Interesting facts about the cow. Only the most interesting things about cows

2. - a cow is a ruminant animal. They can make up to 100 jaw movements per minute.

Cows and bulls are color blind. And in bullfighting, red fabric is used for beauty and entertainment, as well as to attract people's attention. Bulls are simply annoyed by active movement in front of them.

Cows are very friendly animals. In a herd, they choose their friends and lick each other, expressing their friendship.

Scientists have proven that cows can cry.

One cow produces approximately 200,000 glasses of milk over its lifetime. And one herd of 50 heads can produce almost a ton of milk per day.

Zoologists, studying the mooing of cows, identified 11 different intonations.

Interesting Facts About a cow, cows have a unique pattern on their nose that can be compared to human fingerprints. No other cow has such a pattern, and farmers in one of the US states use this when searching for stolen cows.

Cows became ruminants in the process of evolution. Since they cannot run fast and do not have sharp teeth or claws, they needed some way to not remain hungry for long. That’s why it turns out that they immediately swallow food without chewing, and then in a calm atmosphere they begin to chew everything thoroughly.

The largest cow (Mount Katahdin) in the world weighed 2270 kilograms, it was almost 4 meters in girth, and 1 meter 88 centimeters at the withers. She also had the biggest milking! And that's a fact.

Cows are very observant animals. We can say that they learn from the mistakes of their relatives. If one cow touches the fence gets an electric shock, and the whole herd notices it, then most of the cows in the herd will not come close to her.

Interesting facts about cowsCows are the second largest mammal in terms of numbers after humans. If you count all the cows on earth, there will be almost 1.5 billion. In some Latin American countries there are about 9 cows per 10 people, but in Australia it is even more, there are 40% more cows than people.

In ancient times, among the Slavs, cows were symbols of fertility, and bulls were an image of wealth and power.

The taste of a cow's milk is influenced by the grass she eats. If the milk has a bitter taste, it means that the cow ate wormwood or some other bitter herb.

The average life expectancy of cows is 20 years. However, there have been cases where a cow lived for 35 years. Bulls live a little shorter - 15-20 years.

Cows have a very developed sense of time, so the herd lives in its own way. internal regulations, which is very strictly observed by every cow.

Interesting facts about cows - a cow is a ruminant animal. They can make up to 100 jaw movements per minute. - Cows and bulls do not distinguish colors. And in bullfighting, red fabric is used for beauty and entertainment, as well as to attract people's attention. Bulls are simply annoyed by active movement in front of them. - cows are very friendly animals. In a herd, they choose their friends and lick each other, expressing their friendship. - Scientists have proven that cows can cry. - one cow produces approximately 200,000 glasses of milk in its entire life. And one herd of 50 heads can produce almost a ton of milk per day. - Zoologists, studying the mooing of cows, identified 11 different intonations. Interesting facts about the cow cows have a unique pattern on their nose that can be compared to human fingerprints. No other cow has such a pattern, and farmers in one of the US states use this when searching for stolen cows. - Cows became ruminants in the process of evolution. Since they cannot run fast and do not have sharp teeth or claws, they needed some way to not remain hungry for long. That’s why it turns out that they immediately swallow food without chewing, and then in a calm atmosphere they begin to chew everything thoroughly. Interesting facts about cows - the largest cow (Mount Katahdin) in the world weighed 2270 kilograms, it was almost 4 meters in girth, and 1 meter 88 centimeters at the withers. - Cows are very observant animals. We can say that they learn from the mistakes of their relatives. If one cow touches the fence gets an electric shock, and the whole herd notices it, then most of the cows in the herd will not come close to her. Interesting facts about cowsCows are the second largest mammal in terms of numbers after humans. If you count all the cows on earth, there will be almost 1.5 billion. In some Latin American countries there are about 9 cows per 10 people, but in Australia it is even more, there are 40% more cows than people. - in ancient times, among the Slavs, cows were symbols of fertility, and bulls were an image of wealth and power. - The taste of a cow's milk is affected by the grass she eats. If the milk has a bitter taste, it means that the cow ate wormwood or some other bitter herb. - The average life expectancy of cows is 20 years. However, there have been cases where a cow lived for 35 years. Bulls live a little shorter - 15-20 years. - cows have a very developed sense of time, so the herd lives according to its own internal routine, which is very strictly observed by each cow.

