VETT Cattle & Goat Terminology

Bull

Entire male bovine animal of breeding age, usually over one year o

Bullock

Mature castrated male cattle destined for meat production

Calf

bovine animal less than a year old. (In some legislation six months old or even less)

Steer

castrated male animal over one year of age

Yearling

an animal in its second year of age

Weanling

an animal that has been weaned off of milk from it’s mother or an artificial source

Cow

mature female bovine after having had one calf. The term is also used to describe mature females of some other species, eg elk, moose, reindeer etc.

Cull Cow

Cow slaughtered out of herd for variety of reasons, eg age (over thirty months scheme), end of productive span, illness etc.

Dry Cow

a cow in the two - three month period between the end of lactation and the subsequent calving

Heifer

young female bovine animal up to birth of first calf or in lactation following the first calving. A springing heifer is in the last one or two weeks of pregnancy. After second calving known as a cow.

Veal Calf

one to three weeks old, sold for baby veal, often the male calves from dairy farms, average weight 150lbs (68kgs)

Bull Calf

entire male young animal up to stage of yearling.

Dairy Calf

calf of a mating between a bull and a cow both of dairy breed

Dairy Cow

cow of a breed specifically defined as being for milk production,

as distinct from beef or dual purpose breeds.

Buck Goat

male animal/goat

Doe Goat

female animal/goat

Kid

youngster/young goat

Wether

castrated male goat

Buckling

immature male goat