C

Glossary

Calculated or Derived traits Traits derived from recorded traits such as food conversion efficiency.

Calving difficulty (Dystocia) Difficulty in delivering the fetus.

Calving ease score A score quantifying calving ease, ranging from an easy, unassisted calving through to an abnormal presentation.

Calving to first oestrus postpartum interval The time in days it takes for a cow to reach its first oestrous after giving birth.

Carcass composition The proportions of a connective tissue, bone, muscle and fat in a carcass.

Carcass grade The relative level of  a carcass for certain aspects, such as fatness, colour, maturity and class (e.g. male, female, young, old).

Carcass weight In the case of no legal definition, carcass weight should be defined as the hot weight of both half carcasses after being bled and eviscerated and after removal of skin, removal of external genitalia, the limbs at the carpus and tarsus, head, tail, kidneys and kidney fats and the udder.

Central test (Test station) A comparison conducted at a single location where animals are assembled from several herds to evaluate differences in performance traits under uniform management conditions.

Chilling temperature As a general rule, chilling temperature is the temperature (10ºC) which beef should not fall below within 10 hours from slaughtering. If these time/temperature conditions are observed, rigor mortis will advance sufficiently to avoid toughening the meat.

Clone Any organism whose genetic information is identical to that of a “mother organism” from which it was created.

Code of practice The minimum requirements that have to be met in each case to achieve a certain accreditation.

Code set A set of codes or abbreviations to describe a characteristic such as E,U,R,O,P for carcass conformation.

Coefficient of variation The coefficient of variation is the standard deviation divided by the mean. It is a unit less quantity indicating the variability around the mean in relation to the size of the mean.

Complex traits Traits that are affected by many genes and pathways.

Conception rate Conception rate is the proportion of cows bred, which conceived at a defined stage of gestation (day or interval).

Confiscation Seize or remove by authority.

Congenital A condition that was acquired during prenatal life and therefore exists at or dates from birth. The term is often used in the context of defects present at birth.

Contemporary group A contemporary group may comprise of animals of the same breed, sex and age range kept under the same or at least similar management conditions.