It’s an M year.
For the purposes of cattle identification, each year is designated with
a letter of the alphabet, and used in tattoos and registration systems
for the sake of brevity. Last year was an L year. 2003 will be an N
year, and so on, skipping over I, O, Q and V because of potential
confusion.
This means the many purebred breeders, who start calving at the
beginning of the year, are now wracking their brains for names
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beginning with M. A registered name beginning with the year letter
provides quick information to owners and buyers about an animal’s age.
So, in the interests of service, we offer a few suggestions to get
things off on the right foot, er, feet.
Bearing in mind that prize animals may sooner or later end up in a sale
catalogue, it’s probably best to avoid maladroit names like Maybe,
Minimum, Moderate, Malcontent, Malformed, Maladjusted or Milk Dud.
Ditto for Masher and Mangler.
But there’s no need for complete aversion to descriptive names. A calf
exhibiting good lung power might make a decent Melody or Mellifluous,
or perhaps even Mellencamp or Madonna.
A calf with good early mobility might find Matilda or Mercedes
suitable, while one destined for looking beautiful in the show ring
might be called Max Factor or Maybelline.
A bull calf that circumnavigates the pasture is obviously a Magellan,
or possibly a Miles or a Marco Polo.
If he shows a penchant for high points, he’s Mohammed or McKinley or
Moses, and if he’s crafty about finding holes in the fence, how about
Machiavelli?
Should you choose to recognize other physical characteristics, there’s
Motley, Marmalade, Muddy, Mustard and Misty.
Marigold, Myrtle, Magnolia, Maisie and Mulberry are good names for
heifers that like pasture variety. The first heifer of the season might
be fitted with Mayflower and the one expected to remain on the farm the
longest could be called Methuselah.
For breeders favouring a television theme, there’s Murphy Brown,
Malcolm in the Middle and Mannix.
Fortunately, M is a great letter for naming the cream of the crop –
Magic and Merit and Marvel and Marvelous, Maximum and Maximus and
Maximilian, Majestic and Master and Moose and Mountain and Magnificent.
And Mmmm Good.
