Here at DHR we use the same terms for our animals as real breeders use, this page is for all those who come to our site and are confused by the terms used to describe sex, age, and many other things having to do with our livestock.
Accredited Herd -One that has been annually tested for Tuberculosis and found free from this disease.
Brood Doe - A doe kept for the purpose of continuing a desirable bloodline and genetics in her offspring.
Buck -A male goat..also referred to as a 'Billy'..but NEVER in the registered circle! typically refers to a breeding age male.
Buckling - Young intact male goat, typically of a year or less age.
Bull: male un-castrated bovine (cow) Well-bred males are raised to father cattle in a cow herd. Genetics is big business in the cattle industry today.
Calf: baby cow. Usually cattlemen plan for their herds to calve (have their young) in the early spring. Some warmer climate ranches allow calving any time. The animals are then rounded-up and marked by branding and earmarking or tagging to denote ownership.
Certified Herd - One that has been annual tested for Brucellosis and found free of this disease.
Cow: A female bovine. This term is used also as a generic reference to cattle. Cattle were first imported into the New World by the Spanish in 1541. Since then breeds from England, Europe and India have been introduced, trying to create the best producing cattle that make the best use of the available feed on different ranges.
Crossbred - The offspring resulting from mating a buck and doe of different breeds.
Crossbreeding - Purposeful mating of two or more breeds.
Dam -Female parent.
Dehorning - Removal of already formed horns, NOT recommended for goats except in case of emergency. In many places, cattlemen remove the horns from horned cattle when they are calves. This makes them easier to handle and less likely to hurt each other. This practice became popular when cows began to be transported more often by truck and rail and needed to be confined in small spaces.
Disbud -Removal of horn buds (usually by cauterizing with a disbudding iron) from young goats to keep horns from growing.
Doe -Female goat: also referred to as 'nanny'..but NEVER in the registered circles!
Doeling - Female goat a year or less in age
Dogie: (pronounced with a long "o" as in "own," not as in the pet animal named "Spot.") A calf with no mother. Term used more often in Texas. Derived from the Spanish word "dogal" meaning a short rope used to keep a calf away from its mother during milking.
Drive: Method of rounding up cattle by scattering cowboys over the range and pushing the cattle to one place.
Grade - A doe with one parent being registered and the other of mixed or unknown ancestry.
Heifer: young female cow, raised to replace the older cows in a herd or to provide meat.
Herd -more than one goat.
In kid -Referring to a pregnant doe.
Kid(s) -Baby goats, either sex.
Kidding -The process of having goat babies.
Leppy: An orphaned calf. Usually easily recognized by their pot bellies. Sometimes also used referring to a young cowboy who is inept in cowboy ways.
Mavericks: wild cattle that haven't been branded and never been gathered. Sometimes in remote, rough country the animal has been untouched by the cowboys for quite a while and the older the animal becomes, the more unmanageable it gets.
Nanny - Old fashioned refferance to a doe, not appreciated by most of the goat associations now.
Oreana another term used for a lone unmarked and unbranded calf.
Polled - Naturally hornless goat. Polled goats have two "swirls" near the area where horns would be on a horned goat.
Roundup: The spring and fall gathering of cattle on the ranges in order to brand and ear-mark the calves, wean, sort for ownership and cut out those wanted for shipment to market.
Sire -male parent.
Steer: castrated male bovine (cow). Steers are raised and fed well to provide meat.
Wether -Castrated male goat.
Yearling - A baby goat between 6 and 12 months of age.
Brood Doe - A doe kept for the purpose of continuing a desirable bloodline and genetics in her offspring.
Buck -A male goat..also referred to as a 'Billy'..but NEVER in the registered circle! typically refers to a breeding age male.
Buckling - Young intact male goat, typically of a year or less age.
Bull: male un-castrated bovine (cow) Well-bred males are raised to father cattle in a cow herd. Genetics is big business in the cattle industry today.
Calf: baby cow. Usually cattlemen plan for their herds to calve (have their young) in the early spring. Some warmer climate ranches allow calving any time. The animals are then rounded-up and marked by branding and earmarking or tagging to denote ownership.
Certified Herd - One that has been annual tested for Brucellosis and found free of this disease.
Cow: A female bovine. This term is used also as a generic reference to cattle. Cattle were first imported into the New World by the Spanish in 1541. Since then breeds from England, Europe and India have been introduced, trying to create the best producing cattle that make the best use of the available feed on different ranges.
Crossbred - The offspring resulting from mating a buck and doe of different breeds.
Crossbreeding - Purposeful mating of two or more breeds.
Dam -Female parent.
Dehorning - Removal of already formed horns, NOT recommended for goats except in case of emergency. In many places, cattlemen remove the horns from horned cattle when they are calves. This makes them easier to handle and less likely to hurt each other. This practice became popular when cows began to be transported more often by truck and rail and needed to be confined in small spaces.
Disbud -Removal of horn buds (usually by cauterizing with a disbudding iron) from young goats to keep horns from growing.
Doe -Female goat: also referred to as 'nanny'..but NEVER in the registered circles!
Doeling - Female goat a year or less in age
Dogie: (pronounced with a long "o" as in "own," not as in the pet animal named "Spot.") A calf with no mother. Term used more often in Texas. Derived from the Spanish word "dogal" meaning a short rope used to keep a calf away from its mother during milking.
Drive: Method of rounding up cattle by scattering cowboys over the range and pushing the cattle to one place.
Grade - A doe with one parent being registered and the other of mixed or unknown ancestry.
Heifer: young female cow, raised to replace the older cows in a herd or to provide meat.
Herd -more than one goat.
In kid -Referring to a pregnant doe.
Kid(s) -Baby goats, either sex.
Kidding -The process of having goat babies.
Leppy: An orphaned calf. Usually easily recognized by their pot bellies. Sometimes also used referring to a young cowboy who is inept in cowboy ways.
Mavericks: wild cattle that haven't been branded and never been gathered. Sometimes in remote, rough country the animal has been untouched by the cowboys for quite a while and the older the animal becomes, the more unmanageable it gets.
Nanny - Old fashioned refferance to a doe, not appreciated by most of the goat associations now.
Oreana another term used for a lone unmarked and unbranded calf.
Polled - Naturally hornless goat. Polled goats have two "swirls" near the area where horns would be on a horned goat.
Roundup: The spring and fall gathering of cattle on the ranges in order to brand and ear-mark the calves, wean, sort for ownership and cut out those wanted for shipment to market.
Sire -male parent.
Steer: castrated male bovine (cow). Steers are raised and fed well to provide meat.
Wether -Castrated male goat.
Yearling - A baby goat between 6 and 12 months of age.