S
Sacral:
of, pertaining to, or located near the sacral vertebrae
Sacral Vertebrae:
Vertebrae of the sacrum; they are posterior to the lumbar vertebrae and anterior to the caudal vertebrae
Sacrosciatic Ligament:
The heavy, wide connective tissue that helps form the lateral walls of the hip. It may be found on the dorsal edge of the boneless sirloin butt
Sacrum:
(1) The triangular shaped bone formed by the fused vertebrae that are wedged dorsally between the hip bones;
(2) the section of the vertebral column that extends between the two sides of the pelvis from the lumbar vertebrae to the coccygeal vertebrae
Saddle Iron:
These branding irons are short stamp type irons that can be carried easily on a saddle and are constructed so you can find a stick and place it in the end when you need to use the iron
Safe-in-calf:
Pregnant beyond doubt; usually reported after a veterinarian's examination
Sagging:
Hanging down
Sagittal Plane:
A position parallel but lateral to the median plane
Saleyard:
A physical auction market where buyers and sellers trade cattle. Physical and store markets are conducted at a sale yard
Saleyard Auction:
(see Saleyard)
Salmonella:
A bacteria contained in all raw foods of animal origin. It causes salmonellosis and is the most common food-borne pathogen. Most people who are infected get diarrhoea, and many people have upset stomachs, chills, fever, or a headache. Food handling mistakes such as improper cooling, undercooking, infected person touching cooked food, inadequate reheating of cooked and chilled foods, improper hot storage of cooked foods, cross-contamination of cooked foods by raw foods, inadequate cleaning of equipment, and eating raw meat or poultry cause most cases of Salmonellosis
Sample Number:
A number that is assigned to the sample of milk that is taken for each cow on test day
Sand Separator:
A mechanical device or series of course ways used to settle sand from sand-laden manure
Sanga:
Adapted Bos Taurus breed that evolved in Southern Africa independent of the European Bos Taurus. They retain the productive attributes of the European Bos Taurus but have resistance closer to that of the Bos indicus
Sanitary:
Very clean, almost sterile
Sanitation:
An overarching set of practices that reduce the presence of organic material and debris and the presence, survivability, and infectivity of disease agents
Sanitise:
To kill or remove injurious, micro-organisms but not necessarily to sterilise. Dairy equipment is commonly sanitised with heat or chemicals
Sarco:
Derived from the greek which means flesh
Sarcolemma:
The thin transparent membrane surrounding the muscle fibre, analogous to the cell membrane
Sarcomere:
Basic repeating contractile structural unit of the myofibril; in-register laterally and longitudinally and responsible for striated appearance of skeletal muscle
Sarcomere Length:
Distance between Z – disks in skeletal muscle, usually measured post – rigour
Sarcoplasm:
Cytoplasm of muscle cell; major water depot of muscle cell-containing soluble proteins
Sarcoplasmic Proteins:
Proteins that are readily extracted in aqueous solution. Generally, these proteins are associated with the sarcoplasm
Sarcoplasmic Reticulum:
A specialised form of endoplasmic reticulum in myofibres. The membrane system surrounding myofibrils is responsible for storing, releasing and re-sequestering calcium in response to an action potential
Sartorius:
A muscle which helps to flex the hip. It extends from the hip to the tibia
SC:
(see Scrotal Circumference)
Scabies:
Contagious skin condition caused by parasitic organisms known as mites
Scale:
(1) Size
(2) Equipment on which an animal is weighed
Scan:
As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of the body by gathering information with a sensing device
Scapula:
The large, flat, uppermost bone of the pectoral limb; commonly called the blade bone
SCC:
(see Somatic Cell Count)
Scheduling Day:
The day of the month that a field technician may schedule to routinely test a herd
Sclera:
The white outer layer of the eyeball
Scotch Comb:
Available with wooden or aluminium handles used to comb hair into place
Scotch Tender:
A common name for the Supraspinatus muscle
Scours:
In the case of young calves, diarrhoea. A variety of pathogens can cause calf scours. Non-infectious causes can include inadequate nutrition, environmental stresses, as well as others. Serious cases of scours can result in high rates of morbidity (sickness) and mortality in young calves
SCR:
Sire Conception Rate
Scrape-and-Haul:
Manure handling system in which manure is scraped manually or with a skid loader, placed in a solid manure spreader and directly applied to appropriate crop land
Screening:
Testing all or a representative sample of the herd for one or more diseases
Screwworms:
Larvae of several American flies that infest wounds of animals
Scrotal Circumference:
A measure of testes size obtained by measuring the distance around the testicles in the scrotum with a circular tape. Related to semen producing capacity and age at puberty of female sibs and progeny
Scrotum:
A pouch that contains the testes. It is also a thermoregulatory organ that contracts when cold and relaxes when warm, thus tending to keep the testes at a lower temperature than that of the body
Scrubber:
A beef animal of unknown ancestry and that appears to be of inferior breeding
SCS:
Somatic Cell Score
SCU:
Standard Cattle Units
Scurred:
Any horny tissue that is attached to the skin rather than the bony parts of the head
Scurs:
Horny tissue or rudimentary horns that are attached to the skin rather than the bony part of the head
