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Cattle are kept as livestock almost everywhere except in parts of India and Nepal, where they are considered sacred by most Hindus. Bovids are used as draft animals and as riding animals . Small breeds of domestic bovid, such as the Miniature Zebu , are kept as pets.
While goat and cattle leather have a wide variety of use, sheepskin is suited only for clothing purposes. [75] Wool from Merino hoggets is the finest and most valuable. Merino wool is 3–5 in (7.6–12.7 cm) long and very soft. Coarse wools, being durable and resistant to pilling, are used for making tough garments [76] and carpets.
Mature female cattle are called cows and mature male cattle are bulls. Young female cattle are called heifers, young male cattle are oxen or bullocks, and castrated male cattle are known as steers. Cattle are commonly raised for meat, for dairy products, and for leather. As draft animals, they pull carts and farm implements.
In a mature cow, the reticulum can hold around 5 gallons of liquid. The rumen and reticulum are very close in structure and function and can be considered as one organ. They are separated only by a muscular fold of tissue. In immature ruminants, a reticular groove is formed by the muscular fold of the reticulum.
Herd sizes vary around the world depending on landholding culture and social structure. The United States has an estimated 9 million cows in around 75,000 dairy herds, with an average herd size of 120 cows. The number of small herds is falling rapidly, with 51% of U.S. milk in 2007 produced by the 3,100 herds with over 500 cows. [2]
A cow hoof is cloven, or divided, into two approximately equal parts, usually called claws. [12] Approximately 95% of lameness in dairy cattle occurs in the feet. [ 12 ] Lameness in dairy cows can reduce milk production and fertility, and cause reproductive problems and suffering.
Udder care and hygiene in cows is important in milking, aiding uninterrupted and untainted milk production, and preventing mastitis. Products exist to soothe the chapped skin of the udder. This helps prevent bacterial infection, and reduces irritation during milking by the cups, and so the cow is less likely to kick the cups off.
This is a list of individual bovines by name. This list includes buffalo, cattle, bulls, cows and calves. This list includes buffalo, cattle, bulls, cows and calves. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness.