INTRODUCTION, COMMON TERMS AND DEFINITIONS IN
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Common Livestock Terms
Livestock are animals that are kept for production or lifestyle, such as cattle,
sheep, pigs, goats, horses or poultry.
General terms for all livestock types
➢ Dam – female parent
➢Sire – male parent
➢Entire – a male animal that has not been castrated and is capable of
breeding
Weaning – the process of separation of young animals from their mothers
when they are no longer dependent upon them for survival
Cattle
Cattle are mainly raised for milk & meat
• Bovine – refers to cattle or buffalo
•Cow – a female bovine that has had a calf, or is more than three years old
Bull – an entire male bovine
• Calf – a young bovine from birth to weaning (six–nine months old)
• Bull calf – a male calf
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Heifer calf – a female calf
Steer – a castrated male bovine more than one year old
Heifer – a female bovine that has not had a calf, or is aged between six months and three
years old
Calving – act of giving birth
Herd – a group of bovine animal
Sheep
Sheep are raised for meat and fiber (wool) and sometimes milk.
Ovine – refers to sheep
Ram – entire male sheep that is more than one year old
Ewe – a female sheep more than one year old
Lamb – a young sheep less than one year old
Lambing-Act of giving birth in sheep
Flock – a group of sheep
Pigs
Pigs are mainly raised for meat.
Swine/Porcine – refers to pigs
Boar – an entire adult male pig
Sow – an adult female pig
Piglet – a baby or young pig before it is weaned
Barrow – a male pig that has been castrated before sexual maturity
Gilt – a young female pig that has not yet had piglets
Farrowing – act of giving birth in swine
Goats
• Goats are mainly raised for meat, milk and fiber (hair or fleece).
• Caprine – refers to goats
• Buck – a male goat more than one year old
• Doe – a female goat more than one year old
• Kid – a young male or female goat
• Wether – a castrated male goat
• Kidding – act of giving birth in goat
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds that are raised for meat or eggs — such as chicken,
turkey, duck and goose.
Chickens
Rooster / Cock – a male chicken more than one year old
Hen – a female chicken more than one year old
Chick – a newly hatched or a very young chicken
Cockerel – a male chicken less than one year old
Pullet – a young female in her first laying season, or prior to her first lay
Egg laying – the production of eggs
Hatching – when the chick emerges from the egg
Role of Livestock in the National Economy
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Livestock farming is an integral part of crop farming and contributes substantially to
household nutritional security and poverty alleviation through increased household
income. The returns from livestock especially dairying and mixed farming in small
and medium holdings are larger and highly sustainable. The progress in this sector
results in more balanced development of the rural economy and improvement in
economic status of poor people associated with livestock. Indian agriculture is an
economic symbiosis of crop and livestock production with cattle as the foundation.
Dairy animals produce milk by converting the crop residues and by products from
crops which otherwise would be wasted.
Livestock plays an important role in Indian economy. About 20.5 million people
depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income
of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households.
Livestock provides livelihood to two-third of rural community. It also provides
employment to about 8.8 % of the population in India. India has vast livestock
resources. Livestock sector contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture
GDP.
Livestock resources
India is
World’s highest livestock owner at about 535.78 million
First in the total buffalo population in the world - 109.85 million buffaloes
Second in the population of goats - 148.88 million goats
Second largest poultry market in the world
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Second largest producer of fish and also second largest aquaculture nation in the world
Third in the population of sheep (74.26 millions)
Fifth in in the population of ducks and chicken (851.81 million)
Tenth in camel population in the world - 2.5 lakhs
Source : 20th Livestock Census
Contribution of livestock to people
• The livestock provides food and non-food items to the people.
• Food: The livestock provides food items such as Milk, Meat and Eggs for human
consumption. India is number one milk producer in the world. Milk production during
2019-20 is 198.40 million tones .The per capita milk availability is 406 grams/day. Egg
production is around 114.38 billions numbers. The per capita egg availability is 86
eggs per annum. Meat production is 8.60 million tonnes.
• Fiber and skins: The livestock also contributes to the production of wool, hair, hides,
and pelts. Leather is the most important product which has a very high export potential.
India is producing about 36.74 million Kg of wool per annum during 2019-20
• Agricultural use: The bullock is named the backbone of Indian agriculture. Despite
much progress within the use of mechanical power in Indian agricultural operations,
Indian farmers, especially in rural areas, still depend upon bullock carts for various
agricultural operations like bringing fodder and straw for animals to the farm.
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Bullock carts are saving plenty on fuel which is a vital input for mechanical power
like tractors, combine harvesters etc. Animals like camels, horses, donkeys, mules,
etc., are extensively accustomed transport goods to varied parts of the country. apart
from the bull. In mountainous areas goods like mules and ponies function the sole
options for transportation. Similarly, the military has got to depend upon these animals
for transporting various goods in high altitude areas.
Dung and other animal waste materials: Dung and other animal wastes serve as
very good farm yard manure and the value of it is worth several crores of rupees. In
addition it is also used as fuel (bio gas, dung cakes), and for construction as poor
man’s cement (dung).
Storage: Livestock are considered as 'moving banks' because of their potentiality to
dispose off during emergencies. They serve as capital and in cases of landless
agricultural labourers many time it is the only capital resource they possess. Livestock
serve as an asset and in case of emergencies they serve as guarantee for availing loans
from the local sources such as money lenders in the villages.
Cultural: Provides protection to livestock owners and particularly adds to their selfesteem after they own prized animals like pedigreed bulls, dogs and high yielding
cows / buffalo etc.
Sports / Entertainment: People also use animals like mare, rams, bullock cock,
chicken etc. for competition and sports. Despite the ban on these animal competitions,
cock fights, ram fights and bull fights, bull races (jali kattu) are quite common during
the festive season.