SDG:
Short Duration Grazing
Seam Fat:
(see Intermuscular Fat)
Sebaceous Gland:
Microscopic gland in the skin that secretes an oily/waxy substance
Secreted:
Produced and discharged from a cell, gland or organ for a particular function
Secured Access:
Access through controlled access points is prevented, apart from deliberate non-compliance. Might include gates or doors in fences or buildings in visually identifiable perimeter demarcations capable of restricting livestock movements and human movements
Sedate:
To give a drug that will make the animal drowsy and less responsive to procedures performed on it
Seedstock:
Top quality stud breeding animals
Seedstock Breeders:
Producers whose primary goal is to produce breeding stock rather than animals for feeding and slaughter. Progressive seed stock breeders have comprehensive programs designed to produce animals with optimum genetic merit for the combination of traits that will increase downstream profit of commercial beef production
Seedstock Operation:
Cow – calf operation that typically has cattle registered in respective breed society / association herd books with the primary goal of selling breeding animals to other cow – calf operations
Seedstock Producers:
Producers of breeding cattle typically purebred and registered. They document pedigrees and genetic merits (EPDs). Seedstock operations are considered genetic suppliers and genetic improvement is the focus of their operations
Segregation:
The separation of paired alleles at loci during germ cell formation
Select:
USDA carcass quality grade between Choice and Standard. It replaced the Good grade in 1988
Selection:
Choosing some individuals and rejecting others as parents of the next generation of offspring. Choosing as patents those individuals of superior estimated genetic merit for traits of interest
Selection Criterion:
An EBV, EPD, phenotypic value, selection index, or another piece of information forming the basis for selection decisions
Selection Differential (reach):
The difference between the average for a trait in selected cattle and the average for that same trait of the group from which they came. The expected response to selection for a trait is equal to selection differential times the heritability of the trait
Selection Index (SI):
A formula that combines performance records from several traits or different measurements of the same trait into a single value for each animal. Selection indexes assign relative emphasis to different traits according to their relative net economic importance, their heritabilities, and the genetic associations among them
Selection Intensity:
The selection differential measured in phenotypic standard deviation units of the selected trait. It is inversely proportional to the proportion of available replacements actually selected to be parents of the next generation. For example, with A.I compared to natural service, only a small proportion of bulls need to be selected, and the selection intensity, selection differential, and selection response will be high
Selection Response:
Selection response is the amount by which the population mean for a trait is changed by the effects of selection, generally expressed per unit of time
Selenium:
Mineral needed in very small amounts in a diet, excessive amounts is poisonous
Self Management:
Managing oneself as part of human resource management (e.g., time management, information management, self-motivation, honesty)
Self-feeder:
A feeding system that allows animals to eat at will
Sellar’s Stain:
Stain containing methylene blue and basic fuchsin, in acetone-free methanol
Semen:
Fluid containing male spermatozoa
Semen Plasma Agglutination:
A procedure to detect antibodies to a specific antigen in the plasma fraction of semen
Semen Tested:
Is the evaluation of sperm morphology (structure) and motility (rate and percent of forward movement). Volume and concentration from a single ejaculation can also be measured
Semimembranosus:
One of the muscles which help to extend the hip. It originates from the hip and extends to the tibia
Seminal Fluid:
Contained in semen. Assists in the transport and protection of sperm and act as a source of energy for sperm. It is produced by accessory male sex glands such as the prostate gland
Seminal Vesicles:
Accessory sex glands of the male that provide a portion of the fluid semen
Seminiferous Tubules:
Minute tubules in the testicles in which sperm are produced. They comprise about 90% of the mass of the testes
Semitendinous:
Commonly called the "eye" of round, it is one of the muscles which helps extend the hip. It originates from the hip and extends to the tibia. The semitendinous is located in the outside round adjacent to the inside round
Sensitivity:
The degree to which an organism can be suppressed or killed by an antibiotic
Sensitivity Tests:
Tests used to determine the most effective method of treatment of disease by testing the resistance of the microorganism to classes of antibiotics
Sensory:
Relating to sensation, to the perception of a stimulus, to the voyage made by incoming nerve impulses from the sense organs to the nerve centres or to the senses themselves
Sensory Taste Panel:
A trained sensory taste panel is skilled in scoring specific attributes of eating quality, independently of other sensory dimensions
Separation Anxiety:
Is a behavioural condition where animals, when left alone, exhibit distress and behavioural problems
Separator:
1. Formerly a centrifuge device used to remove the fat from milk on the farm but now used primarily at processing plants.