The cow is probably the most useful farm animal, and it is not for nothing that peasant farms cows were affectionately called “mother-nurse”, because if there are cows on the farm, then there will be meat and milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, and cheese at home. Despite the fact that cows seem to be simple and ordinary animals, in fact they never cease to amaze people to this day.

Sacred animals

According to some religious beliefs (Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism), the cow is considered a sacred animal.

Thus, in Hinduism, eating and slaughtering cows is taboo, and in some states, killing cows is punishable by imprisonment.

Moreover, everywhere in India, cows are respected; they have the right to roam freely on city streets, and all traffic participants must let them pass.

In Zoroastrianism, the soul of a cow is even called the “soul of the earth.” Animal urine is considered sacred and healing and is widely used as a medicine.

Origin of cows

The ancestor of cows is the ancient animal aurochs. Turs were larger than today's bulls - their weight reached 850 kg, and the height at the withers 180 cm, long and sharp horns rose on its head. They usually lived in the steppe, and for the winter they united in large herds and went into the forest. They lived in North Africa, Asia Minor and the Caucasus, and Central Europe.

Gradually, these animals were exterminated; they began to disappear especially intensively during deforestation in the 9th -11th centuries. In 1599, only about 20 individuals lived near Warsaw, and in 1627 the last animal died. There are currently active efforts underway in Europe to recreate the tours.

The vision of a cow and a person is radically different, despite the fact that it has a similar structure. Cows see colors, but they distinguish them very weakly, not clearly, so the bulls’ aggression towards the color red is a fiction.

The cow's eye is designed in such a way that it sees better at night than during the day, and it also distinguishes close objects worse than those that are in the distance.

The sense of smell in these animals is poorly developed, but they determine the taste of food well, since they have about 25 thousand taste buds. A cow can distinguish between sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastes, she will not eat bitter food, she will eat salty food reluctantly, but she will eat sweet and sour food with pleasure.

Cows do not have long-term memory, but they very quickly remember a person who constantly looks after them and trusts him completely. The cow's sleep is also unusual - the animal sleeps in fits and starts, and deep sleep lasts no more than five minutes.

Any person can be identified by fingerprints; cows also have individual prints, only not of fingers, but... of the nose - the skin of the nasolabial mirror is cut with lines that form patterns, each cow has a unique one.

"Psychology" of cows

Cows are very friendly animals; when in a herd, they try to find friends for themselves, and express friendship by licking each other.

According to recent research, these mammals are considered intelligent animals, and they are approximately on the same level as dogs. So, for example, if one animal receives an electric shock from a fence located on a field, then the other animals will pay attention to this and will avoid contact with the fence.

Fun facts

Cows do not have a long life expectancy; unfortunately, on average they live about twenty years, and bulls even less - 15-17. Although there are long-lived animals, there is a documented case when a “burenka” lived 35 years.

The taste of milk depends on what kind of food the animal eats, so if a cow has eaten some bitter grass, then the milk will have a bitter taste. And in some countries, the animal’s diet includes beer, wine and even…sake.

Thus, in Japan, to obtain the most expensive meat in the world - marbled beef - alcoholic beverages are added to the feed of cows highest quality, it is believed that they calm the animal, and in the future their meat acquires a unique taste.

On US farms and Western Europe you can see cows with holes in their sides. Despite the fact that it looks very unpleasant, such a hole helps control the animal’s digestion and the concentration of bacteria in the stomach, and in the event of increased gas formation, opening the valve can save the animal’s life.

Cow records

Some of the cows and bulls, due to their unusual achievements, are included in the Guinness Book of Records.

The average weight of a cow, depending on the breed, is 380 -500 kg, bulls have a mass of 700-900 kg, the record holder in this category is a cow Mount Katahdin, which was able to reach mass 2270 kg at height at withers 188 cm, this cow died in 1923 during a farm fire. Not a single bull has been able to break this record, the maximum recorded weight record for a bull is 1934 kg, and this record has remained unattainable since 1847.

There are also records for milk production.

If on average 6000-7000 liters of milk are milked per cow per year, and the figure of 8-12 thousand is considered excellent, then against the background of these figures the milk yield of the record holders seems fabulous: Cow Ubre Blanca from Cuba I was able to give in a year 41673 liters of milk, the closest thing to her was the cow from the USA Juliana - her record was 31,714 liters per year.

