Livestock Show Terminology

Learn more about the animals in the barns.

General Terms

• breed - a group of animals that, as a result of breeding and selection, have certain distinguishable characteristics
• breeding animal- livestock bred and raised to be included in a breeding program
• dam – a female parent
• flock – is a grouping of a species of livestock (sheep, poultry)
• herd - a group of a single species of animal (cattle, horses, swine, goats)
• market animal - livestock bred and raised for food consumption
• polled - a naturally hornless animal
• sire – a male parent

Chickens

• broilers – a chicken that is 6 to 13 weeks of age used for meat production
• chick –  is a newly hatched or a very young chicken.
• hen - an adult female chicken
• rooster - an adult male chicken
   

Cattle

• bovine - the scientific name for cattle
• bull - a sexually mature male bovine
• calf - a sexually immature young bovine
• cow - a mature female bovine
• heifer - a young female bovine which has not yet had a calf
• steer - a castrated male bovine
   

Goats

• buck- a sexually mature male goat
• doe - a female  goat
• kid - a young goat
• wether - a castrated male goat
   

Pigs

• swine - regers to animals in the pig family
• barrow - a young, castrated male swine
• boar - a sexually mature male swine
• gilt - a young female pig
• hog - a mature swine (usually weighing more than 120 pounds)
• pig - a young swine (usually weighing less than 120 lbs.)
• sow - a mature female swine

Sheep

• ewe - a female sheep
• lamb - a sheep less than one year in age
• ram - a male sheep
• wether - a castrated male sheep
   

Turkeys

• hen - an adult female turkey
• poult - is a young domestic turkey
• tom - is a male turkey