2. A device used to separate manure into solids and effluent and accomplished by trickling manure over a sloped screen or mechanically forcing through a screen
Sepsis:
A toxic state caused by the absorption of pathogenic microorganisms and their products into the bloodstream or tissues
Septicaemia:
(see Septicemia)
Septicemia:
The presence of microorganisms and their associated poisons in blood (commonly called blood poisoning). If the microorganisms are bacteria, the condition is bacteremia
Septum:
A thin wall dividing two cavities or masses of softer tissue
Sequencing:
To ascertain the sequence (or particular order) of amino acid or nucleotide residues in a protein or nucleic acid
Seroconvert:
To develop antibodies to a particular pathogen - i.e. antibody negative status or antibody positive status
Serological:
The scientific study or diagnostic examination of blood serum, especially in regards to the response of the immune system to pathogens or introduced substances
Serology:
The scientific study of blood serum and other bodily fluids. In practice, the term usually refers to the diagnostic identification of antibodies in the serum
Seromonitoring:
Serological surveys for the detection of antibodies resulting from vaccination
Seronegative:
Refers to an animal NOT having antibodies to a specific disease
Seropositive:
Refers to an animal having antibodies to a specific disease
Serosurveillance:
Serological surveys for the detection of antibodies resulting from infection
Serotype:
The type of microorganism as determined by the kind and combination of constituent antigens associated with the cell
Serous:
Resembling or composed of blood serum
Serous Membrane:
A thin connective tissue that lines most of the closed cavities of the carcass and covers the outer surface of the viscera
Serratus Ventralis:
A wide muscle which helps move the scapula. It extends from the cervical vertebrae to a point along the ribs which is just dorsal to the sternum. It extends as far back as the tenth costal cartilage
Serum:
The clear yellowish fluid obtained upon separating whole blood into its solid and liquid components after it has been allowed to clot
Served:
Female is bred but not guaranteed pregnant
Service:
The act or ability to breed
Service Number:
The number of times a cow was bred
Service Sire:
The sire to which a female currently is bred. Service sire information should be reported on DHI barn sheets
Serviced:
A term commonly used in animal breeding, denoting the mating of male to female. Also called serving or covering
Services per Pregnancy:
The number of services required to confirm or assume a cow is pregnant
Serving Capacity:
A measure of the motivation, willingness, and ability of a bull to detect and service females in estrus
Settle:
To become pregnant
Settling Pond:
A manure pit where the flow rate of liquid manure is slowed to allow suspended materials to collect at the bottomed, where they can later be removed
Severe Depression:
A severe lack of interest in an animal’s surroundings. It is typically observed as an animal with its head and ears down, dull eyes, standing apart from pen or herd mates, and a reluctance to move, eat, or drink
Sex:
Gender of the animal
Sex-Limited Traits:
Traits, such as milk production, that are expressed in only one sex
Sex Ratio:
The ratio of males to females. Expected ratio is 50:50 over an expected period of time
Sexing:
Determining the sex of an animal
Shackling:
The application of a chain to the hind leg in preparation for hoisting a carcass to an overhead rail
Shank:
The distal end of the fore and hind legs of a dressed carcass
Sheath:
The tubular fold of skin into which the penis is retracted
Sheath Rot:
(see Balanoposthitis)
Shedding:
A term used to describe the release of organisms (bacteria, protozoa, viruses) into the environment from an infected animal
Shelf Life:
The time after processing during which a product remains suitable for human consumption, especially the time a food remains palatable
Shelly Cow:
An old cow, usually in poor condition
Shin, Shins of Beef:
Hindshank or foreshank, individually or in combination; hock bones must be removed
Shippan:
(see Cowshed)
Shipping Fever:
A widespread respiratory disease of cattle
Shook Factors:
Adjustment factors that are applied to a cow’s first second and last test day during a cow’s lactation. These factors adjust the production to a normal or standard lactation curve
Short and Solid:
A cow of “mid-age” which has all her teeth, but they show signs of wear
Short-Keep-Cattle:
Often refer to heavy feeders brought and placed on a high-energy ration, weights and days on feed (often 100 days or less) are determined by end - market requirements
Short Yearling:
Animal is over 1 year of age but under 18 months of age
Shoulder Joint:
Where the humerus and scapula meet
Shoulder Rose:
A common name for the beef cutaneous muscle on the lateral surface of the shoulder
Shoulder Stick:
A bleeding stick wound that extends into the shoulder muscles, causing haemorrhage and discolouration
Show:
(see Showing)
Show Halter:
A leather halter used only when showing an animal
Show List:
The pens of cattle that the feedlot manager is offering for sale to packer buyers during a particular week
Show Pen:
(see Show List)
Show Ring:
A ring (as at a cattle show) where animals are displayed
Showbox:
Wooden, aluminium or galvanised boxes used to store show products and other tools needed at a show
Showing:
Exhibiting an animal at a fair or other show, where a judge evaluates and ranks cattle based on their physical appearance and conformation to breed standards and ideals. At shows, animals are typically split into classes based on their breed and age; shows are typically for purebred and registered animals only
Showmanship:
The manner in which livestock are presented and exhibited while in a show ring or in front of a judge
Shrink:
Loss of weight commonly used in the loss in live weight when animals are marketed
Shroud:
