Below are some definition of terms used in cattle practice:
Bobby calf = A calf that has been removed from its mother, usually within the first day or so of life
Bos indicus = The breeds of cattle that are referred to as tropical or humped breeds
Bos taurus = The temperate, British, or European breeds of cattle
Bovine = Animals of the ox family, commonly referred to as cattle
Bull = A male bovine with sexual organs intact and that is capable of reproduction
Calf = a young bovine animal, especially a domestic cow or bull in its first year
Conception rate = The percentage of cows that conceive and maintain a pregnancy after each insemination
Cow = a fully grown female animal of a domesticated breed of ox, kept to produce milk or beef
Crossbred = Animal produced by crossing two breeds
Crossbreeding = Mating animals from different breeds to utilise hybrid vigour (heterosis), breed complimentary and characteristics
Dam = Mother of a particular calf
Down cow = is a cow that is recumbent and unable to stand unassisted, but often able to stand, +/- become ambulatory once lifted
Downer cow = is a cow that is recumbent for > 12 hours with no evidence of systemic illness (animal remains BAR)
Heat detection = Oestrus detection in cycling animals
Heat detection efficiency = Proportion of eligible cows submitted to AI in the previous 21 days
Heifer = A female bovine that has not produced a calf and is under 42 months of age
Inter-service interval = Herds assessment of the intervals between submissions to mating/joining (expressed as a percentage in the following categories < 20 days, 18 – 24 days, 25 – 35 days, 36 – 48 days and > 48 days)
Mastitis – Chronic infection = Cows that have had increased ICSCC for the current season as well as the previous (over a dry period)
Mastitis – Chronic chronic infections = Cows that have had increased ICSCC for the current season as well as the previous 2 seasons
Mastitis – Clinical = Heat, swelling or pain in the udder and/or changes in milk (wateriness or clots) that persists for
more than 3 squirts, +/- behavioural changes (lameness, stepping, kicking), +/- systemic signs (pyrexia, toxaemia, depression, recumbency, dehydration, anorexia)
Mastitis – New infection = Cows that have had increased ICSCC for the current season but not in the previous season
Mastitis – Subclinical = The presence of inflammation with a grossly normal appearing mammary gland and visibly normal milk
Mating start date (Planned MDS) = The date when a herd will start joining
Not in-calf rate = The number of cows that fail to conceive during the joining/mating period divided by the number of cows in the herd (This will vary depending on the joining period length)
Planned start of calving = The date in which the herd is expected to commence calving
Pregnancy rate = The percentage of cows that conceive over the entire joining/mating period
Sire = Father of a particular calf
Stag = Incomplete (retention of one testis) or late castration of a bull (also known as a Rig)
Steer = A castrated male bovine showing no secondary sex characteristic
Temperate breed = Used to classify cattle that originate from the temperate regions
Tropical breed = Used to classify cattle that originate from the tropical regions
Vealer = Female or castrated male with no evidence of eruption of permanent incisor teeth. Not weaned for more than seven days
Voluntary wait period = A fixed interval between calving and re-breeding – typically 42 – 56 days
Weaner = A young animal that has been weaned from its mother’s milk to live completely on pasture
Weaning = Separating calves from their dams so that the offspring can no longer suckle
Yearling = Young animal, fully weaned without permanent incisor teeth and does not show any secondary sex characteristics (usually 12 – 18 months of age)
2nd round submission rate = The percentage of cows that were subsequently diagnosed as not being pregnant during the first 3 w of mating/joining but which received at least one insemination during the second round (weeks 4-6) of mating/joining
3-week submission rate = The percentage of cows submitted for mating in the first 3 weeks of the mating period
Affected by heat detection- improve by 1) accurate heat ID, 2) heat detection aids, 3) use bulls, 4) observe cows for 2 h vs 30 min 3x /day, 5) use teaser bulls, 6) hormonal programs, 7) train staff
6-week in-calf rate = The number of cows that conceived during the first 6 weeks of joining divided by the number of cows in the in the herd (cohort intended for joining) (directly affected by submission rates and CR)
10-day submission rate = the percentage of cows submitted for mating in the first 10 days of the mating period
100-day in-calf rate = The percentage of cows that become pregnant by 100 d post calving
150-day not in-calf rate = The percentage of cows that did not become pregnant by 150 d post calving
200-day not in-calf rate = The percentage of cows that did not become pregnant by 200 d post calving
80-day submission rate = The percentage cows that were inseminated or served by 80 d post calving
