Beef Terms
Steer: Castrated Male
Heifer: Immature female
Bull: intact male
Cow: mature female
Market cattle: cattle selected that will one day be harvested for consumption.
Breeding Cattle: Cattle selected that will eventually be placed in a cattle herd for breeding.
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture
Marbling: Fat deposits inside the muscle or meat of beef cattle; usually looks like white lines through the raw meat
Nutrition: The process by which animals consume, digest, absorb and use their food for maintenance activity, growth, fetal development or milk production.
Maintenance: To ensure the body is getting its requirements to function properly.
Corn: a grain used as a high- energy feed ingredient that is high in fermentable carbohydrates. In general, considered a good grain for fattening when it is between 42 and 58 % of the total ration.
Oats: a well balanced grain for nutrient content and a more nearly complete feed for ruminants than any cereal grain, balancing carbs and fiber; promotes growth more than most other grains.
Acidosis: A digestive ailment often caused by cattle eating rations too high in grain: especially common when starting on feed.
Bloat: An abnormal condition in ruminants caused by accumulations of gas: characterized by a distention of the rumen, usually seen on an animal’s upper left side.
Founder: A nutritional ailment resulting from overeating.
Starter: A mix low in energy, high in roughage and fiber, and high in protein reactive to the energy content.
Grower: A diet for cattle in a growing stage. It typically consists of 12 percent protein, moderate fiber and moderate energy content.
Finisher: last stage of feeding. It is very high in energy(at least 50% corn.)
Full feed: A term used when an animal is able to consume the amount of feed that meets all the requirements for maintenance, growth and finishing without developing any digestive disturbance or simply is able to eat all it can without having any problems such as scours or acidosis.
Body Condition Score (BCS): a number score for breeding heifers and cows. It is used to approximate the condition on females. A score of 1= no condition: a score of 9= a very heavily conditioned female.
Average Daily Gain (ADG): a measurement of daily body weight change in an animal on a feed or forage diet for a specific time.
Supplement: Something that is added to an existing item. You might add a supplement (such as hay) to an existing grain ration.
Heifer: Immature female
Bull: intact male
Cow: mature female
Market cattle: cattle selected that will one day be harvested for consumption.
Breeding Cattle: Cattle selected that will eventually be placed in a cattle herd for breeding.
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture
Marbling: Fat deposits inside the muscle or meat of beef cattle; usually looks like white lines through the raw meat
Nutrition: The process by which animals consume, digest, absorb and use their food for maintenance activity, growth, fetal development or milk production.
Maintenance: To ensure the body is getting its requirements to function properly.
Corn: a grain used as a high- energy feed ingredient that is high in fermentable carbohydrates. In general, considered a good grain for fattening when it is between 42 and 58 % of the total ration.
Oats: a well balanced grain for nutrient content and a more nearly complete feed for ruminants than any cereal grain, balancing carbs and fiber; promotes growth more than most other grains.
Acidosis: A digestive ailment often caused by cattle eating rations too high in grain: especially common when starting on feed.
Bloat: An abnormal condition in ruminants caused by accumulations of gas: characterized by a distention of the rumen, usually seen on an animal’s upper left side.
Founder: A nutritional ailment resulting from overeating.
Starter: A mix low in energy, high in roughage and fiber, and high in protein reactive to the energy content.
Grower: A diet for cattle in a growing stage. It typically consists of 12 percent protein, moderate fiber and moderate energy content.
Finisher: last stage of feeding. It is very high in energy(at least 50% corn.)
Full feed: A term used when an animal is able to consume the amount of feed that meets all the requirements for maintenance, growth and finishing without developing any digestive disturbance or simply is able to eat all it can without having any problems such as scours or acidosis.
Body Condition Score (BCS): a number score for breeding heifers and cows. It is used to approximate the condition on females. A score of 1= no condition: a score of 9= a very heavily conditioned female.
Average Daily Gain (ADG): a measurement of daily body weight change in an animal on a feed or forage diet for a specific time.
Supplement: Something that is added to an existing item. You might add a supplement (such as hay) to an existing grain ration.