An unbleached muslin sheet soaked in water or salt brine and then pulled tightly around the beef side and pinned into place. This smoothes and bleaches the outer surface of the side
Shroud Pins:
Pins which attach shrouds to beef sides
Shrunk Weight:
Weight after fasting for a defined length of time
Shy Breeder:
A male or female of any domesticated livestock that has a low reproductive efficiency
Sibs:
Brothers and sisters of an individual
Sib-testing:
A process where measurements are made on the full and half sisters of a dairy bull so that his genetic qualities can be assessed by the time he is about 3 years old
Sick Pen:
Isolated pen in a feedlot where cattle are treated after they have been removed from a feedlot pen. Sometimes referred to as a hospital pen
Sickle Hocked:
A condition in which the rear legs curve under the animal's body in a "sickle" fashion, as viewed from the side
SICTT:
Single Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin Test
Sidewinder Bull:
A teaser animal used for heat detection. It is capable of mounting but not servicing females as the penis has been surgically relocated from the midline to the flank so that it protrudes at right angles to the body
Siding:
Removal of the hide from the sides of the animal
Sigmoid Flexure:
The S-curve in the penis of boars, rams, bucks, and bulls
Silage:
Fermented, high-moisture forage that is eaten by grazing animals such as dairy cows. Silage is most often made from grass crops such as corn or sorghum and retains a great deal of the nutrients present in the plant
Silage Bags:
Sometimes referred to as 'Ag Bags' which is a brand name. Large plastic tubes or bags in which chopped forages are fermented
Silent Heat:
In heat, but showing no outward signs
Silo:
An airtight storage compartment which chopped green or dry (water added) forage is stored by the fermentation process
Simplex Print:
Printed on one side of the sheet only
Simuliidae:
A small family of bloodsucking flies, commonly known as black flies or buffalo gnats. Over 100 species are known in North America
Single Nuceotide Polymorphism:
Type of genetic marker where alleles (different forms of a gene) differ from each other by the sequence of only a single nucleotide base pair; referred to as "snip"
Sire:
Male parent of an animal
Sire Model:
A genetic prediction procedure in which EPDs are directly computed for all sires with progeny in the population
Sire Summary:
Published genetic predictions (EPDs) of sires for economically important traits from national cattle evaluation programs
Sire x Environment Interaction:
When the difference in progeny performance among sires is dependent upon some factor of the environment under which the progeny were compared
Sirloin Tip:
A common name for the beef knuckle
Sirloin Tip Steak:
A common name for steaks cut from the beef knuckle
Site Risk Assessment:
Site Risk Assessment is to determine the risk profiles associated with your operations
Size:
Usually refers to weight, sometimes to height
Skeletal Muscles:
Muscles that are responsible for movement of the live animal
Skeleton:
A collection of bones and cartilage that support and protect animal tissues
Sketch:
A method of permanent identification to be cross-referenced with visible identification. Accurate sketches or photographs of Holsteins, Ayrshire’s and Guernsey’s provide unique identification
Skim Milk:
Milk from which sufficient cream has been removed to reduce its milk fat content to less than 0.5 percent (usually less than 0.1 percent). Skim milk contains as much protein, lactose, minerals, and water-soluble vitamins and only half as many calories as whole milk. Skim milk is practically cholesterol-free
Skin Cytology:
The microscopic examination of cells that have been collected from the skin
Skin Scraping:
A diagnostic test used in almost every skin condition. The skin is scraped and the material examined under a microscope
Skinning Knife:
A knife with a large rounded blade and a dull point that is used in hide removal
Skins:
(see Hides)
Skirt:
A common name for diaphragm or transversus abdominal muscles
Slab – sided:
The appearance of an animal that does not have a full rumen
Slats:
Method of housing cattle in groups on slats with a cellar below to collect dung & urine
Slaughterhouse:
(see Abattoir)
Slaughter Weight:
Weight of a live animal immediately prior to slaughter
Slick:
A cow with no brand, earmark or other identification of ownership
Slicked Up:
(see Bunk Management)
Slide:
Is the adjustment of the final sale price to accommodate a variance in weight. The value can be added or subtracted from the quoted selling price, depending upon stated weight range at “point of sale”
Slip:
To abort
Slotted Floor:
A concrete floor design in which slats are positioned in the floor so that cow traffic may work manure through the slats and into a pit beneath the floor of the barn
Slough Off:
Dead tissue coming away
Slurry:
A mixture of animal waste solids and liquid
Smokey:
A calf that is coloured grey or “Smokey”, which is the offspring of a Purebred Charolais and some dominant black breed
Smooth Mouth:
A cow that has lost all of her teeth
Smooth Muscle:
A special type of muscle responsible for the contractility of hollow organs, such as blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, the bladder, or the uterus
SNP Markers:
These are single nucleotide polymorphisms located throughout the genome
Social Facilitation:
Stimulation of voluntary feed intake induced by the presence of other cattle consuming feed
Software:
Program instructions to make computer hardware function
Soggy Cattle:
(see Fleshy)
Soilage:
Green forage that is cut and brought to animals as food
Solvent:
A business condition where assets exceed debts
Somatic (tissue):
Relating to the body
Somatic Cell Count (SCC):
The number of white blood cells per millilitre of milk or measurement of the number of somatic cells present in a sample of milk. All milk naturally contains some somatic cells, which enables cows to fight infections and ensure good health. Farmers routinely monitor their herds for somatic cell counts as a general gauge of the cow’s well-being
