Classification of Livestock

Terms

Type - an ideal or standard of perfection including all of the characteristics of an animal that make it better suited for a specific purpose or use.

Breed - a group of animals of common origin that have certain distinguishing characteristics and are capable of transmitting those characteristics to their offspring in a uniform manner.

Purebred - an animal whose sire and dam are of the same breed and their ancestors were of the same breed.

Grade - a non-purebred animal that resembles and has the majority of its blood from one breed.

Crossbred - offspring resulting from the crossing of a male of one breed with a female of another breed.