Below is a list on common abbreviations used in cattle practice:
Ab= Antibody
ABLD= Acute Bovine Liver Disease
ADCT= Antibiotic dry cow therapy
ADG= Average daily gain
Ag= Antigen
AGID= Agar gel immunodiffusion
AHF= Acute heart failure
AI = Artificial insemination
AR= Attack rate
ARGT= Annual ryegrass toxicity
BCS= Body condition score
BDD= Bovine digital dermatitis
BE= Base excess
BJD= Bovine Johne’s disease
BMT= Bulk Milk Tank
BMSCC = Bulk milk somatic cell count
BPS= Bovine Papular Stomatitis
BRSV= Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus
BUN= Blood urea nitrogen
BVDV= Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus
BVDV-MD= Bovine Viral Diarrhoea mucosal disease
Bwt= Body weight
c= cents
Ca= Calcium
CaCl2= Calcium chloride
CaO= Calcium oxide
CCP= Corpus cavernosum penis
CHF= Congestive heart failure
CFU/cfu= Colony forming unit
CFT= Complement fixation test
C&S= Culture and sensitivity
CH4= Methane
Cl= Chloride
CL= Corpus Luteum
cm= Centimetre
CMR= Calf milk replacer
CNS= Central nervous system
Co= Cobalt
CO2= Carbon dioxide
COD= Cystic ovarian disease
CoO= Cobalt oxide
CoSO4= Cobalt sulphate
CP = Crude protein
CR= Conception rate
CRT= Capillary refill time
CSF= Cerebrospinal fluid
Cu= Copper
CuO= Copper oxide
CuSO4= Copper sulphate
Cx= Clinical signs
d= Day
DCAD= Dietary Anion- Cation Difference
DCP= Dynamic Compression Plates
DIC= Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
DIM= Days in milk
DJD= Degenerative joint disease
DM = Dry matter
DMI = Dry matter intake
DNA= Deoxyribonucleic acid
Dx= Diagnosis
Ddx= Differential diagnosis
E= Energy
EAD= Emergency animal disease
ECF= Extracellular fluid
eCG= Equine chorionic gonadotrophin
ELISA= Enzyme-linked immunodiffusion assay
eNDF= Effective neutral detergent fibre
epg= Eggs per gram
FB= Foreign body
FEC = Faecal egg count
FMD = Foot and Mouth Disease
FNA= Fine needle aspirate
FPTI= Failure of passive transfer of Immunity
FTAI= Fixed-time artificial insemination
g= gram
GA= General anaesthetic
GIT= Gastrointestinal tract
GnRH= Gonadorelin acetate
GSH-Px= Glutathione peroxidase
h= Hour
Hb= Haemoglobin
HR= Heart rate
Hx= History
IBK= infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis
IBR= Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis
ICR= In-calf rate
ICSCC = Individual cow somatic cell count
ID= Identification
Ig= Immunoglobulin
IM= Intramuscular
IPB= Infectious Pustular Balanoposthitis
IMI= Intramammary infection
ITS= Internal teat sealant
iu= International unit
IV= Intravenous
IVP= Infectious Pustular Vulvovaginitis
K+= Potassium
kg= Kilogram
L= Litre
LHS= Left hand side
LI= Large intestine
LMN= Lower motor neuron
LN= Lymph node
LPS= Lipopolysaccharide
LRT= Lower respiratory tract
LSD= Lumpy Skin Disease
m= meter
MCF= Malignant Catarrhal Fever
ME= Metabolizable energy
mg= milligram
mg/kg= milligram/kilogram
Mg= Magnesium
MgCl2 = Magnesium chloride
Mg(OH)2= Magnesium hydroxide
MgO= Magnesium oxide
MgSO4= Magnesium sulphate
MIC= Minimum inhibitory concertation
min= minute
MJ= Megajoule
mL= millilitre
ML= Macrocyclic lactones
mm= millimetre
MM= Mucous membrane
Mn= Manganese
MnSO4= Manganese sulphate
mo= Months old
MSD = Mating Start Date
n= Nerve
nn= Nerves
Na+= Sodium
NaHCO3= Sodium bicarbonate
Na3P04= Sodium phosphate
NDF= Neutral detergent fibre
NDP= Not detected pregnant
NEB= Negative energy balance
NEFA’s= Non-esterified fatty acids
NH3= Ammonia
NICR= Not-in-calf rate
NSAID= Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
NVO= No visible oestrus
OP= Organophosphates
P= Phosphorus
PA = Pyrrolizidine alkaloid
PCR= Polymerase chain reaction
PCV= Packed cell volume
PEM= Polioencephalomalacia
PG= Prostaglandin
PI= Persistently infected
PIC= Property identification code
PM= Post mortem
PMSD= Planned mating start date
PMR= Partial mixed ration
PO= Orally
PPE= Personal protective equipment
ppl= people
PP= Postpartum
PR= Pregnancy rate
PUFA= Polyunsaturated fatty acids
p02= Partial pressure of oxygen
P4= Progesterone
q= every
RBC= Red blood cell
RGS= Ryegrass staggers
RHS= Right hand side
RFM= Retained foetal membrane
RMT= Rapid mastitis test
RNA= Ribonucleic acid
RR= Respiratory rate
RRR= Relative risk ratio
RT-PCR= Real time-Polymerase chain reaction
S= Sulphate
SC= Subcutaneously
SCC= Squamous cell carcinoma
sec= Second
SID= Once daily
SID+= Strong ion difference
SI= Small intestine
Spp= Species
SR= Submission rate
tbs= Tablespoon
TCO2= Total carbon dioxide
TEME= Thromboembolic meningoencephalitis
TI= Transient infection
TID= Thrice daily
TMR = Total mixed ration
TP= Total protein
TRP= Traumatic reticulopericarditis
TSP= Total serum proteins
Tx= Treatment
UA= Uranalysis
UMN= Upper motor neuron
URT= Upper respiratory tract
USG= Urine specific gravity
UV= Ultraviolet
VBBSE= Veterinary bull breeding soundness exam
VFA= Volatile fatty acid
VNT= Virus neutralization test
VTM= Viral transport media
VWP= Voluntary wait period
Vx= Vaccine
WHP= Withhold period
WLD= White line disease
Zn= Zinc
ZnO= Zinc oxide
ZnSO4= Zinc sulphate
≈ Approximately
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