Hobby Farm Animals. Chris McLaughlin

France; the Simmental from Switzerland; and the Gelbviehs from Austria and West Germany.

      Historically, the term cattle was used to refer to all varieties of four-legged livestock, including horses, goats, and sheep. When referring specifically to bovines, ranchers used the term neat cattle. Only in the past 100–150 years has the meaning of the word cattle changed to refer only to domesticated bovines of the Bos genus.

      In the United States, new breeds have been developed that tolerate southern heat better than do the European imports. The famous Texas Longhorn, which developed mostly on its own from Spanish cattle brought over by colonists, provided the starting foundation for American ranching. The American Brahman was developed from Indicus-type imports and then was crossed with different European breeds to create the Santa Gertrudis, the Brangus, the Beefmaster, and several other uniquely American cattle breeds.

      When well cared for, any breed of cattle will produce good beef. Look for a breed suited to your climate and pasture type and, if the income is important, to the prospective buyers of your beef. Auction-barn buyers and finishers will have definite preferences. Most important, get something you like. You may fall in love with the Oreo-cookie markings of the Belted Galloway, the shaggy look and big horns of the Scottish Highland, or the gentle disposition of the Hereford.

      Endangered Breeds

      Of the hundreds of cattle breeds adapted to an enormous range of climates and conditions throughout the world, many are now endangered. The Livestock Conservancy lists fifteen breeds in the United States that need help to survive. On the “Critical” list, defined as breeds that have fewer than 200 US registrations each year, are the Canadienne, Dutch Belted, Florida Cracker, Kerry, Lincoln Red, Milking Devon, Milking Shorthorn (native), Randall, and Texas Longhorn. On the “Threatened” list, with fewer than 1,000 registrations each year, are the Ancient Red Park, Pineywoods, and Red Poll. The “Watch” list, with fewer than 2,500 registrations, includes the once-popular Ayrshire and Guernsey, along with the Galloway.

      Highland cattle have a distinctive look that appeals to many.

      Hooves and Hide

      Good feet and legs are important in all cattle. Cows have cloven (two-part) hooves that average around 3½ × 4 inches. If a cow weighs 1,000 pounds, that’s a lot of weight coming down on those little hooves every time she takes a step, and she takes a lot of steps in a day to get food and water. Cattle don’t like mud or slippery surfaces because they can fall and hurt themselves; they will walk around bad footing if they can. Cattle hooves grow continuously, and long hooves cause lame cattle. If the herd is getting enough exercise, however, their hooves should not get too long. A few rocks in the pasture will help keep hooves worn down.

      Cows also use their hooves to scratch themselves and to kick. They can kick both sideways and backward, and they’re quick as lightning. If they have horns, they’ll also use these to defend themselves, and a horn can do even more damage than a hoof. For this reason, many cattle owners prefer polled, or naturally hornless, cattle. You can also dehorn calves when they are quite young so that their horns never grow.

      For pests that are too small to kick, such as biting flies, cattle have long tails for flicking them off, and their thick hides protect them from some insect species. But several kinds of flies can bite through cowhide, and some will even bore holes in hide and lay eggs there. The irritation and discomfort caused by flies can slow weight gain in calves and keep cows miserable on hot days. To stay warm in cold climates, cattle will grow longer winter coats. Unlike most dairy cows, beef cows will have hairy udders.

      How Cattle Sense the World

      Cattle have excellent eyesight, but it works a little differently from human sight. They can see color to some extent, and they see exceptionally well in the dark. Because their eyes are spaced so far apart, their horizontal vision (side to side) spans an amazing 300 degrees at a time, with their only blind spot directly behind them.

Did You Know? Domestic cattle, which belong to the genus and species Bos taurus, have no wild siblings. The last known wild aurochs, or Bos primigenius, a cow, died in Poland in 1627. Other members of the bovine group are bison and yaks. Sheep, goats, and pigs are more distantly related, belonging to the same family, Bovidae, as cattle.

      However, their vertical (up and down) range of vision is limited to 60 degrees, which means that they have to look down to see where to put their feet when the footing is unfamiliar. What’s more, their eyes work somewhat independently of one another, rather than in concert as our eyes do, which gives them poor depth perception. When herding cattle, it is important not to work directly behind them; they can’t see you there and will either turn to look at you or spook and run away. When moving cattle into a new area, give them plenty of time to see where to put their feet.

      Cattle’s sense of hearing is acute, and they can swivel their ears around to hear even better. They dislike loud, sharp noises such as yells from handlers, but they are soothed by soft talking or singing.

      Cattle use quite a bit of verbal communication. They know one another’s voices, and they’ll learn yours. They’ll bellow for feed, bawl for their calves, and moo back when you call them. A cow has a special low moo for when her calf is fed and settled and all’s right with the world.

      Cattle have a superb sense of smell, which they can use to follow the trail of their calves and to tell different plants apart. They also have a strong sense of taste and, as a result, have strong preferences for some plants over others. Research by Utah State University professor of rangeland science Fred Provenza has demonstrated that calves learn their plant preferences from their mothers and remember them all their lives. Year after year, they’ll seek out their favorite grazing spots. We have one small patch of bluegrass that always gets grazed to the ground before anything else is touched, although it looks no different from any other bluegrass!

      The main beef cattle breed in the United States is the Hereford.

      Choosing, Buying, and Bringing Home Cattle

      You’ll need your fences, feed, facilities, shelter, water tank, and salt and mineral feeder in place (see Chapter 2) before you’re ready to go shopping for cattle. By this point, you will have invested more time and money than you would have for any other type of farm animal, except dairy cows, but it will all pay off in cattle that stay home, eat well, and handle easily.

      You have a few options for where to buy cattle and several choices in what kind of cattle you buy. Fit your purchase to your budget, the size of your pasture, how much time you’ll have each day for chores, and whether you’re interested in beef for your freezer or in building a herd.

      Whatever age or sex you buy, the minimum number of cattle you should purchase is two. Cattle are herd animals and hate being alone. They will adopt a goat or a donkey or anything else handy as a companion, but they thrive best when in the company of their own kind. If you’re buying a steer primarily for your own consumption, keep in mind that most families will take a year or two to eat a single steer. Plan on selling the extra steer at the auction barn or the extra half or quarter of beef to friends or relatives.

      Following are some general guidelines for choosing and purchasing cattle.

Watch Them Move When buying cattle, watch how they move and hold themselves. You should observe no lameness or hunched backs when they walk. Cattle that won’t relax, that keep their heads high and bodies braced, may be wild and hard to handle. Cattle that won’t let you anywhere near them to look them over could be a problem, too, but don’t expect to walk up and pet them, either. Unless they’re show cattle, most beef cattle aren’t accustomed to being approached too closely by strangers.

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