Home VHS: moocows

Eurasian cattle, what we typically think of as "cows"...

... were first domesticated in the early Neolithic period, around 10,500 years ago.

The ancestors of cattle were aurochs, huge horned herbivores, which were...

... often represented as powerful beings in the artwork of ancient cultures.

Cows continue to be highly respected in Hinduism, and in parts of India their slaughter is outlawed

Cattle were among the first types of currency used by civilisation...

Today, advanced husbandry techniques have created a variety of breeds...

... such that distinctions can be made between beef and dairy cattle.

The male, a bull, is typically larger and much more aggressive than female cows.

Castrated males are called steer or bullocks, while...

... a young cow which has never given birth is called a heifer.

A freemartin is a female twin of a bull. Freemartins are infertile, with behaviour typical of a steer.

In the United States, there are approximately 95 million cattle, of which...

... 10 million are dairy cows, with most of the remainder being part of the beef industry...