Beef Cattle Recording: Glossary of Terms

6. Glossary of Terms

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ABRI	Agricultural Business Research Institute at University of New England (UNE) Armidale. Is responsible for data processing and commercial operation of BREEDPLAN.
AGBU	Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit at joint institute of NSW Agriculture and UNE. Is responsible for research, development and management of BREEDPLAN
Age at first calving	Age of the dam in days at first calving
Age at puberty	Time at which the animal acquires the ability to reproduce offspring (first spontaneous ovulation or ability to produce an ejaculate of 50 million spermatozoa/ml)
Age of heifer first oestrus	Age of the heifer in days
Birth Weight	Weight of calf within 48 hours after birth
Body Condition Score	Numerical score to describe the nutritional body state of the animal
Bone %	Percent ratio of bone weight and carcass weight
Breeding	Natural mating or artificial insemination service (AI)
BREEDPLAN	The Australian genetic evaluation system for Beef Cattle.
Calf Mortality	Mortality of the new born calf during or within 48 h after birth
Carcass length	Carcass length between fixed points
Cause of death	Choice from a coded list of causes of death
Code of Practice	The minimum requirements that have to be met in each case to achieve accreditation
Conception	Formation of a diploid zygote
Conception rate of bull	Number of services or matings per (a) conception, (b) gestation or (c) calving when the same (only one) bull is used to breed cows and to obtain a gestation
Conception rate of herd	Proportion of cows mated to a bull or inseminated with a bulls semen which conceived or become pregnant at a defined stage of gestation
Conformation score	Subjective assessment of conformation in live animals or carcasses
CRC	Co-operative Research Centre for the Cattle and Beef Industry (Meat Quality) with head office based at UNE and the Tropical Beef Centre at Rockhampton Queensland
Disposal reason	Coded list to describe the exit of an animal from the herd;
1. Death on farm
2. Sale for breeding
3. Sale for finishing
4. Slaughter
EBV	Estimated Breeding Value. A measure of an animals genetic merit for a given trait
Embryo	The conceptus arising from the zygote through mitotic divisions
Estimated weight	Linear function of chest girth and age by breed
Fat score	Subjective assessment of fat cover of carcass
Fecundity	Reproductive potential of an animal as measured by the quantity and quality of gametes produced or by the quantity of developing eggs or of fertile breeding
Fertility	Reproductive potential of an animal as measured by the quantity and quality of gametes produced or by the quantity of developing eggs or of fertile breeding
Fertilization	Formation of a diploid zygote
First successful
semen collection	Date of first successful collection
Foetus	The young organism after completion of organogenesis, when implantation of the conceptus is completed
Herd female Non-return rate	Proportion of cows inseminated for the first time during a given period of time, (such as a month), that have not been recorded as having returned for another service within a specified number of days, and so are presumed pregnant
Hot carcass weight	Weight of carcass after bleeding and removal of head, legs, skin, visceral organs
Implantation	Process of attachment of the conceptus in the uterus, begins at day 19-20 and is completed between days 35 and 42
Infertility	Any complete or partial (semi sterility) failure of an individual to produce functional gametes or viable zygotes
Kidney fat %	Percent ratio of kidney fat weight and carcass weight
Linear score	A numeric score recorded on one or more anatomical sites on the animal using a numeric scale designed to describe the biological variation
Live empty/shrunk weight	Live weight following 12 hours of food and water withdrawal
Live full weight	Average of two consecutive live weights where animal has access to food and water recorded 24 hours apart
Mating date	Date of actual mating
NFE	Net Feed Efficiency. Refers to the difference in animals feed intake independent of requirements for growth rate and body weight
NFI	Net Feed Intake. The trait calculated by phenotypic adjustment of feed intake for body weight and growth as a measure of NFE
Oocytes produced	No. of oocytes per flush
Pastural natural mating dates	Start and end dates of exposure to sire(s)
PBBA	Performance Beef Breeders Association. A technical committee representing each of the Breed Societies that conduct annual GROUP BREEDPLAN analyses
Pelvic Diameter	Vertical and or horizontal pelvic diameter
Prolificacy of female	Number of calves per gestation
Reproductive lifetime	A function of age at puberty and stayability
Scrotal Circumference	The largest circumference of the scrotum recorded with both testicles positioned beside each other
Serving capacity	Number of services achieved by a bull under stipulated/defined conditions
Sterility	Any complete or partial (semi sterility) failure of an individual to produce functional gametes or viable zygotes
Weaning Weight	Weight of calf at weaning