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What Are the Different Types of Cows?

Cattle were domesticated at least since the early Neolithic period, about 6,000 years ago, after sheep, goats, pigs and dogs. Modern domestic cattle are descended from an animal called the aurochs, or Bos primigenius. Cows are used for meat, milk, leather, and dung. They are still used as beasts of burden in other parts of the world than the west. There are many breeds of cows. They're used for both their milk and meat, though dairy cows whose milking days are past are often sent to the slaughterhouse to join other cattle slaughtered for human consumption.

Beef Cattle: Hereford
- Hereford cows are familiar with the red body and white face. They were developed in response to the demand for meat created by the Industrial Revolution in England, when large numbers of people began to work away from home and needed to be fed during a long work day. Benjamin Tomkins is credited with founding the breed. The breed came to the United States in 1817 when Henry Clay bought a bull and two females. Though their line didn't flourish, in 1840 the first breeding herd was established by William H. Sotham and Erastus Corning in Albany, New York. Herefords were and are popular because they fatten up and mature very quickly.
Beef Cattle: Angus
- The Angus cow is large, glossy black, hornless and has a long and meandering history. The breed originated in the county of Angus in Scotland; in the 19th century, these cattle gained favor for their beef. The breed was improved by a farmer named Hugh Watson, through his bull Old Jock and a cow named Old Granny, who are the ancestors of many Angus cattle today.
Dairy Cattle: The Jersey and The Guernsey
- The Jersey cow comes from the Island of Jersey in the English Channel and is valued for its milk and butterfat production and secondly for its beauty. The cow has a straight back, a beautiful fawn-colored coat, and what breeders refer to as a feminine head, attractive, delicate and with large eyes. It also produces more pounds of milk per pound of body weight than any other breed. The cow weighs between 800 and 1200 pounds and is usually docile. The Guernsey originated on another Channel Island from cattle brought over from France by monks. The Guernsey isn't as refined looking as the Jersey but produces high butterfat, high-protein milk. Guernseys are also excellent grazers and are very popular in the United States. The breed averages 14,667 pounds of milk, 659 pounds of butterfat and 510 pounds of protein per year per cow.
The Ayrshire
- The Ayrshire, a Scots dairy breed, originated in the County of Ayr in Scotland, before 1800. These red and white purebred cows will only produce a red and white calf. They are tough cows and can fend for themselves when food is scarce and the climate is unfriendly. Ayrshires came to the United States around 1822. The cows produce as high as 17,000 pounds of milk and 700 pounds of butterfat per year per cow. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Ayrshire Breeders' Association created the Approved Ayrshire Milk program. They claimed Ayrshire milk tasted better and mothers should give it to their children for their good health.

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