A beef animal born October 10, 2012, considering that we are in 2017, is cattle. Veal calves are less than three months old, calves are less than one year old and cattle are those beef animals that are one year old or older.
Beef carcasses can also be classified into categories according to their maturity. A is equivalent to 9-30 months, B is 30-42 months, C is 42-72 months, D is 72-96 months, and E is >96 months.