Tag Archives: terms  “Mama, why did you just say that calf
was ‘green’?”…  This question came from my oldest daughter when
she was learning her colors as a young child.  I was talking to
someone on the phone about a group of cattle that had just
arrived at the feed yard, and commenting that the cattle were
“pretty green”.  This newly arrived steer at the feed yard can
be classified as "green"...  Steer #718 is ready for harvest and
no longer classified as "green"...  We all know that cattle are
not the color green—so what was I talking about?  A “green”
steer or heifer is one that is not carrying a lot of flesh. 
“Green” is a term used by cattlemen to describe an animal that
is relatively thin.  If I were a bovine, I could be described as
“green”…  I've always been 'thin' or 'green'--my husband states
that it is directly related to my inability to ever sit still!
When I think back to my daughter’s comment, I think of all of
the terms that I now use without thinking but would not have had
any idea what they m