Head of Cattle vs. Herd: What Beef Livestock Terms Mean

For those unfamiliar with farm life in the United States, hearing the phrase “head of cattle” can be a bit confusing.  If you’ve never had the chance to observe livestock up close, it might sound like a strange phrase, but it’s simpler than it sounds.

What is a head of cattle?

The term head of cattle refers to individual animals — either a cow, bull, steer, or heifer. In other words, a “head” is a singular unit in a group of cattle. One head is one cow, two head is two cows, three head means three cows, and on and on.  If a cattle farmer says they have 100 head of cattle, it means they have 100 live animals.  The reason “head” is used instead of terms like “cow” or “steer” is because those terms have specific meanings in the cattle industry (see below). 

As the beef cattle operations get larger, the number of head will also increase. However, you never say “heads of cattle.” The phrase is always used in the singular form, “head of cattle.”

A cattle head can be any breed of beef cows or milk cows. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to a farmer with dairy cattle or a beef rancher with a cow-calf operation, one animal equals a single head of cattle. 

Head of Cattle vs. Cattle Herd

Now that you know the definition of head of cattle, let’s explain what a “herd” is.  For beef producers and dairy producers, a herd of cattle is a group of cattle. Depending on the size of the farm, a herd can range from a small number of animals to thousands.

In addition, “herd” can refer to the characteristic of certain animals. Cattle are herd animals. They like to stay together as a group for safety and social reasons.

On our farm we often manage our entire herd by grouping certain animals together based on a certain characteristic(s).  For example, in one of our fields, we have a herd of pregnant cows that are ready to give birth, and in another field, we have a small herd of steers and heifers raised for beef production.

​Cow vs. Heifer vs. Steer vs. Bull

If your new to cattle production, you may think that the term “cow” is a generic term, but it’s not. Here’s a quick overview of terms for cattle.

• Bovine: An animal in the cattle group, which includes bison and buffaloes

• Cow: A cow is a mature female bovine that has had at least one calf. Female cattle have udders. Using everyday lingo, the cows are the “moms”
• Heifer: A heifer is a young female cow that has not had her first calf yet. Once a pregnant heifer has her first calf, she automatically becomes a cow. In other words, heifers are like “first-time moms.” She will give birth to either a bull calf (male) or young heifer (female).
• Bred Heifer: A female heifer that is pregnant with her first calf.
• Bull: A mature male bovine that is at least 2 years old, is fertile, and is used for breeding is considered a mature bull. Young bulls will have genitals intact with a scrotum and testicles. One bull can breed about 25 cows. Bulls exhibit more aggressive behavior and dominant overall (compared to steers). The bulls are the “dads.”
• Steer: A steer is a male animal that belongs to the cattle family and is a castrated male bovine. His testicles have been removed, and he is incapable of reproducing. Castration is done at a young age, before sexual maturity when the bull is a young calf. Prior to castration, young male steers can be called bull calves.

Beef Cattle vs. Dairy Cattle. What is a cow-calf farm? 

In the United States, the beef industry is primarily made up small, family farms with cow-calf operations. This means a farmer owns a female cow herd that stays on the farm for their entire lives. Each cow in the herd has a calf every year.  The calf drinks its mother’s milk for about the first 6 months of life. At 6 months, the calf is about 500 lbs. and its body can effectively convert grass to nutrients. It will grow and gain muscle from the grass’s nutrients.   At approximately 16 months of age, the calf is large enough to be sold for income. When raising beef cattle for meat production, it takes about 2-3 years for cattle to go from farm to fork. 

What makes beef cattle unique is their ability to convert grass into muscle. They have a stockier build, rounded bodies, and short necks.  They are sometimes compared to a weight lifter because of their appearance and because their energy goes toward building muscle and storing fat.  This results in great quality meat — you want lean beef with marbling for texture and flavor

When most people think of a cow, they think of Holstein cows with black and white spots. The Holstein is one of six common dairy cow breeds in the U.S. that farmers use for dairy production. Dairy cows use their energy into producing large quantities of milk, not meat. They can make an average of 7 to 10 gallons of milk per day. Farmers milk cows two to three times a day in a milking parlor. Once a dairy cow is milked, it takes about two-days for the milk to travel from the farm to the store.  During this time, it goes through many steps to ensure its high-quality milk. In fact, milk is one of the most regulated foods you can buy at the store. 

How many head of cattle per acre?

There are many factors that go into how many acres you need for cattle.  In Missouri, a good pasture with lots of high-quality grass may support one cow per two acres during a good growing year. A pasture with sparser grass (like you find in northwestern states like Montana and Wyoming) may only support one cow on 50 acres or more. In addition to grass, other conditions to consider for the number of cattle are how much precipitation does the area usually recieve and is it experiencing drought conditions? Are the cattle receiving grain or are they grass finished? Are the cows pregnant? These are just a few things to consider. 

One more thing!

​Do you want to learn more about beef? Join our weekly e-newsletter where we share farm happenings, recipes and beef availability. Sign-up and get a cheat sheet with 9-must-ask questions before buying beef directly from a farmer. Or, we have an entire ebook about beef that goes through purchasing and preparing beef from a cattle farmers perspective.

Here are a few other links you may like:

• Do Cows Have Teeth?
• Do Cows Sleep Staninding Up?
• Where are Baby Calves Born?
• How Much Does a Cow Weigh?
• Difference Between Grass Finished vs. Grain Finished Beef
• 32 Fun Facts About Cows All Kids and Adults Should Know
• Beef Cow vs. Dairy Cow: The Difference Between Cattle
• What Do Cattle Eat? How Grass Provides Nutrition for Cows

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