Important animal terms glossary

Pregnant sow.

The period of intrauterine fetal development extending from fertilization to parturition; in cattle approximately 280 days, in pigs approximately 114 days, and in sheep approximately 147 days.

A narrow metal crate used to individually confine sows for their 16 week pregnancy, without sufficient room for them to turn around. In the EU and in some US states, sow stalls are now partially banned; sows can only be housed in stalls during the first 4 weeks of their pregnancy and during the week prior to giving birth.

A young female pig before she has produced a litter.

Plural: geese; Large aquatic bird sometimes kept as domestic animal for meat and for feathers.

Several pregnant sows are kept together in enclosed compartments or pens that may have:

• A solid concrete floor with a deep layer of straw bedding to produce solid manure or farmyard manure.
• A partially slatted floor. This provides a lying area with straw bedding and a slatted  floor above a collection channel in the dunging and slatted floor feeding area that may be emptied using scrapers.

Pig from about 20 kg liveweight fed a generous diet to achieve high growth rates to about 50–60 kg liveweight.

Chicken between a chick and a pullet before it starts to lay eggs, usually up to 18–20 weeks old.