New England Farmer Vocabulary

Maple Sugaring

Maple Syrup: the concentrated sap of a maple tree

Sap: the fluid part of a plant, specifically a watery solution that circulates through

a plant’s vascular system and contains plant food and nutrients

Tap: to pierce so as to let out or draw off a fluid (such as sap from a maple tree)

Bull: fertile male cattle over one year old

Calf: any young cattle less than one year old

Cow: mature female cattle that has given birth

Heifer: a young beef or dairy female that has not given birth

Ox: mature, castrated bull

Ruminant: animals that digest food using four-part stomach system (includes

cattle, goat, and sheep) with the aid of symbiotic bacteria

Stanchion: device used to restrain a cow inside barn, but allows for some up and

down and some forward and backward motion; used so the cow will not walk

away while being milked

Steer: an ox less than four years old

Capons: castrated male birds

Chicks: young birds with down feathers

Hen: mature female chicken

Poultry: includes chicken, geese, duck, turkey, and guinea fowl

Pullets: young immature birds

Ewe: mature female sheep

Lamb: sheep age one year and below

Wether: castrated ram

Barrow: young castrated male

Boar: fertile male

Gilt: young female pig

Hog: full grown swine

Pig: young, immature swine

Piglet: baby pig

Sow: female