10/19/2026
They are all cows right? Actually, no, but they are all cattle. Cow refers to a certain species reaching a certain point of her life. Let’s explore!
Calves, heifers, cows, steers, and bulls are terms based on s*x and reproductive status (not just age or size).
A calf is a young heifer or bull from birth until weaning.
A heifer is a young female that has not yet calved (produced a calf). She is typically raised either as a future breeding cow or for beef. After calving she is no longer a heifer but a cow.
A cow is a mature female that has calved at least once. Cows form the breeding herd on cow-calf operations. Older or less productive cows are eventually culled (the process of selecting and removing specific individuals or items from a group, either to improve the overall quality of what remains or to reduce the size of the population) and enter the beef supply.
A steer is a male bovine that has been castrated (usually early in life, before s*xual maturity). Steers are typically calmer, easier to handle, and produce tender, well-marbled meat. They are the primary animals raised specifically for high-quality beef.
A bull is an intact (uncastrated) male kept for breeding. Bulls are larger and more muscular due to testosterone, but they can be more aggressive. Their meat is generally tougher and isn’t used for premium beef cuts.
So now that we know that all cattle aren’t primarily used initially for beef production, we can further explore where the beef on your plate typically comes from.
Most of the beef on supermarket shelves and restaurant plates comes from steers and some heifers. These animals (often called “fed cattle”) are raised on pasture as calves, then typically finished on grain in feedlots to produce premium beef cuts of tender, marbled meat. Data show that steers and heifers together account for roughly 80–85% of U.S. slaughter cattle slaughter in recent years. The quality and tenderness of beef coming from young steers and heifers is very similar.
The remaining portion of the beef supply comes from cull cows (mature females removed from breeding herds, including both beef and dairy cows) and some bulls as well. These older animals often produce leaner but tougher meat that is primarily used for ground beef, processed products, and lower-value cuts. That beef is blended with fattier trimmings from fed cattle to make common ground-beef blends.
So next time you visit the grocery store or eat out and pick your cut of beef, you have a better understanding of where exactly your beef came from. Rest assured, Texas farmers and ranchers are working day in and out, dusk ‘til dawn to provide you with the best beef available!
Sources: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/news/county/whitley/2022/07/understanding-agriculture-beef.html
https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1758297154466
https://www.drovers.com/news/understanding-beef-factory
Respectfully reported,
Brantley Humpert, 2026-2027 Texas Beef Ambassador
Photo credit: Wichita Falls Area Cattlewoman Kortney Kulhanek
Left to Right: Angus heifer Sioux, Angus heifer Liberty, Texas Beef Ambassador Brantley, Exotic Cross steer Cotton Ball
