Know Your Cows E-Book

Jack Byard

• Herausgeber: Old Pond Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 48

Beschreibung

Did you know that Bad-Tempered Bradford Cattle are used for rodeos? Impress friends and relatives with interesting facts about 45 breeds of cattle, including their appearance, personality, history, breeding, milk-producing capabilities, and other fun facts. From the strong Ayrshire who produces ideal milk for ice cream, to the pampered Wagyu, whose beef is said to reduce cholesterol, this fascinating guide will turn both adults and children into cow enthusiasts.

Leseprobe

Know Your Cows

Old Pond Publishing is an imprint of Fox Chapel Publishers International Ltd.

Editor: Sue Viccars

Designer: Emily Kingston

Copyright © 2020 by Jack Byard and Fox Chapel Publishers International Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Fox Chapel Publishers, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

ISBN 978-1-912158-46-1 (paperback)

978-1-912158-68-3 (ebook)

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Fox Chapel Publishing, 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552, U.S.A.

Fox Chapel Publishers International Ltd., 7 Danefield Road, Selsey (Chichester), West Sussex PO20 9DA, U.K.

www.oldpond.com

Contents

Foreword

1 Aberdeen Angus

2 Ayrshire

3 Belted Galloway

4 Black Welsh

5 Blue Grey

6 British Bazadaise

7 British Blonde

8 British Blue

9 British White

10 Brown Swiss

11 Charolais

12 Chillingham Wild Cattle

13 Devon

14 Dexter

15 Friesian

16 Galloway

17 Gelbvieh

18 Gloucester

19 Guernsey

20 Hereford

21 Highland

22 Holstein

23 Irish Moiled

24 Jersey

25 Kerry

26 Limousin

27 Lincoln Red

28 Longhorn (English)

29 Luing

30 Meuse Rhine Issel

31 Montebeliarde

32 Murray Grey

33 Parthenais

34 Piemontese

35 Red Poll

36 Saler

37 Shetland

38 Shorthorn

39 Simmental

40 South Devon

41 Sussex

42 Wagyu

43 Whitebred Shorthorn

44 White Park

Acknowledgements

Picture Credits

Chillingham Wild Cattle.

Foreword

Milk comes in bottles and cartons from the supermarket. Everybody knows that. When a group of children on a school trip were taken into a milking parlour one time they were amazed and shocked in equal proportion. Years of belief gone in a flash.

Around the world many different breeds of cattle can be found. Some have travelled far from their origins in the British Isles and Europe – where their history can be traced back hundreds, if not thousands, of years – and can now be seen in the USA and Australia. Several breeds have been developed over the years by dedicated breeders intent on producing quality stock. Others have remained untouched: the purity of the Jersey breed, for example, is jealously guarded, unlike that of the black-and-white Holstein and its Friesian cousin; it would take the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Leroy Jethro Gibbs to unravel their complex relationship.

Many breeds have their own society or association, and I have tried with their help to give you a glimpse of the tremendous diversity of cattle found around the globe. Some breeds are as rare as the Giant Panda, others are more numerous – but all need our protection and support.

Jack Byard, Bradford, 2020

1 Aberdeen Angus

Characteristics

Native colour black, but red does occur.Naturally polled.

A breed of cattle similar to the Aberdeen Angus (also known as just Angus) has been grazing the fields of Scotland since the 1500s. The breed originated with hornless cattle (known as “Hummlies” and “Doddies”) in the counties of Aberdeen and Angus in northeast Scotland in the early nineteenth century. Hugh Watson, a tenant of Keillor Farm in Angus, bought quality stock from far and near and used only the finest polled black animals for breeding. In 1842 Old Jock, his favourite bull, was born. Another star of Watson’s herd was a cow called Old Granny, born in 1824. She is said to have lived for thirty-five years and given birth to twenty-nine calves. Most of today’s Aberdeen Angus can trace their parents back to these two animals.

William McCombie, a farmer, founded a herd based on Keillor stock and produced outstanding cattle which he showed in England and France, helping to establish the breed’s reputation for quality beef. Sir George Macpherson-Grant returned to his inherited estate in 1861 and spent the next fifty years refining the Angus. Further developments and improvements have continued into the twentieth century.

The Aberdeen Angus is now found throughout the British Isles and the world.

2 Ayrshire

Characteristics

Any shade of red and brown, including mahogany and white; spots are jagged at edges and cover the entire body. Elegant horns, curving upwards, outwards and backwards.

This breed originated in southwest Scotland, and was created by crossing Teeswater and Channel Island cattle. It was known initially as the Dunlop and then the Cunningham before becoming the Ayrshire, and by 1812 was an established breed. It was first officially recorded in the 1870s, and the Ayrshire Cattle Breed Society was formed in 1877. For many years the curving 12-inch-plus (30-centimetre) horns were the hallmark of the breed, a magnificent sight when highly polished for the showring. In modern farming horns are impractical, and today most Ayrshire cattle are dehorned as calves.

The Ayrshire is an effective grazer, enabling it to survive in less-than-ideal conditions, and a strong healthy, long-lived animal. It can survive the heat of Africa and the extreme cold of Scandinavia and still produce world-quality milk, ideal for making yoghurt, cheese and ice cream.

Originating from the county of Ayr in Scotland there are now herds throughout the British Isles, and on most continents.

3 Belted Galloway

Characteristics

Black, red or dun, with a white belt around the middle. Naturally polled.

The Belted Galloway, found throughout the British Isles, is currently one of the “in favour” breeds and has experienced a tremendous upsurge in popularity. In addition to its unique appearance and the quality of the product it is a tough, hardy yet good-natured breed.