Cow, Sheep & Pig | framanagridev

Cow

We can assist in the development of world class animal husbandry given our wealth of knowledge about the industry.

Cattle were domesticated as long ago as the Neolithic age and have been kept as livestock ever since for their meat, milk and hides. Historically there was less distinction between dairy cattle and beef cattle, with the same breeds used for both milk and meat. However, in the developed world today farmers generally keep either beef or dairy cattle. Through generations of selection, dairy breeds, such as the Holstein, are bred specifically to produce very high volumes of milk.

The calves of dairy and beef cows are likely to have very different lives. Beef calves are generally slaughtered for beef after one to two years. Female dairy calves are usually reared on for milk production. Dairy cows produce some male calves which are generally less suitable for beef production, sadly.

Beef cattle are often reared outdoors on grass, although many are brought indoors or crowded into feedlots for fattening before slaughter. Even though many cattle in Nigeria and Israel are fattened on grass, many cattle are fattened indoors across most of Europe. In indoor systems, beef cattle are commonly housed on slatted floors in crowded conditions, which increases aggression and can lead to severe injuries and lameness.

Sheep

There are over 1 billion sheep worldwide. The greatest numbers are farmed in Asia and Africa. Sheep are kept for meat (lamb and mutton) and for milk.

Sheep are prey animals, largely defenceless against predators and naturally nervous and easily frightened. They flock together for safety. Sheep have a ‘flight zone’ – the distance they keep from a potential threat such as a person or sheepdog - which varies depending how wild the sheep are.

Lambs are very independent at birth and form strong bonds with their mothers, recognising each other by their bleats.

Pig

Pigs have always suffered from a bad press. Despite their reputation for gluttony and dirtiness, a lesser known quality is their intelligence. Pigs are believed to have been domesticated from wild boar as early as 9000 years ago. They were originally native to Europe and parts of Asia but have, over the centuries, been introduced to many parts of the world, especially Africa.

Most pigs live as livestock, but some have become feral, having escaped from farms or been deliberately introduced into the wild for hunting. Pigs are naturally omnivorous and will eat both plants and small animals. In the wild they will forage for leaves, grass, roots, fruits and flowers. Because of their foraging abilities, and an excellent sense of smell, pigs are used to hunt truffles in some parts of Europe. This level of freedom to express their natural behaviour is not the experience of most pigs today.

Around 1.3 billion pigs are slaughtered annually for meat worldwide. The majority of these are in East Asia, particularly China, which rears around half of the world’s pigs. This is followed by the EU, North America, Vietnam and Brazil. The majority of pigs are reared for meat and a smaller number are kept for breeding.