Let’s face it, the newer you are to farming, the more confusing it is to hear all of the terms. Farmers love specificity. A cow is a specific identifier, a bull is not a cow. A ram and a buck are two different things. The better you know your farm terminology, the better you’ll be able to communicate with farmers, and avoid the un-asked for corrections you’ll receive on Facebook groups. This will be handy at the county fair! Â
Livestock
Cattle
Bovine: Domestic cattle
Calf: A young cow or bull that is sexually immature
Heifer: Female bovine that has not had a calf
First-Calf Heifer: Female bovine that has had her first calf
Cow: Female bovine that has had more than one calf (yes, they can have horns)
Bull: Male bovine (uncastrated)
Steer: Male bovine that has been castrated
Sheep
Ewe: Female sheep
Ram: Male sheep
Lamb: Under 1 year old sheep; also term for meat from a sheep under 1 year old
Hogget: 1 to 2 year old sheep; also the term from a sheep between 1-2 years old
Wether: A castrated male sheep or goat
Mutton: Meat from sheep over 2 years old
Goats
Kid: A young goat
Doe: Female goat
Doeling: Young female goat under 1 year old
Buck: Male uncastrated goat (also known as a Billy)
Buckling: Young male goat uncastrated, under 1 year old
Poultry
Chick: Newly hatched chicken
Cockerel: Male chicken under 1 year old
Rooster: Male chicken over 1 year old
Pullet: Female chicken that hasn’t laid an egg yet
Hen: Female chicken (or turkey) that has laid an egg
Broilers: 6-13 week old chicken raised for meat production
Poult: Young turkey of either gender; not sexually mature
Tom: Male turkey that is no longer a poult; also known as a gobbler
Duckling: Young duck
Drake: Male duck
Duck/Hen: Female duck
Gosling: Young goose
Gander: Male goose
Goose: Female
Rabbits
Kit: Young rabbit
Doe: Female rabbit
Buck: Male rabbit
Birth 
Freshening: Coming into milk; usually occurring at time of calving, kidding, lambing
Calving: Birth of a calf
Kidding: Birth of a kid
Lambing: Birth of a lamb
Feedstuff
Feedstuff: Food for livestock
1st Cutting Hay: Typically cut in the spring, coarser with more seeds and stems, higher fiber and less protein; generally more yellow/brown but not always
2nd Cutting Hay: Softer, fewer stems and more leaves, and higher protein
3rd (and 4th) Cutting Hay: Very soft, few stems, low in fiber and usually highest protein. Appealing to picky eaters, typically very dark green
Straw: Stalk of a cereal grain, such as oats, barley, rye, or wheat. Used for animal bedding
Silage: Fermented grass or other crops stored in airtight conditions, making it highly digestible and a consistent source of energy, particularly beneficial for dairy cows
Total Mixed Rations (TMR): Blend of grains, forages, proteins and supplements meant to meet certain nutritional needs (such as higher nutrition requirements for lactating animals)
Minerals: Inorganic portion of an animals diet, needed to maintain animal health. Examples of minerals animals need are Potassium, Calcium, Selenium, Sodium, etc… The nutritional needs of minerals varies based on the type of animal, lactation, and even time of year.
Miscelleanous
AI: Not artificial intelligence… but artificial insemination! How you get a cow or heifer bred without a bull. Typically done by an AI tech
Rotational Grazing: Livestock are moved frequently to new paddocks within a larger pasture to give pasture rest and regrowth without livestock pressure; used to focus on soil health and limiting parasite pressure
Continuous Grazing: Livestock remain on the same pasture, usually a large portion, with infrequent moves, with limited or no rest for pasture growth
Regenerative Agriculture: Agricultural practice focused on working with nature, rather than against it, with the goal of building soil health and counteracting degradation
Paddock: Smaller section of pasture divided off to be used in rotational grazing
Flock: Group of animals; typically sheep and poultry
Herd: Group of animals; typically cattle, pigs, goats, or horses
Flerd: Combination of a herd and flock; typically a flock of sheep with a herd of cattle
Livestock: Domestic animals kept for a productive purpose (meat, milk, wool, work, eggs, etc.)
Polled: Naturally hornless animal; gender is not relevant
Market Goats, Market Lambs, Market Hogs: Animals raised for meat, typically under 1 year old; can be castrated, uncastrated, or female
What did we miss? Any other terms you’d like defined? Let us know below!
