Herds of cows, all with calves that were born this year. That’s a lot of babies and a lot of cows to get bred each year! How do farmers and ranchers get their cows bred? Most commercial beef cattle are bred by bulls, specialty cattle, like show steers, and most dairy cattle are bred by…
When I think of cattle rustling, I picture an episode of Bonanza or a John Wayne movie. What about modern times? Does cattle rustling still happen today? Cattle rustling is when people take and sell cattle they do not own. Cattle rustling is an old practice that still continues today. Mention cattle rustling and this…
Herbivores or omnivores? When you are talking livestock sometimes this can be confusing to sort out. The good news is, (unlike people!), all cattle choose to follow the same diet plan. Cattle are herbivores. Herbivores are animals that are biologically designed to eat plants. Cattle, like all herbivores, have a specialized digestive system, specifically to…
Cattle and sustainability are huge issues right now. Everyone, from businesses to individuals want to be seen as sustainable. What, at least for livestock, does sustainable mean? And is it something we should be reaching for? Cattle are sustainable when managed appropriately. More importantly, cattle can be regenerative, when managed appropriately, which means properly managed…
Sometimes cattle can be seen doing a few unusual things, like eating dirt or staring at people. What are they up to and why? All cattle, regardless of breed, have certain behaviors we see them doing, like eating dirt or bellowing, that make us wonder what exactly are they up to. Life Of A Dairy…
Why does a cow eat grass? A cow has a pretty big body to support and grass doesn’t look too filling. How can cow and a bunch of other large animals wild or domestic survive and actually thrive on grass? Cows are biologically designed to eat and thrive on grass. Cows have a specially adapted stomach that has four compartments,…
Ever wonder why some cows have horns and some do not? You can look out at a field of grazing cattle and not see a single set of horns in the group. Yet in other settings, every animal out there, both male and female, will be sporting a good size pair of horns. Maybe even…