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Cattle breeds fall into two main types, which are regarded as either two closely related species, or two subspecies of one species. Bos indicus (or Bos taurus indicus ) cattle, commonly called zebu, are adapted to hot climates and originated in the tropical parts of the world such as India, Sub-saharan Africa, China, and Southeast Asia.
[8] [9] Cattle breeds vary widely in size; the tallest and heaviest is the Chianina, where a mature bull may be up to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) at the shoulder, and may reach 1,280 kg (2,820 lb) in weight. [10] The natural life of domestic cattle is some 25–30 years. Beef cattle go to slaughter at around 18 months, and dairy cows at about five years.
On average, cattle will consume 1.4 to 4% of their body weight daily. [8] There is a range of types of feed available for these animals. The standard text in the United States, Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle, has been through eight editions over at least 70 years ago. [9]
The breeding, maintenance, slaughter and general subjugation of livestock called animal husbandry, is a part of modern agriculture and has been practiced in many cultures since humanity's transition to farming from hunter-gatherer lifestyles. Animal husbandry practices have varied widely across cultures and time periods.
The different breeds that were crossed to form the Ayrshire are not exactly known. However, there is evidence that several breeds were crossed with the native cattle to create the breed. [68] Guernsey cows originated just off the coast of France on the small Isle of Guernsey. The breed was first known as a separate breed around 1700.
The domestication of livestock was driven by the need to have food on hand when hunting was unproductive. The desirable characteristics of a domestic animal are that it should be useful to the domesticator, should be able to thrive in his or her company, should breed freely, and be easy to tend. [2]
Braunvieh, a dairy breed [1] with high milk production and little milk fat. A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species.
A USMARC long-term multi-breed study of Limousins, three British (Red Poll, Hereford, Aberdeen Angus) and five other continental European (Braunvieh, Pinzgauer, Gelbvieh, Simmental, Charolais) cattle breeds [67] reported that Limousin cattle were the most efficient and fastest of all breeds at converting feed into saleable meat even though ...