The cow is a herbivorous animal. In the cold season, the cow can be fed with cereals and corn. In summer, however, an adult animal can eat at least 45 kg of grass. If the cow is a dairy cow, it is necessary to add mixed fodder to her diet. In addition, the cow should have free access to water and rock salt. In agriculture almost all over the world the cow is widely spread. It is with the help of cow's milk that people have learned how to make cottage cheese, sour cream and butter.
In order for a cow to produce a lot of milk, she needs to drink at least 60 litres of water a day. On average, a cow can give between 3 and 4 buckets of milk a day. Each year the cow should calve. The cow should be milked at least 2 or 3 times a day. Milking can be done in special installations or by hand. The manual milking method is quite simple and can be learned in a short time.
These animals became domestic thousands of years ago. Scientists assume that they came from tours, which by the way ceased to exist in about the 17th century in Europe and Asia. It is interesting that these animals have a rather developed musical hearing. The herd can be accustomed to go out to pasture and leave it by the sound of a certain song. By the way, scientists have proved that cows like music and if you find the right one, the quality of milk will be higher. But the cow's eyesight is quite primitive. Firstly, the cow sees almost no flowers, and secondly, the image is enlarged, so the cow can be easily frightened by the sight of a close person or animal. But the taste qualities of the cow opposite are developed. The animal practically as the person distinguishes tastes and if the cow does not like taste, she will not eat.
The cow can be found in almost every country on our planet. Domesticated cows are divided into two types. The first has a small hump, the second does not have it. The former live in southern Asia, as well as in southern America and Africa. But, on these continents, they also breed ordinary individuals without hump and hump, as well as on other continents.
This animal is one of the first domesticated animals. Today the cow is a reliable and useful source of meat and dairy products for people. By the way, the cow is sometimes used for hard work. In many countries, there are huge farms with large pastures and warm shelters that provide people with meat and food all year round.
If you're asked, what's the main animal in agriculture? I think you will also say that the cow. After all, when they say "cow," first of all, we represent milk. And milk is our first product in life, very important and necessary for human growth and development.
Once upon a time, even before our era, a cow was tamed (domesticated) by people. There was an ancient bull (tour) on earth - he is the ancestor of our modern "heroine". Gradually, when a man did not set himself the goal of domestication of this animal, in the new conditions of breeding, feeding, the cow herself, her appearance and peculiarities of development changed. Thus, there were many breeds of this animal.
Ancestors of cows (tours) originally lived in the forest steppes and steppes of the East. Scientists have identified two main species: the Indian tour and the European, while the European was much larger and heavier than his "relative", he had huge curved horns. Females were reddish in color, and adult males were almost black. Ancient ancestors of cows wintered separately, sometimes in small groups. The main thing in such a "family" was a cow, and in the spring there was a offspring - small calves.
The name "cow" in Latin means literally "horned".
The main reason for domestication of the cow was the need of the ancient man in products - milk and meat, the material - the skin (cow's skin), used to make clothes and home elements.
Naturally, cows gave birth to cows. When different types of cows were crossed, and also due to different living conditions and mutations, the appearance and main characteristics of this animal changed significantly. For example, the weight of the body, colour, hearing and vision have changed, and the legs have become shorter and thicker.
Today, in modern agriculture there are such basic types of cows: dairy cows, meat cows, mixed cows, meat and milk cows. The dairy direction includes, for example, the Kholmogorsk, Yaroslavl, black and motley breeds of cows. More than 80% of the total weight of all cattle is this direction.
Such breeds as Kazakh white-headed, Kalmyk, Russian comolai and others are referred to the meat direction in Russia. There are also a lot of cows of meat and milk direction, such as: Kostroma, Lebedin, Yorkshire and many others.
Animal husbandry, in particular, cow breeding, is a very profitable business, as milk and beef (cow meat) are among the most popular products in the food markets of the country.
