Cow is an all-inclusive term for domesticated bovines that are usually raised for meat, milk, their hide, and also used as work animals. Cows are relatively gentle, peaceful creatures that are raised primarily for agricultural purposes and have, in recent years, become a hot topic because of the environmental toll their rearing can cause.
To use correct terminology, and un-castrated adult male bovine is a bull, a castrated male is an ox, and a young bovine of either sex is called a calf. Before birthing her first calf, a female bovine is referred to as a heifer. Thus leaving the proper use of the word ‘cow’ for adult female bovines.
There are a number of subspecies of cow but they all have a number of anatomical characteristics in common. Perhaps one of the most widely known is that cows are ruminants which means that they regurgitate and re-consume indigestible food. They are able to further break down food after regurgitation in one of their four stomachs. Cows are vegetarian creatures by nature and will eat grasses and grains. Mad cow disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), developed when farmers fed meat derived feed to their cows. The outbreak of the disease was devastating to farmers who lost large numbers of animals to this painful disease. The disease can be passed to humans who eat infected meat. The human version is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Cows have long been domesticated and there is evidence that dates back to the Neolithic period around 10,000 BCE of cows being kept as livestock. The Hindu religion considers cows sacred because they provide milk and will not slaughter them for meat. The cow represents a zodiac sign in Greek astrology as well as the constellation Taurus that is symbolic of stubborn behaviour and also power. The Chinese zodiac has an ox sign that is said to be patient, calm, and determined.
For practical reasons, cattle are often raised in very large herds and make up a significant portion of the world’s agricultural industry. This practise quickly leads to over-grazed and stressed land as well as contributing significantly to stream and river pollution in the vicinity of cattle ranches. Scientific studies have shown that large cattle operations can devastate the local ecosystem which has led a lot of scientists and environmentalists to advocating a boycott of beef and other cattle products.
To use correct terminology, and un-castrated adult male bovine is a bull, a castrated male is an ox, and a young bovine of either sex is called a calf. Before birthing her first calf, a female bovine is referred to as a heifer. Thus leaving the proper use of the word ‘cow’ for adult female bovines.
There are a number of subspecies of cow but they all have a number of anatomical characteristics in common. Perhaps one of the most widely known is that cows are ruminants which means that they regurgitate and re-consume indigestible food. They are able to further break down food after regurgitation in one of their four stomachs. Cows are vegetarian creatures by nature and will eat grasses and grains. Mad cow disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), developed when farmers fed meat derived feed to their cows. The outbreak of the disease was devastating to farmers who lost large numbers of animals to this painful disease. The disease can be passed to humans who eat infected meat. The human version is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Cows have long been domesticated and there is evidence that dates back to the Neolithic period around 10,000 BCE of cows being kept as livestock. The Hindu religion considers cows sacred because they provide milk and will not slaughter them for meat. The cow represents a zodiac sign in Greek astrology as well as the constellation Taurus that is symbolic of stubborn behaviour and also power. The Chinese zodiac has an ox sign that is said to be patient, calm, and determined.
For practical reasons, cattle are often raised in very large herds and make up a significant portion of the world’s agricultural industry. This practise quickly leads to over-grazed and stressed land as well as contributing significantly to stream and river pollution in the vicinity of cattle ranches. Scientific studies have shown that large cattle operations can devastate the local ecosystem which has led a lot of scientists and environmentalists to advocating a boycott of beef and other cattle products.