Cow hybrids

Modern zoologists and veterinarians continue to conduct numerous genetic experiments with cows. The results of such experiments were five hybrids of cows with other animals:

1. Khaynak – cow and yak.
2. Zubron – bison and cow.
3. Beefalo - cow and American bison.
4. The dwarf lulu is a cross between a cow, a zebu and a yak.
5. Zobo is a hybrid of zebu and yak.

According to scientific research, humans and cows have numerous similarities: a four-chambered heart; the brain, consisting of five sections; the presence of nuclei in erythrocytes; nine months pregnancy; In addition, human and cow DNA are 89% similar.

Source: http://vivareit.ru/samye-interesnye-fakty-o-korovax/

Both adults and children know who cows are. These are farm animals. They are kept in stalls or pens. They give milk and eat grass. Cows chew constantly. They belong to ruminant animals.

An interesting fact about the cow is that it has 25 thousand taste buds on its tongue. She produces 150 liters of saliva per day. The animal makes more than 100 chewing movements.

This is due to the special structure of the stomach, which has 4 sections. Animals do not bite off grass. They grab the bundle on one side with their tongue and on the other with their teeth.

They suddenly raise their head up and tear it off.

The grass immediately enters the largest section of the stomach - the rumen. There it is digested under the influence of bacteria and microorganisms, but food cannot pass to another section until it acquires the consistency of mush.

The cow has to regurgitate food into the mouth and chew it many more times, so she constantly chews the cud. If this does not happen, then the animal is shown to the veterinarian. What other interesting things can you learn about the life of cows?

Mistaken Myths About Cows

Many people think that cows and bulls do not distinguish colors; they see all objects in black and white. This information about cows is incorrect. They are not colorblind. Animals can identify red, white, blue, yellow, green, but the perception of shades is dim. This is due to the peculiarity of the structure of the eyes. At night their vision becomes sharper. The eyes glow in the dark.

It is believed that cows are slow animals. This information about cows can be obtained by observing their behavior. They calmly walk through the pasture and chew grass. If an animal crosses the road, traffic stops for a long time. A cow slowly walks along the highway.

In fact, cattle are very mobile and active, but only when necessary. Animals run fast. They can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h.

True, they spend a lot of energy on running, so their run is short. Cows always run from danger, but bulls develop high speed in order, on the contrary, to eliminate this danger.

The bull drives away people and other animals, and can also attack a car if it poses an obstacle or threat to it.

There is another myth that cows are stupid. Indeed, cows are difficult to train and do not often perform in the circus, but this is not because they have little mental ability. Bulls and cows are very capricious and freedom-loving. They just don't want to do the trainer's pointless tasks.

Every housewife will say that cows are smart. They love cleanliness and order. An animal will not approach a dirty feeder or drinking bowl. It will not go into a dirty stall. When it is time for milking, the cow herself enters the pen and calls her mistress.

He begins to call her with mooing, demanding that she be milked. The animal itself finds its way to the pasture and after grazing comes to the barn.

Milking, walking, feeding - all this is a vital necessity for cows, and performing tricks in the circus has no meaning for her.

Cows give milk constantly. Indeed, animals are kept for meat or milk, but they do not have a magic valve that opens the milk outlet. Milk appears only after the calf is born. Pregnancy lasts 285 days. After calving, the udder begins to produce colostrum.

Only after 1.5 months does colostrum gradually transform into milk. 3 months after calving, the animal is inseminated. Pregnancy develops. The cycle repeats. In order for a cow to continually produce milk, she must continually produce calves.

Even the age of an animal is determined not by years of life, but by the number of calvings. Some cows can experience up to 18 calvings in their lives. If an animal does not develop a pregnancy, a calf is not born, then it does not produce milk. It is simply not produced in the udder.

The children of a cow and a bull are called calves. Everyone knows this, but not only cows give birth to calves. Females of all breeds and types of cattle give birth to calves. They also appear in female bison, bison, yak, ox, and buffalo.

There are colloquial forms for the names of cattle calves: bison, yachats, buffaloes. These words are used in fiction, but it would be more correct to call the offspring of animals – calves.

Another interesting fact about cows. In animals good memory. They treat differently the people who once hurt them and the operators who constantly care for them. They distinguish people visually, by smell, voice, and color of clothing. So before teasing or pulling the tail of a cow or bull, you need to think a hundred times.

Operators always wear the same clothes of a certain color. Animals perceive it well. They are calm because they know that people are coming to them who will feed and milk them. Veterinarians always wear clothes of a different color.

