Cattle Terminology

Question 1

Bull

Answer 1

male of breeding age

Question 2

Bullock

Answer 2

young male, typically less than 20 months of age

Question 3

Calf

Answer 3

newborn (generally any male or female less than 1 year of age)

Question 4

Cow

Answer 4

mature female; a female that has produced a calf

Question 5

Dry cow

Answer 5

a cow that has finished one lactation and has not yet given birth and started a subsequent lactation

Question 6

Heifer

Answer 6

young female; a female that has not produced a calf

Question 7

One-calf heifer

Answer 7

young female that has produced only one calf and is in her first lactation

Question 8

Heiferette

Answer 8

a heifer that has calved once; is not lactating, and is fed for slaughter

Question 9

Springer

Answer 9

breeding age heifer that has not yet given birth to her first calf

Question 10

Steer

Answer 10

castrated male

Question 11

Stocker

Answer 11

weaned cattle that are run on grass or are fed high roughage diets

Question 12

Yearling

Answer 12

male or female that is 1-2 years of age

Question 13

Backgrounding

Answer 13

growing program for feeder cattle from time calves are weaned until they are on a finishing ration in the feedlot

Question 14

Biological type

Answer 14

refers to size of cattle (small, medium, or large), growth rate, milk production (high, medium, or low) and age at puberty

Question 15

Calf crop

Answer 15

number or percentage of calves produced within a herd in a given year relative to the number of cows and heifers in the breeding herd

Question 16

Calving

Answer 16

act of giving birth

Question 17

Conditioning

Answer 17

treatment of cattle by vaccination and other procedures before introducing them into the feedlot

Question 18

Cow-calf operation

Answer 18

a management unit that maintains a breeding herd of cows and produces weaned calves for sale

Question 19

Crossbred

Answer 19

an animal that is the product of the crossing of two or more breeds

Question 20

Culling

Answer 20

removing cattle from the herd for sale or slaughter

Question 21

Dry period

Answer 21

rest period at the end of a lactation before a cow gives birth again

Question 22

Feeder cattle

Answer 22

those requiring more growth and/or fattening before slaughter

Question 23

Feedlot

Answer 23

beef cattle enterprise where cattle are placed in confinement, fed harvested feeds, and fattened for slaughter

Question 24

Finished cattle

Answer 24

cattle whose time in the feedlot is completed and are now ready for slaughter

Question 25

Freestall

Answer 25

loose housing system for cows indoors, in which cows can move freely in groups within a large space

Question 26

Fresh cow

Answer 26

cow that has given birth within the last 3 weeks

Question 27

Freshening

Answer 27

calving

Question 28

Lactation

Answer 28

period between two calvings during which the cow gives milk, usually lasting about one year. A cow that has just given birth to her second calf is in her second lactation

Question 29

Preconditioning

Answer 29

preparation of feeder calves for marketing and shipment, may include vaccinations, castration, training calves to ear and drink in pens

Question 30

Seedstock producer

Answer 30

enterprise that produces breeding animals for the commercial segment of the industry

Question 31

Serving

Answer 31

act of breeding