Important animal terms glossary

A term applied mainly to grasses (but may include legumes and herbs) that have been cut and dried, usually in the field, to preserve as fodder.

The recurring, hormonally-regulated phase of the estrous cycle during which a female mammal is sexually receptive and ovulation occurs or is imminent, triggered by a pre-ovulatory surge in luteinizing hormone (LH).

In the UK, a female cow that has not yet born two calves. A pregnant heifer is termed an in-calf heifer. Sometimes used for female cattle before giving birth to first calf in some countries.

Animals, especially cattle, sheep and goats feeding on grass and plants.

A battery cage house where droppings are collected at ground level and cages installed on a floor above.

Sows that are about to give birth may be:

Confined with restricted movement in a farrowing crate to prevent her lying on the piglets. The floor may be fully or partially slatted with slurry collected in a channel or deep pit. The lying area for the piglets is usually not slatted.

Allowed free movement in pens with partially slatted floors to collect slurry and separate lying areas with a solid floor for the sow and for the piglets.

A thermally insulated, forced or naturally ventilated house divided into pens containing groups of pigs. May have:

• Fully slatted floor. Pens have fully slatted floors with no physical separation between lying, feeding and dunging areas. Slurry is collected in a channel or pit beneath the floor that may connect to a central channel for emptying.
• Partially slatted floor. Similar to above except the floor is divided into a slatted area (for dunging), with a slurry channel or pit beneath it, and a solid, non-slatted (for feeding and resting) area. Some straw is sometimes provided where there is a solid floors and a smaller slatted area. The solid floor may have a slight slope so that slurry and straw move towards the slats (straw flow system).
• Solid floor. Straw is spread over the floor to provide bedding or in smaller amounts for animal welfare or may be washed down with water if no bedding is used.

Weaners are kept in small groups (often 8–12) in pen houses that are heated and ventilated. Pens may have:

• A solid floor with straw bedding to produce solid manure
• A fully slatted floor or
• A partially slatted floor to produce slurry.