Somatic Cell Score:
A logarithmic representation of the SCC, often referred to as linear scores because they are linearly related to milk production loss
Somatic Cells:
The combination of the leukocytes (white blood cells) from blood and the epithelial cells from the secretory tissue of the udder which indicate the presence of infection or injury in the animal
Somatotropin:
The growth hormone from the anterior pituitary that stimulates nitrogen retention and growth
Sonoray:
(see Ultrasound)
Sorting:
Moving one animal from a herd or removing only select animals from a main group, such as sick cows, cattle in a certain weight class, etc. Sorting out individuals from a herd, calmly, is a more advanced skill than some other
handling tasks
Sound:
Having no defects that affect serviceability
Soundness:
Degree of freedom from injury or defect
Source Verified:
Source and/or age verified programs were established for the purpose of identifying cattle processed for human consumption. Moreover, export markets, where such identification has become mandatory in order for U.S. beef to become eligible for import from other countries; the program uses a “RFID” ear tag for the calf. The calf must be registered with one of the following in order to qualify:
1) breeds association,
2) packing plant,
3) management company,
4) feedlot.
The ear tag is then matched to the ranch or “birthplace” of the calf. That location could also have a “Premise Number” which is part of a state and USDA data bank
Sourveld:
Low “octane” grazing
SPA:
(see Standardized Performance Analysis)
Spay:
(see Spayed)
Spayed:
To have surgically removed the ovaries of a female
Spazmatozoa:
(see Spermatozoa)
Species:
A group of individuals whose members can breed and create viable offspring
Specific Combining Ability:
The ability of a line or population to exhibit superiority or inferiority when combined with other lines or populations
Specifications:
A detailed description, with numerical designations, of animal performance or product quantity
Sperm:
A mature male germ cell
Spermatogenesis:
Process of spermatozoa formation
Spermatozoa:
Male sperm cells
Sphincter:
A ring-shaped muscle that allows an opening to close tightly, such as the sphincter muscle in the lower end of a cow's teat
Spinal Canal:
In the live animal, the canal or tube formed by the vertebral arches containing the spinal nerve cord
Spinal Cord:
The thick trunk of nerve that extends down the spinal canal from the base of the brain to the pelvic region of the carcass
Spinal Grove:
The depression in a carcass' chine bone, which may or may not contain portions of the spinal cord
spinalis dorsi :
A muscle that extends along the cervical and thoracic vertebrae - commonly called the "ribeye" or "cap" muscle
Spinous Processes:
The blade-like extension from the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the spinal vertebrae. The dorsal spinous processes are commonly called featherbones. The transverse spinous processes are commonly called fingerbones
Splay Footed:
(see Toe Out)
Spleen:
The large highly vascular, ductless visceral organ in the upper left abdomen, laying near or across the surface of the stomach. The spleen modifies and regulates the cellular components of the blood
Splenius:
A muscle that originates from the skull and ends in the shoulder; it helps extend the head and neck. The splenius is lateral to the complexus
Spondylitis:
Inflammation of the vertebrae
Spongiform:
Resembling a sponge in being soft and full of cavities, as in as in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy
Sporadic:
Occurring upon occasion or in a scattered, isolated, or seemingly random way
Springer:
Female cattle close to calving
SQL:
Standard Query Language
SQL Converter Program:
(Commonly expanded to Structured Query Language) is the most popular computer language used to create, modify and retrieve data from relational database management systems
Square:
Having a boxy appearance with "a leg in each corner"
Squawks:
(see Line Slips)
ST:
(see Stayability)
St. Elmo's Fire:
The eerie glow sometimes seen on cattle's long horns during a lightning storm. It is caused by brushlike discharges of atmospheric electricity and commonly accompanied by a crackling or fizzing noise. The discharge also appears as a tip of light on the extremities of such pointed objects as church towers or the masts of ships during stormy weather. The light was so named because St. Elmo is the patron saint of Mediterranean sailors, who regard St. Elmo's fire as the visible sign of his guardianship over them
Stabilizing Selection:
Those animals closest to average of their contemporaries are selected as parents, while animals that are either well above or well below average are discriminated against. The goal is to maintain the trait in question at its current level of expression. Stabilising selection is appropriate for traits for which the optimum phenotype is an intermediate value
Stags:
Castrated male sheep, cattle, goats, or swine that have reached sexual maturity prior to castration
Stale:
A period when an animal does not work or lactate at the normal standards, as opposed to bloom. Also, refers to milk products that have deteriorated in storage
Stall:
A cow housing cubicle
Stanchion:
A device with two rails that was closed around a cows neck after she entered a stall and to keep her restrained in the stall
Standard 150 Days in Milk:
The expected production per day at 150 days in milk. It removes the variation in test day production due to stage of lactation and it allows production on one test day to be compared to production on another test day. Thirty-six standard lactation curves based upon six seasons, three ages and two breed groups are used to either project forward or backward to 150 days in milk. In order to allow one to compare the production at 150 days for different cows, the values are also adjusted for age and breed.