Doctors administer vaccinations and give injections during medical procedures. They cause animals forced pain. Cows often feel stressed when they see the veterinarian. They begin to worry and become aggressive.

To prevent this from happening, doctors are forced to constantly change clothes and shower before visiting animals.

Cattle are very observant. They are even able to analyze the situation and mistakes of their other brothers. Farmers who own pastures fence them with wire.

To prevent the animals from scattering and grazing calmly in one area, an electric current is passed through the wire. The voltage is too low to kill or seriously frighten the animal. The cow touches the wire, receives a weak electric shock, and jumps away from it.

If another individual saw this, then she will never make the mistake that her “friend” made. It will not approach the wire.

There are other interesting facts about cows. Animals moo. People think that they always moo the same way, but this is not so. Human auditory receptors cannot recognize the many shades of sound that animals produce. In fact, scientists were only able to decipher 14 different intonations, but there are many more. Specialists are working on this.

The cow produces different shades of moo depending on the situation. The animals “say” that it is time for milking, feeding, and walking. By mooing she announces that she has come home from the pasture. With another intonation she calls for the bull. When it senses danger, the animal moos loudly and nervously.

The cows feel the approach of slaughter. There is a known case when animals were being transported to a slaughterhouse, one of the cows broke the strong grill of the truck and escaped. To avoid being caught up with her, she swam across the lake and disappeared into the forest.

Such an incident occurred in the Polish village of Bukov. The animal was found, but it was not possible to return it to the farm. Any attempts by farm employees to lure the cow into the stall were unsuccessful.

The cow attacked people and behaved very aggressively.

Cows are capable of love. An unusual incident occurred in Khakassia. The cow was grazing with the bulls in the same pasture, but some robbers decided to get rich. They stole the bull to sell it.

The cow mooed and called for help, but no one paid attention to the sound of the animal. In the evening she came home, and in the morning she went in search of her beloved. She went straight to the house where the robbers kept the bull.

The lovers were reunited, and the criminals were caught.

Cattle have their own giants and dwarfs. The largest cow in the world, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records, belongs to the Holstein breed. Her name is Blossom. She lives in the USA, in the state of Illinois. Its height at the withers is 2 m, weight reaches 1.5 kg. It should be noted that this is a dairy cow.

The largest bull in the world is the male Donetto. He lives in Italy. The bull belongs to the Chianina breed. Color – porcelain. His height is 185 cm, weight is 1780 kg. The Chianine breed is also included in the book of records as the oldest cattle breed. It is more than 2.5 thousand years old.

The smallest cows are representatives of the Vechur breed. They are common in India, where the cow is considered a sacred animal. The height of vechurs is 100 cm, weight can reach 200 kg. The animals are muscular and have a compact build. They are unpretentious in food and do not require special care.

Scientists say that on planet Earth there is a large cattle more than people. Such interesting facts about cows suggest that the animal world has not yet been fully studied.

A cow is not only an individual that constantly bears calves and gives milk. She has feelings, an excellent memory, and learns from other people's mistakes.

This is an amazing animal that understands everything, but communicates with humans through mooing.

HOLE IN THE COW. WHY?

Source: https://GoFerma.ru/zhivotnovodstvo/korovy/interesnye-fakty-pro-korov.html

10 facts about cows that you didn't know before

What do we know about cows? Even kindergarten students know about the milk that people get from cows, but is it really possible that all the interesting facts about these animals are limited to the topic of milk yield? In our material you will find a selection of many interesting information about cows.

Incredibly, these animals have quite a bit in common with humans. For example, cows know how to be friends, expressing their emotions and feelings through frequent communication with the object of sympathy. In a fit of feeling, they can sometimes begin to lick a friend or friend with their tongue, as domestic cats do. And if friends are separated, they can be sad for a long time.

Just like humans, cows have unique prints. But they are located, of course, not on the fingers (cows don’t have fingers at all!), but on the animal’s nose. Farmers on some American farms even take impressions of cows' noses in advance to make the task of the police easier in case of animal theft.

Cows are capable of making many different sounds. Experts identify at least eleven cow “tunes.” And these animals can cry, almost like people.

Cows are of great importance to farm. It's not just about dairy products. Incredibly, many of the by-products in the production of things like beer, candy and potato chips that might otherwise end up in a landfill. Of course, this has a positive effect on the environment.

Let's look at some more interesting but little-known facts about these animals.

