Jargon - "what does the term ...... mean"

[SJB]

ok, i don't know about the rest of you newbies, but i have a hard time deciphering what some of the jargon used here means. i've looked a lot of it up, but some of it i just can't find. maybe we start a thread where us newbs can ask "what the heck does SS, S mean", and you old hands can help us out. If it goes good, maybe we can get a mod to pin it.

 

[SJB]

I'll go first.

This thread was in the beginners board about somebody buying turn out cattle:

"Postby fenceman » Fri Jun 05, 2015 8:21 am
I bought some cows Wednesday. 2 pairs and ,3 ss ,2 s heavy bred. I don't buy cattle that aren't bred or dragging a small calf. Like someone else said. You have to wonder why is she not bred. To many bad reasons."

i know what bred cattle is, but what does this mean?:

3 ss ,2 s heavy bred

 

[dun]

It would be a killer to search and find it, but it was done several years ago.
Ask away!
SS is Short and SOlid (worn teeth)
Broken mouth is missing teeth
Gummer is no teeth

 

[fenceman]

I'll go first.

This thread was in the beginners board about somebody buying turn out cattle:

"Postby fenceman » Fri Jun 05, 2015 8:21 am
I bought some cows Wednesday. 2 pairs and ,3 ss ,2 s heavy bred. I don't buy cattle that aren't bred or dragging a small calf. Like someone else said. You have to wonder why is she not bred. To many bad reasons."

i know what bred cattle is, but what does this mean?:

3 ss ,2 s heavy bred

S...solid mouth has all adult teeth. Over 5
Ss short solid ,teeth worn short. Older cow still has a few years in her.
W ..weak mouth ...teeth worn out. Probably raise her calf. But not much left in her.
Broken mouth. Thanks caustic..has broken teeth .
Heavy breed , close to calving , within 3 months.
Pair cow and calf.

There is a lot I'm missing I'm sure. Different regions see it differently.
A cows teeth reflect the time left in her better than age . A ss may get worn way faster in one environment than another. Your right. It could be a great topic

 

[M-5]

and when you see S S S , shoot shovel and shut up

 

[SJB]

thanks! i knew about short and solid, solid, broke mouth, i just didn't put two and two together that this was what was being referred to!

 

[Ojp6]

thanks! i knew about short and solid, solid, broke mouth, i just didn't put two and two together that this was what was being referred to!

If you go to a sale barn make sure you understand what the different ages are at that barn because they can be different everywhere. One barn I go to uses aged instead of gummer on there old cows and I saw a guy that didn't understand it put himself in on an aged cow for just a couple dollars under what the 5-7 year olds where bringing because he didn't know any better.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I started a thread on "Sale Barn Lingo" that has some good ones in it also.
I don't know how to put a link here though.

 

[fenceman]

thanks! i knew about short and solid, solid, broke mouth, i just didn't put two and two together that this was what was being referred to!

If you go to a sale barn make sure you understand what the different ages are at that barn because they can be different everywhere. One barn I go to uses aged instead of gummer on there old cows and I saw a guy that didn't understand it put himself in on an aged cow for just a couple dollars under what the 5-7 year olds where bringing because he didn't know any better.

Be aware of anyone who tries to age a cow over 5. Once all adult teeth are in . It's only a matter of wear. And wear can vary greatly from one environment to the next. No matter where you are when a cows out of teeth. She's done

 

[skyhightree1]

It would be a killer to search and find it,

:clap: :clap: :clap: :lol:

 

[Lucky_P]

S-S-S-S....Sick Sheep Seldom Survive.
ADR - Ain't Doin' Right

 

[fenceman]

Important bit I left out above. Around here the cows age is written on her right shoulder. Months pregnant is written on left hip.

 

[SJB]

Here's another one - "fats". is that feeder cattle over 1000lb?

"... when I checked it earlier. But not enough to have any real affect. Fat cattle are going to have to go up before feeders are going to take any real run upward. I don't see how it pencils to pay $3.00 for 4 weights ($1200) when fats are selling for $1.55 (1,400 x 1.55 = $2,170). That is putting on 1,000 pounds for 97 cents of total cost per pound. Some of these people are going to be taking a bit..."

 

[Dave]

Fats or fat cattle are finished cattle ready to go to slaughter.

There are a lot of regional terms and different ways things are done regionally that would take for ever to explain here. There have in the past been some pretty good arguments here just over the mean of a word.

 

[js1234]

Here's another one - "fats". is that feeder cattle over 1000lb?

"... when I checked it earlier. But not enough to have any real affect. Fat cattle are going to have to go up before feeders are going to take any real run upward. I don't see how it pencils to pay $3.00 for 4 weights ($1200) when fats are selling for $1.55 (1,400 x 1.55 = $2,170). That is putting on 1,000 pounds for 97 cents of total cost per pound. Some of these people are going to be taking a bit..."

"Fats" is a slang term for finished cattle going to slaughter. its in such common usage that not hearing it is odd. the futures board for this class of cattle is the Live Cattle Board but i doubt I've ever once said "what's the price of Dec. Live Cattle?" just saying "Where's Dec. Fats?" will convey to everyone in the business what you're wanting to know.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

Around here, the salebarns mark the age on the shoulder and the preg status in months on the hip. EXCEPT EMORY where they do it bass ackwards and that drives me crazy.

X is broke mouth
0 is no mouth
H is heifer
1 is also heifer

 

[Caustic Burno]

I hauled trailer loads of cows during the drought for neighbors.
One in particular had a great grass management system for years.
He ran Brimmer cross cows as good looking commercial girls as you could find in this area.
When we toothed those cows most had a good full set of teeth and they were
all over twenty years old still calving every 12 months and raising a calf in good BCS.
When they came through the barn every one of them but one had 7
on them plus how many months bred. One came through SS.

 

[LauraleesFarm]

I hope my girls live that long, CB

 

[Caustic Burno]

I hope my girls live that long, CB

I sold several in there twenties as well during the drought had one Brangus gal that was 21
She had 19 bull calves never had a heifer.
Good grass equals good teeth equals good BCS and longevity.
I am a grass farmer.

1 and H seems to get used interchangeable here on heifers.

 

[Dave]

One of the sales I go to uses different colored ear tags to say her age and when she will calf. So it is the tag color and which ear it is in. The good thing is there is a big board on the wall with the different colors and locations along with a description of what it means.