Moo! Are there terms related to cows that have you confused?
Hopefully this list will help. If not, please contact us with your
term and we'll try to define it.
Angular
The wedge shape seen in the body conformation of some dairy cows.
Bay
Reddish brown color.
Breed
A genetically pure line having similar conformation and able to produce offspring with the
same characteristics.
Brindle
Streaks or spots on a gray or brownish background
Buff
Yellow-reddish color or a light skin color.
Calf
A sexually immature young cow.
Conformation
Body shape.
Cow
A mature female with at least one calf.
Crossbred
The offspring from a dam and sire of different purebred breeds.
Cud
A bolus of regurgitated food.
Dam
Female parent.
Draft
Animal for pulling a plow or cart.
Finching
Colored stripe down the center of the back.
Hand
Four inches.
Hay
Dry forage.
Heifer
A young female cow, especially one that has never had a calf.
Herdbook
The publication of a breed's ancestry and characteristics.
Muley
Hornless cow.
Outcross
The offspring of two animals of the same breed but unrelated.
Overmarking
Small black spots that appear on otherwise all-white cattle.
Oxen
Working cattle, male or female.
Poll
The space between the ears on top of the head.
Purebred
An animal registered in a herd book or eligible for such registration.
Rangy
Long in the body.
Rumen
First stomach.
Ruminate
To chew cud.
Sire
Male parent.
Straw
The plant matter left over after the seeds are removed.
Thrifty
Healthy and vigorous in appearance.
Weanling
A weaned calf.
Withers
The top of the shoulder.
Yearling
Twelve to eighteen months of age.
Last updated on November 17, 1999.
Source: A Field Guide to Cows, by John Pukite, Falcon Press, Helena, Montana, 1996.
Angular