Friday, July 25, 2014

Farm Fact Friday ~ Boy or Girl ~ Cattle

Today's Farm Fact Friday edition is all about the naming system! Of course cattle can be boys or girls and it's important to call them the correct title. So, off we go!

First off, just like a dog would be a "canine", farm animals have scientific names as well.
Cattle are termed: bovine.

Let's start with cattle: a baby is called a "calf".


A baby is either a female: heifer....meaning she has not had her first calf....


....or the baby is a male: bull.






As they grow, their 'titles' will change. A female will no longer be a heifer after she has her first calf, she will then become: a cow.





A male, however, will stay a bull all of his life. Unless he is castrated, meaning he is unable to be used for breeding purposes. If castrated, he will become: a steer.






And, that's pretty much it for cattle! Stay tuned for next week's Farm Fact Friday edition: naming sheep!


1 comment:

  1. You forgot free martin, an infertile heifer. Not exactly a sex difference, but a different title.

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