Open Threads

The Day Thread MOOOOOOves Along (9/17/21)

So cattle come in all shapes, sizes, and colors (fun fact: no two cows have exactly the same coat pattern), but they can basically be divided into dairy cattle and beef cattle. Beef cattle tend to be stockier and more muscular, and they only produce enough milk to feed their calves. Dairy cattle can sometimes look a little skinny or spindly, because their energy primarily goes to milk production rather than building muscle. They produce 7-9 gallons of milk per day (on average), compared to beef cattle, who only produce 1-2 gallons.

Technically, a “cow” is a female bovine that has had a calf, but “bovine” just feels pretentious, so most non-agrarians just call all cattle cows. A “heifer” is a female bovine that hasn’t given birth, a “bull” is an intact male bovine, and a “steer” is a castrated male bovine. Some other fun terms are “bullock” (usually an older steer, but sometimes a young bull — so a pretty useless term out of context!), “springer” (a cow or heifer that is about to calf), and “freemartin” (a female that is twin to a bull and usually becomes an infertile partial intersex bovine).

Here are five of the most popular breeds of beef cattle in America:

  • Highlands (Okay, they’re not THAT popular in America compared to some other breeds, but look how cute they are!)
  • Limousin (more popular in Europe but also valued in the US for their “tremendous carcass traits”)
  • Herefords (these cattle tend to be pretty mellow)
  • Charolais (this chunky breed is often used to improve herds lacking in size and ruggedness)
  • Black Angus (You’ve seen these. They’re the most popular breed of beef cattle in the US.)

Here are five of the most popular breeds of dairy cattle in America:

  • Milking Shorthorns (originally both a dairy and beef cattle, the breed separated into dairy and beef production varieties. known for a high butterfat to protein ratio)
  • Brown Swiss (believed to be the oldest breed of cattle, originally from the Swiss Alps and particularly valued for cheese making thanks to the high protein to fat ratio of their milk)
  • Jerseys (these little ladies are “small” compared to other dairy cattle [weighing only 900 pounds on average] and have large eyes and delicate features. Their milk tends to be high in butterfat and protein, so expect to find Jersey milk in lots of ice creams and cheeses.)
  • Guernseys (these chill cows produce a distinctly golden-colored milk because it contains high levels of beta carotene.)
  • Holsteins (the most common breed of dairy cattle. They weigh around 1500 pounds and are prized for the volume of milk they can produce. They can be black with white spots or white with black spots.)

Have a fabulous day, Avocados!