking. Standard: The description of an ideal specimen for its breed. Standing heat: The time during heat when the female animal allows the male animal to mount and breed. Started: Having survived the first few critical days or weeks of life and begun to develop. Steer: A male bovine after castration. Stifle: The large joint high on the hind leg by the flank. Still-air incubator: A mechanical device for hatching fertile eggs that does not have a fan to circulate air. Straight run: Not sorted by gender: Usually applied to newly hatched chicks. Also called “unsexed” or “as hatched.” Straw: Dried plant matter (usually oat, wheat, or barley leaves and stems) used as bedding; also, the glass tube semen is stored in for artificial insemination. Strip: To remove milk from the udder: Usually refers to removing the last of the milk. Subcutaneous (SQ): Under the skin. Supplement: To feed additives that supply something missing in the diet, such as additional protein, vitamins, minerals. Tag: To cut dung locks from an animal. Also, a lock of wool contaminated by dung and dirt. Tallow: The extracted fat from sheep and cattle. Tattoo: The permanent identification of animals produced by placing indelible ink under the skin; to apply a tattoo. Toxemia: A condition in which bacterial toxins invade the bloodstream and poison the body. Trace minerals: Minerals needed in the diet in very small amounts. Trichomoniasis: A venereal disease caused by protozoa. Trio: Two females and one male of the same breed and variety. Tuft: A puff of feathers on top of a goose’s head. U Udder: Mammary glands and teats. Udder wash: A dilute chemical solution, usually an iodine compound, for wash ing udders before milking. V Vaccine: A fluid containing killed or modified live germs, injected into the body to stimulate production of antibodies and immunity. Vent: The external opening from the cloaca of fowl, through which it emits eggs and droppings. Vermifuge: Any chemical substance administered to an animal to kill internal parasitic worms. Vibriosis: A venereal disease of cattle that causes early abortion. Vulva: The external opening of the vagina. W Warts: Skin growths caused by a virus. Wattle: A small, fleshy appendage that dangles under the chin of some fowl species. Wean: To separate a young animal from its mother or stop feeding it milk. Wether: A castrated male sheep or goat. Whey: The liquid remaining when the curd is removed from curdled milk as part of the process of making cheese. White muscle disease: A fatal condition in calves in which heart muscle fibers are replaced with connective tissue; caused by selenium deficiency: Withdrawal period: The amount of time that must elapse for a drug to be eliminated (through urine, etc.) from an animal’s body before it is butchered so there will be no residues in the meat. Wool block: An illness in rabbits caused by swallowed fur forming a blockage in the digestive tract. Y Yearling: A male or female cow between 1 and 2 years of age. Popular Articles : Intro to Raising Chickens, Raising Chicks, Why Raise Animals?, more... |