Murphy's Livestock Auction
Murphy's Livestock Auction

Reference Guide

Animal Identification Glossary

Definitions used by Murphy’s Livestock Auction when cataloging animals and calling sales from the ring. These descriptions align with USDA/AZDA terminology so consignors and buyers share a common language.

Horses

  • Gelding: Castrated male of any age.
  • Stallion: Intact male 4 years of age or older.
  • Mare: Female who has been bred or is 4 years of age or older.
  • Filly: Unbred female horse under the age of 4.

Donkeys

  • Jenny: Female donkey of any age.
  • Jack: Intact male donkey 4 years of age or older.

Mules

Mules are produced by crossing a donkey stallion (jack) with a horse mare.

  • John Mule: Castrated male mule of any age.
  • Jack Mule: Intact male mule of any age.
  • Molly Mule: Female mule of any age.

Hinnys

A hinny is produced by breeding a horse stallion to a Jenny donkey.

  • Stallion Hinny: Intact male hinny 4 years of age or older.
  • Mare Hinny: Female hinny that has been bred or is 4 years of age or older.
  • Gelding: Castrated male hinny of any age.

Goats

  • Buckling: Young male goat less than a year old.
  • Billy: Male goat over 1 year of age.
  • Doeling: Young female goat less than a year old.
  • Doe: Female goat over 1 year of age.
  • Wether: Castrated male goat.

Sheep

  • Ram lamb: Male sheep under 1 year of age.
  • Ram: Intact male sheep at least 1 year old.
  • Ewe lamb: Female sheep under 1 year of age.
  • Ewe: Female sheep at least 1 year of age.
  • Wether: Castrated male sheep.

Chickens

  • Chick: Newly hatched or very young chicken.
  • Rooster: Male chicken at least one year of age.
  • Cockerel: Male chicken less than one year old.
  • Hen: Female chicken at least one year of age.
  • Pullet: Female chicken less than one year of age. In industry, a pullet has not yet started laying eggs.

Ducks

  • Drake: Adult male duck.
  • Hen: Female duck over 1 year of age.
  • Duckling: Young duck under one year old.

Geese

  • Gander: Male goose over 1 year of age.
  • Goose: Female goose over 1 year of age (also called a dame).
  • Gosling: Young goose not yet fully feathered.

Turkeys

  • Hen: Female turkey over one year of age.
  • Tom: Male turkey.
  • Poult: Juvenile turkey.

Cattle

  • Bull: Intact male.
  • Bull calf: Intact male calf until roughly 6–10 months of age.
  • Cow: Female that has calved.
  • Heifer: Female that has not calved.
  • Heifer calf: Female calf until roughly 6–10 months of age.
  • Steer: Castrated male of any age.
  • Ox: Castrated bull trained to work and at least 4 years of age.

Pigs (reference only — not accepted)

  • Barrow: Castrated (before maturity) male.
  • Boar: Adult male.
  • Gilt: Female that has not been bred.
  • Piglet: Young pig still nursing (14–21 days).
  • Shoat: Weaned young hog, not yet sexually mature.
  • Sow: Adult female.
  • Stag: Castrated male after sexual maturity.