1. Terminology

The female animal is called a “cow”, and the male is called a “bull”. As in Russian, in many others foreign languages, the translations of these words are not the same root words and sound completely different.

2. Panoramic vision

Cows have almost panoramic, 360-degree vision, allowing them to observe predators or people from all angles. It's almost impossible to sneak up on them unnoticed.

Believe me, the cow will detect you much earlier than you can imagine. This is due to the peculiar structure of the eye.

Cows, like goats, sheep and some other ruminants, have rectangular pupils, thanks to which even an animal with its head down to the grass can see its surroundings perfectly.

3. Red rag for the bull

Agree, you have heard more than once that bulls go berserk at the sight of a piece of red fabric. You will be surprised, but the visual organs of cows and bulls are generally not able to recognize this color and most of its shades.

The bull is irritated by the provocative actions of the bullfighter and the flashing of fabric. Color has nothing to do with it at all.

4. Smell

Cows have a very keen sense of smell. They can detect odors up to ten kilometers away, which is useful for detecting immediate danger as well as for searching for food.

5. Teeth

These mammals do not have upper front teeth. Instead, they press their sharp lower teeth against the upper hard palate of their mouth to effectively chew the grass.

6. Chewing

Cows move their jaws about 40,000 times a day, chewing cud or grass about 40 times a minute.

7. Food

Due to its high metabolism, the average dairy cow consumes more than 45 kg of food per day. And another cow drinks up to 180 liters of water per day.

8. Behavior

Cows are extremely social creatures. They don't like to be alone. Therefore, if a cow isolates herself, she is either not feeling well or is about to give birth. Healthy animals love communication with their fellow tribesmen.

By the way, scientific research has repeatedly confirmed that cows are quite smart. By communicating, they can learn from each other. For example, if a herd is grazing in an area surrounded by a fence through which a current is passed, the cows will quickly understand this. If at least one of them touches the fence, the others will never try to repeat her mistake.

9. Mobility

Cows spend most of his time lying down. They devote at least 10-12 hours to this activity every day. But don’t consider them lazy! These animals are hardy, strong, and in case of danger they also run quite quickly.

10. Sacred cows

In India, you can easily end up in jail for killing or injuring a cow. Hindu peoples believe that cows are holy and do not eat their meat. When going to India, don’t expect to enjoy local beef dishes - they simply don’t exist in the national Indian cuisine.

Source: http://.ru/post/pets/2017/9/5/10437

These animals played the same role in the development of human civilization as horses and dogs. We are talking about a cow - a female mammal of the subspecies Domestic Bull or Bos taurus taurus.

Most compatriots become acquainted with Burenki in early childhood. It is their faces that are depicted on packages of milk and baby food. Therefore, facts about cows are of great concern to little people.

domestic cow

With age, the angle of interest changes. Some people are attracted by the taste of grilled beef steak. Another is interested in the possibility of making yoghurts from natural milk on their own. The third wants, like young Vishwa, to meditate on a green meadow surrounded by steep-horned cows. Or communicate “with the blue ox,” as in the Golden City, drawn by Boris Grebenshchikov based on the revelation of John the Theologian.

COWS AND CITY PEOPLE – SYMBIOSIS, DISCOVERY, SURPRISE

Only the option of watching cows on a green meadow, and in the village, today looks more and more like an exclusive option. And here is the first interesting fact about cows. In Europe, for more than a hundred years, small townspeople have been shown the process of milking cows in zoos. And right away - a small story to continue the topic.

In 1879, the peasant Pfund decided to open a dairy store in Dresden. To convince the consumer that his product is exclusively pure and natural, in the territory point of sale placed half a dozen animals, which were milked in the presence of potential buyers. An attraction – even for Dresden late XIX, was unprecedented.

Pfund's Dairy Store

The show was a huge success. Therefore, trade in milk, condensed milk, cheeses, and sour cream was not just successful, but stunning.

Today, Pfunds Molkerei or Pfund's Dairy Store is recognized as the oldest specialized establishment of this kind in the world. And he is also the Guinness Book record holder in the category - the most beautiful dairy.

Even under Paul Pfund, it was decorated with tiles of the appropriate theme.

COWS IN THE CITY

Now let’s change the perspective a little and see how these animals behave in the city if they do not live in zoos. Only this is no longer a fact, but a harsh reality settlements of any scale in Asia.

