Bringing a female to a male for breeding, after which she is removed from the area where the male is located (same as hand breeding).

Circumference of the animal’s body, measured just behind the shoulders.

Increase in heat production following consumption of feed when an animal is in a thermoneutral environment. It includes additional heat generated in fermentation, digestion, and nutrient metabolism.

Feedlot ration, usually high in energy and fed during the latter part of the feeding period.

Grouping of feeder cattle to predict the slaughter weight endpoint of a desirable fat-to-lean composition. Frame size and thickness are the two criteria used to determine feeder grade.

Usually a high-roughage ration whereby gains of 0.25 to 2 pounds per day are anticipated.

Continued use of purebred sires of the same breed in a grade herd.

A bovine native to North America. The U.S. government refers to it as buffalo. Bison meat is generally leaner, darker in color, and more intensely flavored than beef.

Subcutaneous fat thickness is a predictor of wholesale bovine cut yield, and represents what is to be trimmed from the carcass. Typically measured at the twelfth and thirteenth rib as inches of fat over the longissimus dorsi muscle.

Length of time from one generation of animals to the next generation.