Division Definitions for certain animal categories
United Kingdom
| Term used | Definition |
|---|---|
| Breeders | Parent stock (males and females) kept to lay eggs for hatching. |
| Broilers | Chickens reared for meat production. |
| Broiler breeders | Parent stock (males and females) kept to lay eggs for broilers production. |
| Farrowing sows | Sows between the perinatal period and the weaning of the piglets. |
| Fattening pigs | Production pigs typically reared from a live weight of 30 kg to slaughter or first service. This category includes growers, finishers and gilts that have not been serviced. |
| Gestating sows | Pregnant sows, including gilts. |
| Laying hens | Grown female chickens for egg production after 16 to 20 weeks of age. |
| Mating sows | Sows ready for service and before gestation. |
| Pig | An animal of the porcine species of any age, kept for breeding or fattening. |
| Piglets | Pigs from birth to weaning. |
| Poultry | Fowl (chickens), turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, quails, pigeons, pheasants and partridges reared or kept in captivity for breeding, the production of meat or eggs for consumption, or for restocking supplies of game. |
| Pullets | Young chickens below the age for laying eggs. When reared for egg production a pullet becomes a laying hen when it begins to lay eggs at 16 to 20 weeks of age. When reared for breeding, young female and male chickens are defined as pullets until 20 weeks of age. |
| Sows | Female pigs during the rearing periods of mating, gestating and farrowing. |
| Weaners | Young pigs reared from weaning until fattening, typically reared from a live weight of around 8 kg to 30 kg. |