Standard curves were established for:
1. Six seasons: Jan-Feb, Mar-Jun, Jul-Aug, Sep-Oct and Nov-Dec
2. Three ages: first lactation, second lactation and third or more lactations
3. Two breed groups: Ayrshire-Brown Swiss-Holstein and Guernsey-Jersey
Standard Deviation:
Standard Deviation is a statistical measure of spread or variability
Standardised Performance Analysis (SPA):
A set of programs that allow producers to collect, process, and interpret information on biological efficiency and economic returns to a seedstock or commercial beef production enterprise
Standing Heat:
A regularly occurring state of sexual receptivity during which the female will accept the male
Staphylococcus:
A bacteria present in meat and other foods that are held for 5 hours or more in temperatures between 45 - 100°F. Staphylococcus can be present in precooked foods that have been mishandled or handled by an infected person. Infection can be prevented by proper refrigeration and food handler hygiene
Starter Ration:
A ration fed when introducing livestock to a new feed stuff. Starter rations assist the rumen in adjusting to the new feed stuffs
Starvation:
Complete or partial deprivation of food for varying lengths of time; the resulting condition may be classified as mild, moderate, severe or extreme
Stasis:
Refers to the state in which the normal flow of a body liquid stops, for example, the flow of intestinal contents through the digestive tract
Statistically Significant:
It usually refers in research to tests for differences resulting from treatments. The reliability of such differences is expressed as degree of probability or the percentage of time an observation would be expected to fall outside a certain range of variation from normal observation
Status:
The current condition of a cow. Usually listed with a date and one of the following codes:
1 - In Milk
2 - Calved
3 - Dry
5 - Left Herd
6 - First Lactation
7 - Entered Herd
8 - Aborted
9 - Induced Lactation
Status Epilepticus:
A very serious neurological condition in which the brain experiences a prolonged seizure or a series of prolonged seizures without a full return to consciousness in between
Stayability:
Refers to the ability of a breeding animal to remain in the breeding herd
Stayability EPD:
The expected difference among individuals in the probability that a daughter will stay in the herd till at least six years of age. Because the majority of cows culled before the age of six are open, the EPD is primarily a prediction of sustained fertility in female offspring
Steam Flaking:
A method of grain processing in which the grain is steamed for a short period of time prior to rolling
Steer:
Castrated male bovine
Stenosis:
Also, known as a stricture, is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular or structure, such as the intestine
Step – Up Parlour:
Cows step onto raised platforms for milking. The milking units are attached from the side
Step-ups:
The rations used to acclimate cattle to high-energy grain diets. The length of time that cattle are fed these diets varies. Generally, the amount of concentrate is increased gradually. The first week in the feedlot, the cattle may be fed a 45 percent roughage diet, the second week a 35 percent roughage diet, etc., until the cattle are on the final finisher. The number of step-up rations varies from yard to yard. Many large commercial yards use 4 to 5 steps. Some smaller yards may use as many as 10
Sterile:
Clean, free of any living organisms. Also, means unable to reproduce
Sterility:
Inability to produce offspring
Sternum:
The bone and cartilage that forms the ventral surface of the ribcage and serves as the ventral attachment of the distal ends of the ribs
Steroid:
Hormones secreted by the ovary and testis (gonads), e.g. progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone
Stertor:
Sonorous or noisy breathing
Stethoscope:
A device for listening to an animal’s heart, lungs, intestinal sounds
STF:
Standard Transfer Format
Sticking:
(see Exsanguination)
Stifle:
Joint of the hind leg between the femur and tibia
Stifle Joint:
(1) The juncture of the distal end of femur and the proximal end of the tibia/fibula and the patella;
(2) the joint between the hip and the hock. The stifle joint corresponds to the human knee
Stifled:
Injury of the stifle joint
Stillborn:
Born lifeless; dead at birth
Stirk:
(see Bullock)
Stochastic:
Behaviour is non – deterministic and can be thought of as a sequence of random variables. Any system or process that can be analysed using probability theory is stochastic
Stock Density:
(see Stocking Density)
Stock Rating:
The number of livestock (or livestock units) per unit area of land
Stocker:
Weaned cattle that are fed high-roughage diets (including grazing) before going into the feedlot
Stocker’s Equation:
The velocity at which a sphere will rise or fall in a liquid varies as the square of its diameter
Stocking Density:
Refers to the number of cattle a farm or feedlot can or will run per area of land
Stocking Rate:
The number of animals, animal units or total animal live weight assigned to a grazing unit for an extended period of time. Stocking rates are usually expressed on a per-acre basis
Stockman:
In its conventional usage, refers to someone who owns, raises, or looks after livestock. For the purposes of the Journal, stockman refers to someone who practices stockmanship
Stockmanship:
A manner of handling and operating around livestock that produces calm and highly responsive animals and does not produce long-lasting anxiety, stress, or panic. Knowledge of how animals learn, what bothers and stresses