Cows in India

Where the religion of Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Hinduism is widespread, these mammals are the main sacred animal. Especially in India. Therefore, cows roam freely on the streets of Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and pedestrians, rickshaw-riders, cyclists and motorists respectfully allow a herd or a single individual to pass.

COWS AND ANIMAL PEOPLE

Now let’s move for a second to where the attitude towards a domestic bull is exactly the opposite. No one is going to deify them; they only talk about the cooking or fighting qualities of these animals. Did you guess it? Here are the TOP countries where they would rather kill a cow than let it cross the road.

Traditionally, our conventional bloody hit parade opens with the Kingdom of Spain. A country where bullfighting has become an art, a national sport and a significant element of culture. As the bulls, raised on special farms, fight with the matador and a small staff of their assistants, the crowd goes wild.

True, animals that have reached 4 years of age and have gained a weight of more than 450 kg are selected for battle. By the way, bullfighting is practiced not only in Spain, but also in all Latin American countries where the descendants of the conquistadors settled.

But only in the Kingdom of the Iberian Peninsula, every artist and writer necessarily dedicated at least one of his works to this action.

Spanish bullfight

Argentina is the world's main beef factory. The national dish is a steak weighing at least 700 grams. In addition, the “silver republic” exports its products in frozen form to 40 countries. Therefore, the attitude towards animals here is purely utilitarian. Reproduction, growth, slaughter, and no sentimentality like “sacred cows”.

Argentine cows

Believe it or not, third place in the ranking is taken by Switzerland with its “battle of the queens”. In Europe this phenomenon is known as Combat de reines. Yes, yes, it is the cows that are pitted against each other, using their intuitive habit of solving most problems by butting.

Amazing battles became part of the culture of the peasants living in the vicinity of Mont Blanc.

And if earlier ordinary livestock took part in the battles, today females with underdeveloped qualities of dairy cows, body weight and external structure characteristic of bulls, take part in the “battles of queens”.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT COWS FOR CHILDREN

A cow's pregnancy lasts 9 months - a calf and a human calf are gestated for approximately the same amount of time. The body temperature of animals ranges from 38 ° C to 40 ° C. The length of a cow's intestines on average reaches 51 meters, and the food eaten moves through the digestive tract for 2-3 days.

These mammals have acute hearing. It has been proven that some music, news or harsh sounds made by radio, TV irritate them. Vision is selective. The color red is clearly distinguished, but blue and green are worse. They record the panorama and what is located directly in front of the eyes.

They lack “rear visibility.” It has been studied that cows distinguish sweet from salty tastes, as well as bitter and sour. Moreover, each animal has personal taste preferences. The average age of animals is 20 years, but the oldest cow in the world, the Irish cow Big Bertha, reached 48 years.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT COWS FOR ADULTS.

The ancestor of this animal is the aurochs. Compared to their great-great-parent, representatives of the species Bos taurus taurus have decreased by one third. The person is “to blame” for this. It is easier to keep artiodactyls with smaller morphometric parameters.

By the way, the first selective selection began to be carried out by the cattle breeders of Ancient Rome. By regulating mating, they learned to achieve the birth of animals with the characteristics they were interested in. For example, white or black, needed for ritual ceremonies. With horns or pronounced fighting qualities.

White cow

The domestication of cattle itself played a huge role in the history of all mankind. The number of cows was a measure of a person's wealth. Cows were assessed human life, bride, the power of the king. And the theft of these animals is the first fixed fact of the crime.

COW BREEDING. INTERESTING? STILL WOULD!

Today there are 1080 breeds of the Domestic Bull species known on the planet. The most popular areas of specialization are dairy animals. Israel has achieved outstanding success in breeding such animals.

In this country, they were the first to establish that animals love to listen to classical piano music. But rock causes a decrease in milk production.

In addition, each animal receives a massage twice a day, a warm shower and is fed an individually designed diet.

Specialized dairy animals are followed by meat breeds. In countries where pork is prohibited for religious reasons, beef becomes one of the key meat products. Along with poultry, horse meat, camel and lamb.

Well, we have already written about Argentina, where beef steak will soon be declared a national symbol.

By the way, if we're talking about about a modern farm of meat breeds, the calves of such individuals are assigned to be fed to cows with more developed milk qualities.

In much smaller quantities, livestock breeders breed Bos taurus taurus for sacred ritual purposes or to participate in battles. The countries have been named, and the addresses of such farms have long been on the “black list” of Greenpeace.

