Cattle (called cows in vernacular usage, kine archaic, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. They are raised as livestock for meat (called beef and veal), dairy products (milk), leather and as draught animals (pulling carts, plows and the like). In some countries, such as India, they are subject to religious ceremonies and respect. It is estimated that there are 1.3 billion head of cattle in the world today ^*.

Cattle were originally identified by Carolus Linnaeus as three separate species. These were Bos taurus, the European cattle, including similar types from Africa and Asia; Bos indicus, the zebu; and the extinct Bos primigenius, the aurochs. The aurochs is ancestral to both zebu and European cattle. More recently these three have increasingly been grouped as one species, sometimes using the names Bos primigenius taurus, Bos primigenius indicus and Bos primigenius primigenius. Complicating the matter is the ability of cattle to interbreed with other closely related species. Hybrid individuals and even breeds exist, not only between European cattle and zebu but also with yaks, banteng, gaur, and bison, a cross-genera hybrid. For example, genetic testing of the Dwarf Lulu breed, the only humpless "Bos taurus-type" cattle in Nepal, found them to be a mix of European cattle, zebu and yak. Cattle cannot successfully be bred with water buffalo or African buffalo. (See aurochs for the history of domestication, and zebu for peculiarities of that group.)

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RT @ksampsonwriter: Aaaah - Cattle & Cane by The Go Betweens. Seek it out and play it now! "I recall...a schoolboy going home..." Beautiful sad day music, kids.
nico_rjinders (Nico Rjinders) Tue, 15 May 2012 09:27:57 -0000
RT @ksampsonwriter: Aaaah - Cattle & Cane by The Go Betweens. Seek it out and play it now! "I recall...a schoolboy going home..." Beautiful sad day music, kids.
Just love being treated like cattle in an airport hangar for 5 hours
NicolaLW (Nicola) Tue, 15 May 2012 09:27:22 -0000
Just love being treated like cattle in an airport hangar for 5 hours
RT @PINOY_QUOTES: Alam mo yung CATTLE? Diyan yun nakatira yung mga Printeta at Printipe. #lol
jenel_bernardez (jenel_jangyyy :) ) Tue, 15 May 2012 09:27:12 -0000
RT @PINOY_QUOTES: Alam mo yung CATTLE? Diyan yun nakatira yung mga Printeta at Printipe. #lol
What is bloat in cattle and how can it be treated? - Bloat is a form of indigestion marked by excessive... http://t.co/Np4aiLkY #newtag
NewburgEquip (Newburg Equipment) Tue, 15 May 2012 09:27:06 -0000
What is bloat in cattle and how can it be treated? - Bloat is a form of indigestion marked by excessive... http://t.co/Np4aiLkY #newtag
The herd of cattle...
silviipb (Silvi Nur Arifah) Tue, 15 May 2012 09:25:56 -0000
The herd of cattle...
They have not raided my cattle nor my.
sekitesa (Hybul Hoqu) Tue, 15 May 2012 09:25:54 -0000
They have not raided my cattle nor my.

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