This document defines animal terminology for various livestock species. It provides terms for the sex and age of animals, as well as terms for breeding, birthing and the meat from each species. Terms are defined for cattle, sheep, swine, chickens, turkeys, horses, goats, and rabbits including mature males and females, young males and females, newborns, castrated males, acts of breeding and birthing, and the meat sections in stores.

1. Animal Terminology

2. Terms to write on the left hand
side of your paper…
 Male of breeding age: Mature male, can &
does reproduce
 Mature female: Mature female, has a live baby
 Young male: Hasn’t reproduced – teenager
 Young female: Hasn’t reproduced – teenager
 Newborn: baby

3. Terms Continued
 Unsexed male: Testicles removed
 Unsexed female: Reproductive parts
removed
 Groups: A lot of them together
 Act of breeding: mating or “sex in humans”
 Act of parturition: Giving birth
 Meat: what we eat, section at the store

4. Cattle
Cow – mature females that can/have reproduced
Steer- castrated male cattle that cannot
reproduce
Bullock – young male bulls that cannot
reproduce
Heifer – young female; has not had offspring
Calf – young cattle to young to reproduce
Bull – male cattle that can reproduce

5. More Cattle
 Calving – Act of giving birth
 Serving – Act of breeding
 Spayed – Unsexed female
 Herd – Group
 Beef – Meat

6. Sheep
 Ram – mature male sheep
 Ewe lamb – young female sheep
 Ram lamb – young male sheep
 Lamb – newborn sheep or young sheep,
 Ewe – mature female sheep
 Wether – castrated male sheep
 Tupping- act of breeding
 Lambing- act of giving birth

7. More Sheep
 Spayed – Unsexed famle
 Flock – Group
 Lamb – meat eaten from a lamb less than 1
year old (lamb < 1yr)
 Mutton – meat eaten from a lamb older than
1 year old (mutton >1yr)

8. Swine - Hogs or Pigs
 Barrow – castrated male pig or hog
 Boar – mature male hog
 Gilt – young female pig (what we show)
 Shoat – young male pig
 Piglet – newborn or very young pig
 Sow – mature female
 Coupling- act of breeding
 Farrowing- act of giving birth

9. More piggy
 Spayed – Unsexed famle
 Drove – Group
 Pork – Meat

10. Chickens
 Hen – mature female chicken
 Capon – castrated male chicken
 Chick – newborn chicken
 Cockral – young male
 Cock (Rooster) – mature male chicken
 Pullet – young female chicken
 Mating – act of breeding
 Laying/Hatching – act of giving birth

11. More Chicken
 Spayed – Unsexed female – we don’t unsex
 Flock – Group
 Layers = produce Eggs we eat
 Broilers/Fryers = meat we eat
 Poultry is the section in the store
**Discuss how you get baby chicks vs. eggs.

12. Turkey
 Tom – mature male turkey
 Hen – mature female turkey
 Jake – young male
 Hen Poult – young female
 Chick- newborn
 Capon – castrated male turkey
 Mating- act of breeding
 Laying/hatching- act of giving birth

13. More Turkey
 Spayed – Unsexed female
 we don’t unsex them
 Flock – Group
 Turkey/Poultry – Meat we eat

14. Horses
 Gelding – castrated male horse
 Stallion or Stud – mature male horse
 Filly – young female horse
 Foal – newborn horse
 Mare – mature female horse
 Colt – young male horse
 Covering- act of breeding
 Foaling- act of giving birth

15. Nay Nay
 Spayed – Unsexed female
 Herd – Group
 Horse – Meat – However in the U.S.A we
don’t consume horse meat.
 European area it is a delicacy.

16. Goats
 Wether – castrated male goat (what we show)
 Doe kid – young female goat
 Buck kid – young male goat
 Doe – mature female goat
 Billy/ Buck – mature male goat
 Kid – newborn goat
 Serving- act of breeding
 Kidding- act of giving birth

17. More Goat
 Spayed – Unsexed female
 Band – Group of goats
 Goat – Meat we eat

18. Rabbit
 Buck- mature male rabbit
 Doe- mature female rabbit
 Virgin- young female rabbit
 Kit- newborn rabbit
 Litter-group of rabbits
 Servicing- act of breeding
 Kindling- act of giving birth

19. More Rabbits
 We don’t unsex female rabbits
 Litter – Group of bunnies
 Rabbit – Meat we eat
 some people do consume rabbits