# Horses:horse sheep:sheep cattle:? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320 "2006-04-19T16:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320/21 "2006-04-20T04:43:24Z")
Also bos might do. However, if you use it you can expect to be required to explain every time that “bos” is the genus of domestic and wild cattle. It’s much easier to just say “cow.” ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320/22 "2006-04-20T06:17:59Z")
> [@tiltypig](#): > > Cat generic: cat fertile female: queen fertile male: tom collective: clowder (mostly archaic) or pride ---
**Author:** ![cloaca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@cloaca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cloaca)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320/23 "2006-04-20T14:45:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > In some other animals, the generic term is also the name for the female: > > duck (generic), drake (male), duck (female) > goose (generic), gander (male), goose (female) > falcon (generic), tiercel (male), falcon (female). For female birds, I’ve always used, and heard used, **hen**. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320/24 "2006-04-20T15:17:45Z")
> [@cloaca](#): > > For female birds, I’ve always used, and heard used, **hen**. That’s a general term when no definite other term exists. However, in the case of ducks, it’s properly duck\*, for geese, it’s goose\*\*, and for falcons, it’s falcon, when one is making a distinction from the male. As I mentioned above, one other bird in which the female has a specific name other than hen is the swan, where the female is called a pen, and the male a cob. In turkeys, although the male is called a tom, the female is called a hen. Here’s a list of [male and female animal names](http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml), although it’s not particularly authoritative. - as seen in the expression, [playing ducks and drakes.](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-duc3.htm) \*\* as seen in the expression, “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.” ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320/25 "2006-04-20T17:03:39Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > All kinds of names. > > A cow is a mature female. > > A heifer is a cow that has not yet had a calf. > > A steer is a castrated male. > > A bull is a male. > > A calf is an immature cow or bull Enright3: “Look at that bunch of cows” David Simmons: “Not ‘bunch’; herd.” Enright3: “Heard of what?” David Simmons: “Herd of cows” Enright3: “Of course I’ve heard of cows!” David Simmons: “No. A Cow HERD” Enright3: “Why would I care what a cow heard? I have no secrets from a cow!” ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320/26 "2006-04-20T17:58:52Z")
Sounds a lot like a Dr. Bob sketch to me. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320/27 "2006-04-20T18:21:10Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Sounds a lot like a Dr. Bob sketch to me. Abbott and Costello, actually, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they stole it from someone else. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horses-horse-sheep-sheep-cattle/353320.md?page=1)