The term cattle refers mainly to a large group of diverse mammals known as ungulates, most of which have cloven hooves. In 2009, beef cattle genetics were fully mapped, the first group of livestock for which this monumental feat was accomplished. These animals are raised as draft animals, for dairy products and for their muscles, which are consumed as meat in a variety of dishes.
The earliest known herd of cattle numbered about 80 in members and dwelt in Turkey. Today, this modest population has mushroomed into 1.3 billion beasts across the globe, about four times the entire population of the United States. In addition to meat, milk, butter and cheese, other products made from these highly useful animals are leather and fuel (derived from dung).
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.
From France come the Limousin, heavily muscular beasts raised initially for their usefulness on the farm pulling wheeled vehicles. Comparatively recently (200 years ago), someone discovered they also provided lean, tender beef of outstanding quality. This meat attracted equally outstanding prices.
Japan gave us the Wagyu breeds. This meat is heavily marbled with highly desirable unsaturated fat. The feed of these cattle are sometimes flavored with beer or sake in an effort to aid digestion and to boost appetite during the hot, humid period of the year. In case you are wondering, these additives are not detectable in the final product.
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 is so named because of its mottled blue/grey hair, although it can vary from black to white. These are a heavily muscled breed. Because they easily convert their feed into lean muscle, their meat is particularly low in fat.
The Brangus breed is a robust cross between Angus and Brahman. England, in the United Kingdom, gave us the Hereford cow, which has migrated to no fewer than 50 countries around the world. Lowline cows come from Australia. These animals are small in nature, without being dwarf specimens. This characteristic makes them perfect for children to display at county fairs and other livestock shows.
The earliest known herd of cattle numbered about 80 in members and dwelt in Turkey. Today, this modest population has mushroomed into 1.3 billion beasts across the globe, about four times the entire population of the United States. In addition to meat, milk, butter and cheese, other products made from these highly useful animals are leather and fuel (derived from dung).
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.
From France come the Limousin, heavily muscular beasts raised initially for their usefulness on the farm pulling wheeled vehicles. Comparatively recently (200 years ago), someone discovered they also provided lean, tender beef of outstanding quality. This meat attracted equally outstanding prices.
Japan gave us the Wagyu breeds. This meat is heavily marbled with highly desirable unsaturated fat. The feed of these cattle are sometimes flavored with beer or sake in an effort to aid digestion and to boost appetite during the hot, humid period of the year. In case you are wondering, these additives are not detectable in the final product.
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 is so named because of its mottled blue/grey hair, although it can vary from black to white. These are a heavily muscled breed. Because they easily convert their feed into lean muscle, their meat is particularly low in fat.
The Brangus breed is a robust cross between Angus and Brahman. England, in the United Kingdom, gave us the Hereford cow, which has migrated to no fewer than 50 countries around the world. Lowline cows come from Australia. These animals are small in nature, without being dwarf specimens. This characteristic makes them perfect for children to display at county fairs and other livestock shows.
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