Once upon a time there lived a Steller's cow...

If we started talking about animal protection, it would be a shame not to remember a few facts about the sea cow. No, it is not a close relative of the species Bos taurus taurus, like the zebu or watussi. The only taxon they have in common is the class Mammals. Simply by its behavior, the huge dugong swimming between the Commander Islands reminded the sailors of an ordinary domestic cow.

Steller's cow

Steller's cow, which is another name for the mentioned placental, swam slowly, eating seaweed.

A small population - only 2000 individuals, a ton of weight, 8 meters in length, calmness and a puppy, brought once every 2-3 years, became the reason that the pioneers and industrial sailors already in 1768 destroyed the last animal.

Therefore, there are few interesting facts about Steller's cow. There are only guesses, a couple of skeletons, scraps of skin and recorded memories of eyewitnesses who took part in the extermination of the last sea cows.

The cow has played a significant role in human life for many centuries. People respectfully call her the nurse. Keeping a cow on your farm means always having meat, dairy, butter and sour cream on the table. Breeders have developed domestic breeds of cows so that this farm animal brings maximum benefit to people.

From the history of domestication

This is one of the oldest domesticated artiodactyls: they were domesticated about 9 thousand years ago - the first were goats, pigs, and sheep. First of all, people needed milking cows, since meat was provided by hunting other animals, and a person cannot drink milk from all animals.

The most ancient traces indicating the practice of cattle breeding were found in the countries of the Middle East - in Syria, Libya, Israel, Iraq. Progenitor of the domestic cow - wild bull(scientifically it is called a tour).

Features of breeds of different groups

There are three groups: dairy, meat and meat and dairy. For example, in Russian farms They raise 36 dairy and dairy-meat breeds and 12 meat breeds. All three groups have their own characteristics.

In dairy breeds, the skeleton is narrow, the skin is thin, the udder is voluminous with developed lobes. They can be kept either on pasture or in stalls. The most common is the Kholmogory breed. Yaroslavl, Tagil, brown Latvian and red steppe are also bred.

Meat animals have a wide bone, a powerful neck, and well-developed muscles. The udder is voluminous, but its shares are not expressed. These cows develop physically faster, that is, they quickly gain weight.

Hereford and Aberdeen Angus breeds are popular. IN different countries They also keep Charolais, Limousin, Santa Gertrude, Kian, Kazakh white-headed, Galloway.

Meat and dairy animals have excellent health, they are hardy, and they are profitable to keep because of their versatility. The combined group includes red Tambov and red Gorbatov, Shorthorn, Bestuzhev, Schwyz, Simmental, Kurgan and Kostroma.

Coloring and physical characteristics

The color of the cow depends on the specific breed of the cow. In the photo of cows of different breeds you can admire how varied and beautiful the colors are.

The body weight of a cow also depends on the breed. For example, dwarf cows have recently become popular - their weight is no higher than 150-300 kg, and the smallest ones weigh only 90 kg. The height of dwarf cows at the withers is 80-100 cm.

Well, in agricultural breeds, body weight starts from 450 kg and reaches an average of 750 kg, height at the withers is 1.2-1.5 m.

Note!

The average lifespan of a cow is 20 years.

Household conditions

A villager can easily keep up to five cows. The main thing is that there are pastures and a pond near the home mini-farm - for walking livestock you need space, water and food, all this is found in nature.

Despite the fact that in summer time cows can feed themselves; it is recommended to supplement dairy cows with silage in the summer. This will increase milk yield and increase the fat content of milk.

Care

The barn must be clean, otherwise the cattle may get sick. To do this, the floor must be lined with straw, and when it becomes dirty, it must be completely replaced with a clean one.

Domestic farm animals need vaccinations from time to time against various diseases.

Note!

The cow must be milked on time, otherwise she may develop mastitis and stop milking.

On the general principles of feeding and watering

If in the summer the cow is on pasture grazing, she needs to be given food twice a day - in the mornings and evenings, and in winter time and when kept in stalls - three to four times.

Watering a cow is very important, since 60% of its body consists of water. The temperature of the water in the drinking bowl for an adult animal should be at least 10-12° C. The cow should drink from 12 to 21 times a day.

Breeding

A cow that is properly prepared for calving will produce healthy offspring. In the last two months of pregnancy, which lasts like pregnancy in humans - 9 months (or about 285 days), succulent grass and silage are excluded from food, and they are fed clean, dry hay.

