Cattle Terminology and Definitions

Intact Male: Called a bull.
Young Bull (unmarked): Known as micky in Australia.
Unbranded Bovine: Referred to as a maverick in the USA and Canada.
Adult Female (has had a calf): Termed as a cow.
Young Female (under 3 years): Called a heifer. A first-calf heifer is a young female that has had one calf.
Young Cattle (both sexes): Known as calves until weaning, then called weaners until one year old. They can also be referred to as feeder-calves or feeders. After the age of one, they are termed yearlings or stirks.
Castrated Male: In the USA, called a steer; older steers referred to as bullocks elsewhere. Piker bullocks are micky bulls that were caught, castrated, and later lost.
Grain-fed Steers for Japanese Trade: Referred to as Japanese ox in Australia (weighing 500 to 650 kg).
Draft Cattle (under four years): Called working steers in North America.
Improper Castration: Leads to a coarse steer called a stag in multiple countries. Those incompletely castrated are also known as a rig.
Castrated Male for Draft: Known as ox (plural: oxen); can also refer to carcass products like ox-hide or ox-liver.
Cow/Heifer Close to Calving: Called a springer.
Twin Female to a Bull: Usually becomes a freemartin (infertile intersex).

Beef Cattle: Cattle raised for human consumption.
Dairy Cattle: Cattle bred specifically for milk production. A cow providing milk for a family may be called a house cow or milker.
Bovine: The species to which cattle belong.

Abomasum: Fourth stomach compartment in ruminants.
ADG (Average Daily Gain): Weight gain during feeding divided by feeding days.
- Example: A steer gaining 300 pounds over 100 days has an ADG of 3.0 pounds/day.
Backgrounding: Growing of calves post-weaning until they enter a feedlot. Typically, calves gain about 300 pounds, consuming pasture, silage, or hay.

Baldy: Dark-colored calf with a white face (typical of Angus and Hereford cross).
Branding: Permanent identification method using heat (hot brand) or cold branding.
Breeds: Groups of cattle sharing similar characteristics like color or body shape.

Brucellosis: Contagious disease causing reproductive issues. Affects cattle, sheep, and goats and can cause undulant fever in humans.
Creep Feeding: Supplementing feed to calves before weaning.
Clostridial Diseases: Acute infectious diseases from bacteria. Common in unvaccinated cattle aged 6 to 24 months.
Vaccination: Medicinal injections to prevent specific diseases in cattle.

Dressing Percentage: Ratio of carcass weight to live animal weight.
Quality Grading: Assessment of meat quality based on characteristics like marbling and maturity. Common grades include Prime, Choice, Select, and Standard.
Weaning Ratio: Percentage comparison of a calf's adjusted weight over 205 days to others in the group.
Yield Grade: Numerical grade (1 to 5) representing muscle mass versus fat in the carcass post-slaughter.

Carbohydrates: Nutrient part of feed providing energy.
Proteins: Nutritional component necessary for building muscle and hair.
Vitamins and Minerals: Essential nutrients for body processes and bone health.
Gene: Unit of heredity influencing biological traits.
Phenotype: Visible physical characteristics of an animal.
Heritability: Portion of an animal's performance attributed to genetics.
Progeny: Offspring produced from a mating between male and female.
Ruminants: Animals with multi-chambered stomachs; notably, ruminants include cattle, sheep, and goats.