them, and how to move around animals to achieve high control is required. Handling of livestock which involves no force limits loud noises and fast movements and creates calmer, more responsive animals. Good techniques are consistently used 100% of the time. The traits of cattle and the principles of how animals learn are the basis for all handler movements. Handlers move and position themselves in a manner and place that allows the stock to always see them. Handlers always position and re-position themselves based upon where the stock show them
they need to be and how they need to operate to let them do what is desired
Stockpiling:
The practice of allowing forage to accumulate for grazing at a later date. Most commonly done with late summer and fall forage growth for fall and (or) winter grazing
Stocker’s Equation:
The velocity at which a sphere will rise or fall in a liquid varies as the square of its diameter
Stomach Tube:
Long flexible tube put into the nostril to the back of the throat, down the esophagus, and into the stomach
Stomach Worms:
Haemonchus contortus, or worms of the stomach of cattle, swine, sheep, and goats
Store Cattle:
Animals for beef which have been reared on one or more farms, and then are sold, either to dealers or other farmers. They are brought for finishing, normally well-grown animals of up to two years of age
Store Condition:
An animal not in sufficient condition to be bought by the meat works. Usually purchased by a fattener
Storm Diet:
A diet fed during periods of stormy weather to help keep cattle on feed. Usually, contains more roughage
Straight-breeding:
The mating of purebred animals of the same breed
Straights:
Single feedstuffs of animal or vegetable origin, which can be bought in or grown on the farm
Straw:
A dose of semen for fertilisation of one cow
Stray:
An animal found strayed away from its owner or from the range where it belongs. Something some people do not understand is that often cattle from several neighbouring ranches become mixed up during the season and need to be sorted and sent back to the proper homes. This is the reason proper branding and marking are so important
Streak Canal:
Small canal located at the end of each teat, through which the milk passes immediately prior to expulsion. Also, called the teat meatus
Stress:
Any physical or emotional factor to which an animal fails to make a satisfactory adaptation. May be caused by excitement, temperament, fatigue, shipping, disease, hot or cold weather, nervous strain, number of animals together, previous nutrition, breed, age or management. The greater the stress, the more exacting the nutritional requirements
Stressor:
A stressor is any external challenge that causes an animal to initiate a physiological, behavioural and (or) immunological response to maintain or achieve its physical integrity and well-being. Examples include environmental temperatures outside the animal’s inherent comfort zone, pathogenic organisms and dietary toxins
String:
A group of cows. The grouping may be by breed, ownership, stage of lactation, age or for other reasons determined by the dairyman. A separate Herd Summary is printed for each string
Strip Cup:
A small cup or device to collect forestrippings and which makes abnormal milk easier to observe
Strip Grazing:
The practice of dividing a larger pasture into strips with movable fences to control grazing access
Strip Test
A test to determine whether a cow is infected with mastitis
Structural Proteins (virus):
Proteins that form the capsid of virus particles
Structural Soundness:
The physical condition of the skeletal structure, especially feet and legs
Struvite:
Also, known as ammonium magnesium phosphate. Struvite can form stones in the urinary bladder
Stubble Height:
The standing height of vegetation that is left ungrazed at the end of the growing season or grazing period, often indicated by taking the median of various measurements along a transect or streambank. Stubble height is often relied on as a surrogate measure of perennial grass or sedge health, vigour, and an indicator of the level of impacts from livestock to streambanks and other riparian resources
Stud:
(see Bull)
Stud Farm:
A stud farm breeds registered pedigree cattle
Stud Fee:
The charge for breeding to a male animal
Studbook:
A compilation of information about individual breeding animals maintained by a registry
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis:
A chronic condition characterised by periods in which the pH of the ruminal fluid is 5.0 – 5.5 due to high levels of volatile fatty acids
Subclinical:
A disease condition without symptoms but often resulting in decreased production or impaired milk quality
Subcutaneous (SQ):
Under the skin
Subjective Score:
Classifies animals, using a finite ordinal scale, into one of a number of possible classes
Subluxation:
Refers to incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint
Submission Rate:
Percentage of cows showing oestrus and inseminated in the first weeks of mating period
Subprimal Cuts:
Smaller-than-primal cuts, such as when the primal round is split into top round, bottom round, eye round, and sirloin tip. Subprimal cuts are used in boxed beef programs
Subscapularis:
A muscle medial to the scapula. It is small at the rib end and increases in size toward the anterior end of the blade bone
Subspecies:
A group of individuals that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species
Substance:
A strong, stockily build animal with good bone has substance
Substrate:
A substance acted on and changed by an enzyme
Subway:
