When you think of cattle, you think of herds of magnificent beasts thundering on the range. Think Ponderosa Ranch. Think Rawhide. The year 2009 saw the beef cattle genetics mapped, the first such livestock for which this remarkable milestone in molecular biological research was met. We eat their muscle as beef. We drink their milk and process it into butter, cheese and other dairy products. We use them on the farm as beasts of burden.
The earliest known cattle have been traced back more than 10,000 years ago to southeast Turkey, from a herd numbering only around 80 specimens. Today, their population numbers more than four times that of the United States of America, approximately 1.3 billion animals. In addition to their meat and dairy products, man has learned to convert their solid waste into fuel and their hides for clothing, handbags, etc.
One popular breed is the Angus, which originated from Aberdeenshire and Angus counties in the north of Scotland. Animals in this breed do not have horns on the head; another word for this is "polled." They are typically either solid black or red with matching udders. The most common Angus breed in the United States are the Black Angus. This is a particularly versatile breed, used for dairy, meat and as working animals.
Limousin are highly muscled and come from France. Raised originally as draft creatures, they were eventually discovered for their high quality, tender, lean meat around two hundred years ago. They are a popular breed to raise because their calves tend to be smaller, making them easier for the cows to deliver.
Cattle are bred in Japan, too. These are the Wagyu breeds. The beef they produce is heavily marbled with desirable, "healthy" unsaturated fat, making them tender and tasty. These beasts attract a high price. It is not unheard of to lace their feed with beer or sake; this is to make it easier to digest and to boost the animals' appetite during spells of hot, humid weather. Perhaps sadly, the flavours do not come through in the final product that appears on the dinner table and in restaurants.
The beefalo were engineered from the American bison, or buffalo, and plain old garden variety domestic animals. The intention was to cross breed them to yield an animal that would comfortably withstand cold, hard winters. The down side to this was a reduction in the numbers of the rapidly dwindling American buffalo. There are now only four herds left, only one of which has not been tainted with the disease, brucellosis. These animals live in South Dakota.
The Belgian Blue actually does have blue hair, albeit mottled with gray. It can vary along a spectrum from white to black. These animals are known for their ability to easily convert feed into lean, low-fat muscle. This characteristic is reflected in their stature.
Hereford cattle come from England and have spread to more than 50 different countries across the globe. The Brangus is a robust cross between an Angus and a Brahman. Lowline cattle come from Australia, originally from Aberdonian stock. These antipodean beasts are small by nature, which makes them ideal for young children to handle and show at county fairs and other exhibitions of farm animals.
The earliest known cattle have been traced back more than 10,000 years ago to southeast Turkey, from a herd numbering only around 80 specimens. Today, their population numbers more than four times that of the United States of America, approximately 1.3 billion animals. In addition to their meat and dairy products, man has learned to convert their solid waste into fuel and their hides for clothing, handbags, etc.
One popular breed is the Angus, which originated from Aberdeenshire and Angus counties in the north of Scotland. Animals in this breed do not have horns on the head; another word for this is "polled." They are typically either solid black or red with matching udders. The most common Angus breed in the United States are the Black Angus. This is a particularly versatile breed, used for dairy, meat and as working animals.
Limousin are highly muscled and come from France. Raised originally as draft creatures, they were eventually discovered for their high quality, tender, lean meat around two hundred years ago. They are a popular breed to raise because their calves tend to be smaller, making them easier for the cows to deliver.
Cattle are bred in Japan, too. These are the Wagyu breeds. The beef they produce is heavily marbled with desirable, "healthy" unsaturated fat, making them tender and tasty. These beasts attract a high price. It is not unheard of to lace their feed with beer or sake; this is to make it easier to digest and to boost the animals' appetite during spells of hot, humid weather. Perhaps sadly, the flavours do not come through in the final product that appears on the dinner table and in restaurants.
The beefalo were engineered from the American bison, or buffalo, and plain old garden variety domestic animals. The intention was to cross breed them to yield an animal that would comfortably withstand cold, hard winters. The down side to this was a reduction in the numbers of the rapidly dwindling American buffalo. There are now only four herds left, only one of which has not been tainted with the disease, brucellosis. These animals live in South Dakota.
The Belgian Blue actually does have blue hair, albeit mottled with gray. It can vary along a spectrum from white to black. These animals are known for their ability to easily convert feed into lean, low-fat muscle. This characteristic is reflected in their stature.
Hereford cattle come from England and have spread to more than 50 different countries across the globe. The Brangus is a robust cross between an Angus and a Brahman. Lowline cattle come from Australia, originally from Aberdonian stock. These antipodean beasts are small by nature, which makes them ideal for young children to handle and show at county fairs and other exhibitions of farm animals.
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