Livestock Terminology (by species)

Vocabulary flashcards covering livestock terminology by species.

Breed

Animals within a species with a distinctive appearance, typically developed by deliberate selection.

Breeding animal

An animal used to produce offspring, typically in a controlled and organized way.

Dam

Female parent.

Flock

Grouping of species of livestock (sheep, poultry).

Herd

Group of single species of animals (cattle, horses, swine, goats).

Litter

Multiple offspring produced at one birth by a multiparous (litter-bearing) mammal; twins or triplets are not examples.

Livestock

Domestic farm animals kept for productive purposes (meat, milk, work, wool).

Market animal

Livestock bred and raised for food consumption.

Parity

Number of times a female has had offspring.

Polled

Naturally hornless animal.

Sire

Uncastrated male parent.

Stag

Male that is castrated after sexual maturity (often shows signs of masculinity at slaughter).

Weanling

An animal that has recently been weaned.

Yearling

An animal that is about 1 year of age.

Bull

Sexually mature uncastrated male bovine.

Calf

Sexually immature young bovine.

Calving

Process of giving birth in cattle.

Cow

Mature female bovine.

Fed steer or heifer

Steer or heifer that is ready for slaughter at the end of a finishing period.

Feeder steer or heifer

Steer or heifer ready to enter a feedyard and begin the finishing phase.

Heifer

Young female bovine which has not yet had a calf (usually < 22–24 months old).

Ox

Castrated male bovine at least 4 years old.

Steer

Castrated male bovine.

Ewe

Female sheep.

Ewe lamb

Female sheep under 1 year of age.

Lamb

Sheep less than one year of age.

Lambing

Process of giving birth in sheep.

Lambkin (lambling)

Newly born lamb.

Ovine

Relating to or resembling sheep.

Ram

Uncastrated male sheep at least 1 year old.

Ram lamb

Uncastrated male sheep under 1 year of age.

Wether

Castrated male sheep.

Buck

A sexually mature uncastrated male goat (aka billy).

Buckling

Young uncastrated male goat less than 1 year old.

Caprine

Relating to or resembling goats.

Doe

A female goat over 1 year of age (aka nanny).

Kid

Young goat of either sex.

Kidding

Process of giving birth in goats.

Wether (Goat)

Castrated male goat.

Barrow

Young, castrated male swine (castrated before sexual maturity).

Boar

Sexually mature uncastrated male swine.

Farrowing

Process of a sow giving birth.

Feeder pig

Young pig (40–70 lbs) ready to be finished up to market weight (260+ lbs).

Gilt

Young female pig that has not yet given birth.

Hog

Mature swine (usually weighing more than 120 lbs).

Pig

Young swine (usually weighing less than 120 lbs; also called piglet).

Porcine

Relating to or resembling pigs.

Sow

Mature female swine.

Swine

Refers to animals in the pig family.

Galline

Relating to or resembling chickens.

Hen

Female bird over one year of age.

Pullet

Female chicken under one year of age.

Laying

Act of giving birth in chickens.

Rooster

Aka, cock; uncastrated male bird over one year of age.

Broilers

Meat chicken that is 1.5–3.0 months of age at slaughter.

Fryer

Meat chicken slaughtered at 3–5 months of age.

Capon

Castrated male chicken slaughtered at 4–8 months old.

Chick

Newly hatched or very young chicken.

Cockerel

Uncastrated male bird under one year of age.

Drake

Uncastrated adult male duck.

Duck

Adult female duck.

Ducklings

Baby ducks.

Gander

Adult uncastrated male goose.

Goose

Adult female goose.

Gosling

Young goose (until feathers replace all down).

Poult

Young domestic turkey.

Tom

Uncastrated adult male turkey.

Meleagrine

Relating to or resembling turkeys.