Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 8: Cattle
CATTLE GLOSSARY
Aging:
Allowing the sides or quarters of beef to hang in the freezer for several days
so natural enzymes can break down the connective tissues that make the meat
tough
Beef pooling:
A shareholder system in which one customer is in charge of coordin-
ating orders for a group of people who buy beef in bulk; also called “cow pooling”
Biosecurity:
A plan for bringing in new animals to your farm and keeping them
quarantined to avoid exposing your current animals to illness, parasites, or infec-
tions
Breeder auctions:
Auctions for animals of particular breeds or held to disperse a
breeder's stock
Bucket system:
A dairy milking system in which vacuum tubes connected to the
cow pump milk into a small bucket. The milk is then poured from the bucket into a
holding container.
Bulk tank:
In dairy farming, a bulk tank is a stainless steel refrigeration unit that
keeps milk collected from multiple cows cool until it is collected. Tanks range in size
from 600 gallons to 8,000 gallons.
Bull:
Male cattle
California Mastitis Test:
The CMT is a test kit for determining if a cow has mastit-
is. They are especially useful for dairy cows.
Carrying capacity:
The stocking rate your pasture can support
Co-packer:
A company that packages products to your specifications
Community supported agriculture:
A system in which community members pay
for “shares” of food a farmer is expected to produce in the upcoming year. The
money covers the cost of farming expenses, and shareholders get first choice of
