I’ve seen the look many times: Flummoxed? Exasperated? Discombobulated? I’m sure one of these words could describe the look on my daughter’s face.

"What’s the act of parturition?" my daughter asks, struggling to pronounce the last word correctly.

"There was a veterinarian on the panel asking you questions?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, there was, and he asked me what the act of parturition in cattle is called."

"Parturition is the process of giving birth, so in cattle it’s called calving."

"Why do they call it parturition; why not call it ‘giving birth?’"

"Well," I reply, "it’s just jargon."

"What’s jargon?"

A normal parent would have ended this line of questioning, but you know I am far from normal … I thrive on difficult questions.

"Jargon is a special language that a professional uses to justify the high rates they charge."

"Then why don’t you use jargon?"

And with that, my daughter has won the question/answer battle. "I don’t know," I admit defeat.

In agriculture, we are exposed to complicated subjects like parturition at an uncomfortably young age. This is particularly unavoidable in animal agriculture where parturition is a key part of our production cycle. And if you are a fan of baby calves, this is the time of year for you.

Memorizing the acts of parturition for various animal species is a fun piece of trivia for animal scientists. Horses … Foaling. Cattle … Calving. Sheep … Lambing. These are the obvious ones. Do you know the act of parturition for pigs? Was your answer farrowing? How about goats? Are you kidding? That’s right, kidding … no kidding? It’s all very confusing.

It’s even worse with small animals. Dogs … Whelping. Whelp is a word that should make a comeback. I can see me referring to young men as whelps. Did you know that the act of parturition for a cat is queening? My daughter who isn’t a rodeo queen finds this hilarious. Kindling is a pile of dry sticks used to start fires. And also, a litter of kits (for those of you unfamiliar with domesticated rabbits, kits are baby rabbits). Kindling is the act of parturition for rabbits.

"How about camelids?" you may ask, or maybe a better question, "What are camelids?"

Camelids are animals with a three-compartment stomach instead of a four-compartment stomach like a cow. Which compartment is missing? Ask your veterinarian. Camelids include species such as llamas and alpacas. A baby llama and baby alpaca share the same name: cria. And you are all waiting with bated breath to know what the act of parturition of an alpaca is … unpacking. Unpacking? Is that real? Am I making that up for a laugh? The answer is yes … it is real, and I am using it for a laugh.

That brings us finally to the llama. The act of parturition for a llama is called a “cria birthing.” I know a veterinarian (the same veterinarian from the beginning of this column) whose new mission in life is to change the name of “cria birthing” to “criating” … or is it “creating.” Making up words is harder than you might think. Dr. Seuss and Snoop Dogg make it look so effortless.

My veterinarian friend will spend the next decade of his life petitioning the International Board of Naming the Acts of Parturition in Animal Species (IBNAPAS). It turns out making up words isn’t that hard after all. With herculean effort and skills of persuasion, the world will from thenceforth refer to the act of parturition for a llama as “criating” … or maybe “creating.”

If you think criating is a ridiculous name for an act of parturition, remember that the scientific parturition name for alpacas is unpacking. On an interesting side note, a male alpaca is called a macho. It turns out the good people at IBNAPAS do have a sense of humor … and you’re still wondering what is true and what is made up.

There are times when farming and ranching can be very mundane. We can title something parturition to make it sound more clinical. Parturition, germination, lactation are all boring ways of describing amazing acts.

Am I the only one who gets excited when I see a seed sprouting out of the ground? You’re not human if you see a still-wet calf shivering next to its mother and can’t smile.

There are times when we focus so intently on fixing that tire or covering that feed bill that we overlook the amazing little miracles that happen on every farm or ranch. Spring is a great time of year to remember all the little things that make this lifestyle so special.

Regardless of what IBNAPAS decides to call the act of parturition, it’s important to remember the promise that each new calf holds. Skip the fancy names and focus on the renewal of life.

Remember why we do what we do.