Written by Michael Bryan
Modified & Updated: 23 Sep 2024
Reviewed by Jessica Corbett
Cattle have contributed to the survival of both humans and other animals for thousands of years. For more than 10,000 years now, our ancestors utilized them for meat, milk, to make leather, and as draft animals. Today, they are still commonly raised as livestock for almost the same purposes. From an environmental standpoint, the cow plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining topsoil, supporting biodiversity, preserving wildlife habitat, lessening the spread of wildfires, and producing natural fertilizer. Thus, they really are the real cash cows. Read on to find out more about this awesome creature with these 50 cow facts.
- 01A cattle or cow is a large domesticated cloven-hooved herbivore.
- 02Cow is the term for females, while bull is for males.
- 03The term “cow” is generally used as singular for the collective cattle.
- 04The word “cattle” can only be used in plural.
- 05For undetermined gender, we use the word cow in singular form, such as, “there is a cow in the street.”
- 01Cattle are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae (a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates such as bison, water buffalo, and African buffalo).
- 02They became one of the most common livestock primarily for their meat and milk.
- 03Their hides or skin is perfect for producing good quality leather.
- 04They can be trained as riding animals, draft animals, or even working animals.
- 05People now use the cow’s dung (cow pats, cow pies, or cow manure) as biogas and organic fertilizer.
- 06They are the most common species of the genus Bos (wild and domestic cattle), and are classified collectively as Bos taurus.
- 07Cattle were originally identified as three separate species. Bos taurus, Bos indicus, and the extinct Bos primigenius.
- 08Castration is a common management system in the cattle industry. It reduces the aggression of the bulls, which enhances farm safety for handlers and other animals.
- 09In the United States, “steer” is a term for the castrated male.
- 10“Heifer” is the term for a young female cow that has not borne a calf.
- 01In some places such as India, a cow has important religious significance.
- 02Small cow breeds, such as the Miniature Zebu, are also kept as pets.
- 03“Beef cattle” is the term for the animals that’s for human consumption.
- 04They are large quadrupedal ungulate mammals with cloven hooves.
- 05Based on the estimation of The Food and Agriculture Organization, there are approximately 1.5 billion cattle in the world.
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