Livestock & Pets : Cattle behaviour
The articles below cover the topic of cattle behaviour. There are more articles in the Cattle, Calves and Calving, Cattle Handling and The Basics sections too. If you're looking for something in particular then use the search box above. If not, then browse the article titles and see what there is to help you. If you can't find an answer here then why not ask in our discussion forums? One of the very friendly and helpful members is sure to be able to help you.
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When to remove a calf from her dairy cow mother is often debated as an animal welfare issue.
A cow may spend couple of hours seeking out a birth site, and going through the first stages when the calf moves into the birth canal and the water bag appears.
Cows will breed all year round and are not as affected by the day/night pattern (photoperiodicity) as sheep, goats and deer.
Dry cattle and bulls have 3 main grazing periods from daybreak to mid morning, mid afternoon to half an hour after sunset, and then a shorter period about midnight.
Cattle digest fibrous feed in their 3 fore stomachs – rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum which is the true gastric stomach.
Adult cattle sleep very little. The sleeping pose is all four legs tucked under and head turned to face the rear.
Cattle have a well-developed eye that sees some colour but not as much as humans.
Cattle evolved into about 260 different breeds, types and varieties in different parts of world