An area beneath the milking pit that houses milk meters, pipelines, vacuum lines and transfer tanks to reduce noise and improve the milker's ability to move around in the pit
Success:
Progressive realisation of predetermined, worthwhile goals that are based on true principles
Successful Breeding Date:
The service date that the cow settled to which resulted in a calving
Succulence:
A condition of plants characterised by juiciness, freshness, and tenderness, making them appetising to animals
Suckler Cow:
The mother of a calf raised for beef production
Suckling Gain:
The gain that a young animal makes from birth until it is weaned
Sum of Test Day Weights:
The total pounds of milk reported for all cows on test day. If a cow’s reported weight is coded A and is adjusted, her actual weight is included in this total. Cows "Too Fresh" to test are included if weights are reported. Estimated production for cows that were not milked or milk was discarded is not included in this total
Summit Milk:
The average milk weight of the two highest of the first three tests in a cow’s lactation. This value is closely correlated to overall lactation production
Super Ovulation:
Process by which a cow is treated with reproductive hormones to induce her to produce more eggs than normal
Superficial:
External; of, or on the surface
Superficial Digital Flexor:
A muscle that helps extend the hock; it lies adjacent to the gastrocnemius, attaches to the posterior end of the femur, and ends at the tendon of achilles
Superficial Pectoral:
A muscle in the anterior portion of the brisket
Supervisors Number:
A unique number assigned to each field technician for testing purposes
Supperhutches:
Calf housing structures, often open on one side, designed for a small number of calves when first grouped immediately after weaning
Supplement:
A mixture of protein, vitamins, minerals added to the grain to meet the dietary nutrient shortages not supplied by the grain or hay. The grain or hay would be called the basal feed. What is added is the supplement feed
Supplementary Fed:
Cattle that have been mainly grazed on pasture, but also have access to a feed bin containing grain or hay or both
Supplementary Feeding:
The practice of supplying any of the constituent nutrients of an animal ration to livestock
Supply:
Number of cattle penned at a physical market
Supraspinatus:
A muscle that originates at the scapula and ends at the humerus; it is immediately anterior and dorsal to the medial ridge of the blade bone. In beef, it is commonly called the chuck tender, catfish, scotch tender, etc
Supraspinous Bursa:
The sac above the supraspinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae
Surfactant:
An additive used to aid in grain processing
Surgery:
The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or injury. Surgery can involve cutting, abrading, suturing, or otherwise physically changing body tissues and organs
Surplus Milk:
The quantity of grade A fluid milk in excess of that needed for Class I purposes
Surveillance Zone:
Zone outside and along the border of a Control Area
Susceptibility:
The degree to which an animal is likely to become infected by any given pathogen(s)
Suspect Premises:
Premises under investigation due to the presence of susceptible animals reported having clinical signs compatible with the FAD. This is intended to be a short-term premises designation
Suture:
A stitch or row of stitches that hold together the edges of a wound or incision
Swab:
A piece of cotton or gauze attached to a stick, used for cleaning body cavities or applying medication
Sweetbread:
Thymus glands of bovine or pancreas glands of porcine
Sweet Feed:
A commercial mixture of grains with molasses added
Sweetveld:
High “octane” grazing
Swing Parlour:
Characterised by having the milking units positioned in the middle of the parlour for use by cows on both sides
Switch:
The tuft of long hair at the end of the tail
Symmetry:
Affecting the entire body
Synapse:
Junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter
Syncope:
Is the sudden loss of consciousness, or fainting
Syndactyly:
Union of two or more digits (e.g., in cattle, the two toes would be a solid hoof.)
Syngamy:
The fusion of the nuclei of the sperm and the egg. Often regarded as the true start of life
Synovex:
Growth implant containing estradiol. Different types are used in calves (Synovex-C®), feeder steers (Synovex-S®), and feeder heifers (Synovex-H®)
Synovial Fluid:
The clear viscous liquid that lubricates joints and fills various bursa of the carcass
Synovial Joint:
Is the most movable and widespread type of joint throughout the body. Examples include the knee, elbow and hip
Synthesis:
Conversion of a nutrient of a substance into a second nutrient which is received by the body. If a nutrient is able to be synthesised it does not have to be in the diet. The main reason why a nutrient may not be able to be synthesised is that the correct enzyme is not there to allow the reaction to take place
Synthetic Breed:
(see Composite breed)
Syringe:
A cylinder used to give injections; a hypodermic needle is attached to the syringe to give injections
Systemic:
Pertaining to or affecting the whole body rather than localised
Systems Analysis:
(see Management System)
Systems Approach:
An approach to evaluating alternative individuals, breeding programs, and selection schemes that involves assessment of alternatives in terms of their net impact on all inputs and output in the production system. This approach specifically recognises that intermediate levels of performance in several traits may be more profitable than maximum performance for any single trait