cow

Heifer

A female bovine that has never had a calf

Cow

A female bovine that has had one or more calves

Steer

A castrated male bovine

Bull

An intact male bovine

Springer

A female (heifer or cow) close to calving, often identified by an increased udder size.

Fresh Cow

A cow that has recently given birth; the act of giving birth is often called "freshening"

Breeding

The phase focused on producing the bulls and heifers

Feeding

Providing appropriate nutrition to maintain healthy and productive animals

Marketing

Cattle are often bought and sold multiple times throughout their lives before final processing and retail sale

Seedstock

Also called purebred or registered breeders, these specialized operations provide superior genetics (semen, embryos, and breeding animals) to the rest of the industry

Cow-Calf

This segment raises calves from birth until weaning, which usually occurs around 205 days. The goal is for each cow to produce one calf per year

Yearling/Stocker

stage involves adding weight (increasing "frame") to weaned calves using grazable forages. Animals typically enter at 500 pounds and leave at about 800 pounds.

Feedlot

Animals are finished here before being sent to the packer.

Packer

Includes grocery stores and restaurants; modern efficiency has moved the task of cutting beef from the grocery store to the packer to decrease waste

Consumer

The ultimate driver of the industry. Current trends show consumers are looking for increased convenience, leading to the rise of "meal-kits" and take-out foods

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

A highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals

Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis (BSE):

Caused by a prion (a misfolded protein), this neurologic disease is prevented by banning the feeding of ruminant tissue to other ruminants.

Rinderpest

A severe viral disease that has been completely eradicated from the planet through aggressive vaccination