New in the cattle business or looking to get into the cattle industry? There are certain terminologies in the cattle industry that you should be well aware of before you find yourself purchasing the wrong mammal. There are different terms used in this industry in order to refer to different stages or different genders of cattle.
Cattle Terminology
Some common names used for cattle include cow, bulls, heifer, steer, and calf. Now a proper understanding of these terms is important, especially if you are going to make a living out of it or before you go shopping to buy one.
One thing common in all these names is that they belong to the same family. A calf is just a baby cow, male or female, who has not reached maturity. A heifer is female cattle that is in her maturity but has not birthed a calf yet. They are capable of breeding, producing milk, and can also be slaughtered for their beef. A steer, on the other hand, is male cattle that have been neutered and is used for meat but cannot be used for breeding purposes.
Are cows and bulls the same?
Now the question remains, are cows and bull the same? Though cow and bulls belong to the same species of “Bos taurus,” they are not the same. They are two different genders of the same species.
A cow is female matured cattle that have birthed a calf. In order to be called a cow, the female cattle have to be at least one year old and have birthed a calf. Otherwise, it would only be referred to as a heifer. A cow can have up to 5 calves at one time. Cows are less docile as compared to bulls and are used for milk production, breeding, and meat purposes.
A bull usually is a strong, matured counterpart of a cow and is fully capable of breeding. Therefore, in order to be referred to as a bull, it cannot have been castrated. Bulls serve mainly two purposes in the cattle industry; one is for breeding and maintaining the cattle population, and the second is to meet the beef requirement.
However, most people prefer a cow over a bull to get meat because bulls are more docile and can overpopulate cattle. They are more aggressive and can cause injury to someone who gets in their way.
What is a Stocker Cow?
There is another term in the cattle industry known as a “Stocker Cow.” This term has developed from the mountains, where the animals were bought in the spring season, and after purchasing, they were set free to graze so that they can become stockier until they met the requirement for meat purposes.
This term is unique because it can be used to refer to both cows and bulls. Any cattle that is capable of becoming a stocker, i.e., heifer, steer, cow, or bull, can become a stocker.
But, since bulls are aggressive and are challenging to handle, they are not normally used for this purpose. Heifer is preferred over cows because cows are used to produce milk. Simultaneously, the priority in producing a stocker is to meet the meat requirements in the market.
For reference, the average cow weighs 1,379 pounds when it is slaughtered. This is equivalent to the meat used to make 1,200 hamburgers.
