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Bovines - Cattle

(redirected from Resources.Cow)

Introduction

1.  Speech

According to our Speech Guide, this creature speaks Low Speech naturally. It is therefore not able to communicate with Luperci. This creature is listed as having the ability to learn some limited comprehension of high speech, but generally will never be able to speak it.

2.  Uses

• Food: Meat from a bovine is called beef. Cattle bones can also be used for chewing, though may be better prized for making stock for soups and the like.
  • Bovine meat is typically rich in fats, yielding a juicy and tender taste. The more marbling (or flecks of fat seen within the muscle tissue) the meat has, the better it is said to taste, be more tender, and carry better flavor.
  • Cows that have had calves can also provide milk, which can be consumed or crafted into other products, such as butter.
• By-Products:
  • Pelts and hides: As with any animal, hides and pelts can be made from them.
    • Leather: Their leather usually heavier, is not a very stretchable material, and, as a leather, is not known for its softness. What it lacks in these though, it more than makes up for in being highly durable, tough, as well as providing sufficient protection from the elements and environment.
  • Glue: Made from boiling connective tissues (skin, tendons, bones, hooves, etc.).
    • Hoof Glue: Best used for wooden surfaces; does not leave any visible marks.
• Companionship: Though less common than horses, cattle can also be kept for their companionship and usefulness as beasts of burden.
  • Travel: While Luperci may be able to travel great distances in Lupus or Secui, some prefer to remain in Optime for various reasons. Bovines — typically in the form of oxen — can be used to pull carts or wagons.
  • Labor: Oxen can be used in place of horses or mules. Typically yoked in pairs, these animals can often perform light labor (such as plowing or pulling a small cart), while a team of oxen may be used to do heavier work.

3.  Types

3.1  Cattle ↪ Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus)

4.  Functions

Years without human intervention means that some of the more obvious distinctions between cattle — such as "beef" and "dairy" breeds — may no longer be relevant or even exist, as these types and breeds were designed with mass-production and a large consumer base in mind. Luperci are more likely to see a cow as, simply, a cow rather than a beef cow or a dairy cow. Of course, characters are free to reintegrate these terminologies just as they are to encourage selective breeding for desired wants or needs.

Beef

While all bovines can be used for meat, some may be especially desirable for their ability to put on weight and muscle mass over their ability to produce large qualities of milk during calving. Larger, fattier bovines yield more meat. A 1,200 lbs (544 kg) animal can produce up to 490-750 lbs (222-340 kg) of meat.

Dairy

Female cattle must produce a calf in order to provide milk, though, may begin producing milk as early as 30-45 days before they actually calve. More productive cows can produce as much as 9 gallons of milk per day, though, most may average more around 6 to 7 gallons per day. On average, a cow will produce milk for about 10 months after calving, and should be allowed 2 months to "dry off" before being bred again. Calves are often removed from the mother within the first few days or so if milking is to be the cow's primary function. Cows that are producing milk should be milked daily to relieve pressure in their udders and to ensure, overall, happy cows. Cattle bred mostly for their milk are often leaner and less fatty than those whose primary focus is providing meat upon being slaughtered.

Ox

Despite often being viewed as a breed of cattle, an ox (plural: oxen) is actually just a bovine that is trained for work as a draft or labor animal. Though they are typically steers, an ox can be male or female, intact or castrated. Steers are often chosen, however, due to their larger size and inherent strength, while also boasting a more docile temperament than bulls, making them easier and safer to work with. They can perform a variety of functions that most Equines can, and are typically paired off via a yoke to perform a task. Oxen are used for plowing, transport, hauling cargo, grain-grinding by trampling or by powering machines, irrigation by powering pumps, and wagon drawing. Oxen were commonly used to skid logs in forests. While slower, oxen can pull heavier loads for longer periods of time than horses, averaging around 2.5 times their own body weight compared to a horse, which averages closer to 1.5 times their own weight over long distances. Oxen also require less food to maintain than a draft horse might. As well, where a horse is more inclined to quit when a load will not budge, oxen are often more likely to keep trying, and its this stubbornness that makes them valuable for pulling heavy loads. Compared to horses, too, oxen are also less prone to injury because they are more sure-footed.

5.  Sources

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