Common Terminologies in Animal Science

Breed – a stock of animals within a species having a distinctive appearance

and typically having been developed by deliberate selection
Breeding animal– an animal caused to produce offspring typically in a
controlled and organized way
Dam – a female parent
Flock – a grouping of a species of livestock (sheep, poultry)
Herd – a group of a single species of animal (cattle, horses, swine, goats)
Livestock – domestic farm animals kept for productive purposes (meat, milk,
work, wool)
Market animal – livestock bred and raised for food consumption
Polled – a naturally hornless animal
Sire – a male parent
Litter – multiple offspring produced at one birth by a multi-parous mammal.

Fertility in (Male) – the capacity to produce large number of sperm cells

capable of fertilization.
Fertility in (Female) – the capacity to produce fertilizable ova (egg cells) and
the ability to conceive biological young.
Fertilization – the union of sperm cell and the egg cell.
Conception – the act of fertilization
Gestation – pregnancy; it is the period from conception and birth
Parturition – act of giving
Calving – act of giving birth in cows
Foaling – act of giving birth in mares
Lambing - act of giving birth in ewes
 Kidding - act of giving birth in does
Farrowing - act of giving birth in sows
Lactation – it is the secretion of milk from the mammary gland
Suckling – a young animal that is still lactating from the dam
Weaning – it is the process of separating young from its dam
Weanling – the young separated from its dam.

Chickens

Chick – a newly hatched or a very young chicken

Broilers – a chicken that is six to 13 weeks of age used for meat production
Pullet – Female bird under one year of age
Hen – Female bird over one year of age
Cockerel – Male bird under one year of age
Rooster/Cock – Male bird over one year of age
Popular Products – eggs and chicken

Cattle

Bovine – the technical name for cattle

Calf – a sexually immature young bovine
Heifer – a young female bovine which has not yet had a calf
Cow – a mature female bovine
Steer – a castrated male bovine
Bull – a sexually mature male bovine
Popular Products – milk, beef and leather
Ducks

Drake – Adult male

Duck – Adult female

Geese

Gander – Adult male

Goose – Adult female

Goats

Caprine – refers to animals in the goat family

Kid – a young goat
Wether – a castrated male goat
Doe –a female goat
Buck –a sexually mature male goat

Pigs

Swine – a refers 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 – (aka. piglet) a young swine (usually weighing less than 120 lbs.)
Sow – a mature female swine

Sheep

Ovine – the technical name for sheep

Ewe – a female sheep
Lamb – a sheep less than one year in age
Ram – a male sheep
Wether – a castrated male sheep
Popular Products – lamb,* mutton,* hogget,* and wool

Turkeys

Poult – Young domestic turkey

Hen – Adult female
Tom – Adult male

Horse

Equine – name of the family that includes horses, donkeys and zebras
Foal – an animal in the equine family, of either sex, that is one year old or
younger
Colt – a male horse under the age of four
Filly – a female horse under the age of four
Gelding – a castrated animal of the equine family
Pony – a mature horse that measures less than 14.2hands
Mare – an adult female horse
Stallion – an adult male horse
Draft Horse – a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and
farm labor
Equitation – the art of riding a horse

Meats of Farm animals:

Pork – hog, pig
Beef – is from older cattle
Veal - is the meat of younger cattle
Chicken meat – chicken
Chevon – goat
Lamb - sheep