Animal 'names' and descriptions

[JNP]

OK, so I confess to being a novice in the livestock world so I thought how better to learn than via the experts.

My initial queries are to the various 'names/references' different cows and sheep have. For example, heifers..... what does that mean? Does it refer to a specific age cow?
Hogs..... are they sheep over a certain weight?

If you could post a 'name' and description then that would be very helpful.
Thanks
Phil

 

[JD-Kid]

think every place has diffrent terms
for us
lambs > hoggets> 2tooths> 4tooths> 6tooths> full mouth> one year full mouth >2 year full mouth .....cull/ broken mouth

the lamb to hogget thing we tend to go if kept as a replacment ewe they are hoggets over winter then once 2 teeth come up are 2 tooths etc as teeth come up

 

[Walterp]

Sheep are a complete mystery....

Cattle:
1. Baby calf - anything from new born to 3 month old?
2. Calf - anything from new born to 18 months old?
3. Yearling - obvious, really.
4. Stirk - beats me, but I think it's a calf around 6 to 12 months old.
5. Steer - castrated male calf
6. Bull - obvious
7. Heifer - good question, as it can be from a female calf to a cow that isn't a heifer 'cos she's had her first calf, but some people still call her a heifer (hopefully 'with a calf at foot')
8. Cow - anything that's calved, in my view
9. Cull cow - one that hasn't, and ought to have...

 

[Thick Farmer]

What's a Gimmer then?

 

[topground]

What is a Teg?

 

[Philip Watkins]

Sheep are a complete mystery....

Cattle:
7. Heifer - good question, as it can be from a female calf to a cow that isn't a heifer 'cos she's had her first calf, but some people still call her a heifer (hopefully 'with a calf at foot')
.

Usually a heifer up until second calf, then becomes a cow.

What is a Teg?

What's a Gimmer then?

Same as hogget, I think, just regional dialect difference. Don't know when they stop being lamb though.

 

[Johnny400]

Gimmer up here would be a twotooth and think teg is a southern word for it.

 

[llamedos]

Sheep
Hog-teg-shearling either sex till it cuts 2 teeth
Gimmer -theave, female in her second year but before she has had a lamb
Draft ewe- one to old to graze on the moor/upland so drafted to graze low ground better grazing
Ram-tup uncastrated male
Ewe, a breeding female had first lambs
Store, a weaned lamb not heavy enough to kill so sold on for fattening, or bought in for fattening
Wether, a castrated male

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Lambs generally known as hogs from the turn of the year. Abbattoirs refer to NSL & OSL. - New & old season lamb, again changing at turn of the year (for spring born lambs)
To me, shearlings are 2 tooths - next stage on from hogs.

In case you're not familiar- sheep are then aged by their teeth -
2 tooth
4 tooth
6 tooth
Full mouth. (8 teeth)
Broken mouth (falling out again!)

Whilst these are generally used year on year to describe sheep ages, though they don't actually gain their teeth on 12 month intervals, but slightly less.

 

[Samcowman]

Heifer untill she calves then first calver

 

[Tim W]

Sheep are a complete mystery....

...

Walter ---sheep are simple, they are those white things found out in the field with their legs pointing upwards---similar to mushrooms but larger and the other way up

 

[KMA]

OK

Sheep
lambs
ewe lamb
tup/ram lamb
wedder lamb, castrated male lamb to be sold fat or sold store for someone else to fatten
chaser, male with only one testicle or one not descend properly so can't be castrated or considered suitable for breeding.
hogg/hogget/teg/(theaves?), breeding sheep from weaning until flock has lambed again

Adult females
Gimmer, from hogg until she lambs for the first time
Sookit Gimmer, after she has lambed for the first time
2 crop ewe
3 crop etc
draft ewe, sound enough for breeding but too old for the hill so sold/sent to lower farm for another couple of crops of lambs
cast ewe, not fit for breeding so goes into food chain

Adult males
Shearling after first clipping
2 shear etc, self explanatory
Aged tup/ram, breeding tup/ram sold at breed sale that is older than a shearling

Cattle

Calves
heifer calf, female
bull calf, male
bullock calf, castrated male

After weaning
heifer stirk, female
Steer/bullock, castrated male
Either of the above destined for the food chain are either fattend at home or sold as Stores to someone else to fatten.

Breeding females
Bulling/maiden heifer, up until she goes to the bull
In calf heifer, after she's been bulled
Sookit heifer or 1st calver after she's ahd the first calf
2nd calver etc..........

Breeding males
Yearling
Bull, anything else

Freemartin/Jenny Wallock, female physically incapable of breeding

 

[KMA]

oh forgot to put in

Rigg, male cattle with only one testicle, or undescended etc

 

[llamedos]

oh forgot to put in

Rigg, male cattle with only one testicle, or undescended etc

Same for a horse/pony

rigwelter a particularly nice beer from Blacksheep brewery

 

[ajcc]

Cast ewe, laid on its back waiting for a carrion crow, black backed gull, magpies or badger to get to it before the shepherd. Couped yow up north.
Theaves are shearlings are two tooths unless they only got 2 teeth left then they're skinny culls or grazers.
Too summarise if they die on the farm they cost you money, if they die off the farm they earn you money but maybe cost someone else to dispose of or maybe earn some money for someone else. Simple really like rules of cricket.

 

[Sussex Martin]

Heifer = female bovine up until second calving
Teg = young female sheep up to first lambing
Wether = castrated male sheep up till killing
Rig = wrongly castrated sheep or calf that bangs anything that comes into season.

 

[KMA]

Tsk tsk such cynicism

 

[jade35]

Don't forget the Cornish/Devon? use of bullock to mean any youngstock (male or female) over the age of weaning. Now that can be confusing!.

 

[grumpy]

mostly you evil pansy take this whack!!!!