Farm animals

A bull is a male cow. The meat from a cow is called beef. Bulls do not give milk.

A chicken is a kind of bird that is kept as a source of food. Chickens lay eggs which we can eat, and we can also eat chickens. A female chicken is called a hen, male chickens are called roosters. Hens lay eggs, roosters crow when the sun rises.

The cow is a large animal that is kept for its milk and meat. The meat from a cow is called beef. A male cow is a bull and a baby cow is a calf.

People have been keeping dogs as pets for thousands of years. Dogs can be used to herd animals like sheep, and if they are well trained they will obey commands like sit and fetch.

Dogs come in a huge variety of different colours and sizes, from tiny Chihuahuas right up to huge dogs like the Great Dane. A female dog is called a bitch and a baby dog is called a puppy. Modern dogs were domesticated from wolves, and were originally kept as hunting companions.

Donkeys are related to the horse, and are used in a similar way for riding and pulling loads around. Donkeys are much smaller than horses and are from the desert, so they do not need as much food as horses. A male donkey is called a jack and a female donkey is called a jennet or jenny.

Goats are closely related to sheep. People use goats for their milk and their meat, and some kinds of goat have wool that can be used to make clothes from. Goats milk can be made into cheese. Male goats are called bucks or billies, female goats are called does or nannies, and baby goats are called kids.

A goose is a kind of large bird, related to the duck and swan. Geese are larger than ducks and smaller than swans. Geese live around water. A male goose is called a gander and a baby goose is called a gosling. The plural of goose is geese.

Horses have been used by people for thousands of years. People ride them and use them to pull carts and ploughs. Horses were the most common way of travelling before cars were invented.

Horses come in a variety of sizes, from ponies that children ride up to big cart horses that are used to pull very heavy loads. A male horse is called a stallion, a female horse is called a mare and a baby horse is called a foal.

Pigs have a large head, short legs and a large body. They eat almost anything, and spend most of their time digging through the ground with their snout looking for food. A male pig is called a boar, a female pig is called a sow and a baby pig is called a piglet. Pigs are generally kept for their meat, which is called pork.

A rooster is a male chicken. Roosters grow an impressive red comb on top of their heads and often have a big, decorative tail and other brightly coloured feathers. A female chicken is called a hen. Only hens lay eggs. Roosters crow when the sun rises.