Cow Characteristics

Females of the Bos Taurus species are called cows, males being called bulls and calves. They are quadruped mammals belonging to the order of Artiodactyls, family of Bovids, descendants of Bos primigenius primigenius or Bos taurus primigenius, also known as Uro, an animal that had its natural habitat in the Asian, European and African. This bovid was one of the first animals domesticated by humans, approximately 12,000 to 10,000 years ago. Thanks to the diversity of climates in which it inhabited naturally, it evolved into various races, these being increased by man since its domestication, by virtue of the characteristics that served the man for the use of it, such as the production of meat, milk, skin or by its minor aggressiveness.

For millennia they have been an essential part of various cultures, not only as food, but also as draft animals, and as representations of deities, as in the case of Egyptian, Cretan or Indian cultures, in the latter today it is still considered as an animal sacred.

Some of the Characteristics that Cows and Bulls have:

Anatomy.- These animals have an anatomy similar to that of other bovids, such as bison and buffalo. They are artiodactyl quadrupeds that have a large body, presenting a robust complexion; males have antlers on their heads which vary in size depending on the breed. Their weight ranges from 400 to 650 kilos in females (cows), even reaching 700 kilos. In males (bulls) it can vary between 700, 900 and up to 1200 kilos depending on the breed and diet. The females measure on average between 1.80 to 2.00 meters long and a height of between 1.20 to 1.30 meters. The males are larger, even measuring up to two meters fifty centimeters long and 1.25 to 1.45 meters on average, although there are breeds in which the size It can be much larger, as in breeds such as the Holstein, which are large, or smaller, as in the so-called dwarf cows that are small compared to the others races.

They are ruminants. They have a polygastric stomach, that is, their stomach is made up of 4 cavities; It is divided into four chambers, reticulum or net, rumen or belly, omasum and abomasum (curdle). This is because they eat mainly herbs such as grass, which is made up mostly of cellulose that they cannot digest, therefore the animal chews and swallows while eating. the food to the reticulum, from where it is returned to the snout and chewed again, later passing to the rumen where the food bolus is attacked by bacteria and fungi that allow the digestion of celluloses, subsequently passing to the omasum where part of the water is absorbed, finally reaching the abomasum or true stomach, where most of the nutrients.

Reproduction.- Females can reproduce at any time of the year, thanks to the fact that they have a fertility cycle every 21 days, entering encephalon in a time that varies from 6 to 30 hours. They usually have one to two young per litter; their gestation varies between 282 to 292 days, time in which the calf is born, which is called the calf. The young have a lactation of approximately ten months depending on the breed of the animal. These animals usually live for more than 15 years, reaching 20 or 25 years of age.

Breed diversity.- Being an animal that naturally spread in wide areas of Asia, Europe and Africa, it adapted to different climates, evolving and diversifying the races. In addition to this being domesticated by humans, man made crosses of individuals that presented characteristics that were appropriate, such as higher milk productivity, greater amount of muscle mass or fat, as well as fur, skin coloration, or degree of aggressiveness of the animals, being the main reason why breeds with attributes were created over the millennia specials.

Applications.- They are used for human consumption, both for their meat and for the production of milk and its derivatives, being the milk and meat of this animal basic in the feeding of great part of the human population of the planet. In addition to its meat and milk, other parts of the animal have been used for the manufacture of clothing for millennia, as well as its bones for the manufacture of various utensils. Thanks to their great strength they have been used to perform various jobs. At present, all its parts are used from this animal for the production of objects, such as brushes or as in the case of clothing industries and chemical industries, which use their fats, as well as their skin, especially in the manufacture of clothing and footwear. The bones and other parts of these animals are also used to create flours for animal feed, and fertilizers for agricultural production.

The cow in cultures.- Through the centuries this animal has been worshiped by different cultures, both for its strength and for its aggressiveness; some of the peoples who worshiped these animals were the Egyptians, who worshiped the goddess Hathor, who was represented as a cow or a woman with a cow's head or a woman with horns, or the god Apis, who was also represented by the same ways. Even today millions of people worship these animals in India where they are protected by Hindu law and religion. In some countries such as Spain, Colombia, Mexico and the United States, males are used in shows such as bullfighting or fiesta brava and rodeos.