During this time, you cannot milk (then daily milk yield after calving will be higher). IN winter period It is necessary to ensure that the animal does not slip, since this is what in most cases leads to the loss of the fetus.

Slaughter

In most countries, it is prohibited to slaughter cattle not by a qualified specialist, but by a private owner. Before the procedure, the animal must be examined by a veterinarian, and then meat samples must be taken.

In India, breeding of dwarf cows is popular - there are about 30 species. Their height is no higher than 1 m. And in Scotland, the favorite dwarf meat breed– Highland: these animals have long wavy hair and very long horns, the color is very diverse - spotted, black, yellow, red or dun.

Belgian breeders developed a meat blue breed - the weight of an individual can reach up to 1 ton.

And there are aboriginal breeds - Yakut, Ukrainian gray steppe, Buryat and Siberian - created by nature itself, without the participation of people.

Photos of cows

1. Celebrities such as Maya Plisetskaya, Joseph Kobzon, Alla Pugacheva, Mikhail Boyarsky, Natasha Koroleva, Nikolai Valuev, Sergei Bezrukov and many others were born in the year of the bull.

2. Among the ancient Slavs - a symbol of fertility, abundance and prosperity, and - a symbol of power and wealth.

3. In India, cows are still considered sacred animals.

4. A bull or a cow is also in the zodiac circle - this is the zodiac sign Taurus.

5. The 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, has a cow, Ophelia.
6. People and cows have been together for about 8 thousand years.

7. In terms of their numbers, cows occupy the second place among mammals after humans - in total, almost 1.5 billion cows graze on Earth. In Latin America there are 9 cows for every 10 people; in Australia there are 40% more cows than people.

8. If you put all of humanity on one scale, and put all the cows and bulls on the second, total weight“horned” ones will be three times the weight of people.

9. Bulls and cows are bred for milk, meat, hides, and animal excrement is used as fertilizer.

10. Cow's milk is the most consumed type of milk - its annual production exceeds 400 million tons.

11. During its life, a cow produces about 200 thousand glasses of milk. A herd of 60 cows produces a ton of milk per day.

12. The taste of milk and its nutritional value largely depend on what the animal ate. If a cow's milk, for example, tastes bitter, it means she ate wormwood or another bitter herb.

13. 250 ml of milk contains 300 mg of calcium. This is as much as 7 sardines (with bones), 2.5 cups of raw broccoli, 3 cups of peanuts or 4 cups of black beans.

14. Chinese scientists have created a genetically modified cow whose milk contains antibodies that can fight cancer.

15. To feed one two-year-old cow, 3.5 tons of soybeans and grain and 600 liters of water are required. In return, a person receives 300 kg of meat.

16. Cows are one of the kindest animals. They never conflict with each other, and even a new cow in the herd quickly makes friends. They express their friendship by licking. Therefore, if you are licked by a cow, you can consider her your friend.

17. As you know, a cow is a ruminant animal and they became that way in the process of evolution. The fact is that they are not able to run fast, and they also lack sharp fangs and claws. They simply desperately needed some way to long time don't go without food. This is how it happened that they do not chew food, but swallow it immediately. And when the cow is in a calm environment, they begin to chew the food. By the way, in one minute a cow’s jaw makes up to 100 movements.

18. The cow also has a unique pattern, similar to a human fingerprint. This design is located on the nose and there are no identical ones. And in one of the US states, farmers use this pattern to find stolen cows.

19. Scientists, observing herds of cows, came to the following conclusion: cows are very observant. They are able to learn from the mistakes that other cows make. The following experiment was carried out: they fenced a herd of cows with a fence that gave an electric shock when touched. One cow approached this fence and, naturally, was electrocuted. The whole herd noticed this, and practically none of them came closer to the ill-fated fence.

20. Mount Katahdin is the largest cow in the entire world. Her weight was 2270 kilograms, her waist circumference was approximately 4 meters, and at the withers the diameter was 1 meter 88 centimeters.

21. Cows live to be 20 years old on average. There was a case when a cow lived for 35 years. But, for example, bulls live less - somewhere around 15 - 20 years.

22. When zoologists conducted research on the mooing of cows, it turned out that cows emit 11 different intonations.

23. Animals such as bulls and cows do not distinguish colors at all. But in a bullfight, red cloth is only used to attract the attention of spectators. Bulls just get very irritated when there is fast movement in front of them.