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Cows Raised for Milk

From FEP Food Empowerment Project
February 2023

Cows and their ancestors, like all mammals, produced milk for one reason: to nourish their offspring. While there are many important factors in a calf’s development, nothing is more vital than milk. 

alt=Cow and Calf
Valentine and Clarabelle, photo courtesy of Edgar’s Mission

In nature, the relatives of domesticated cows roam the grasslands, deserts, scrublands, and forests of every continent except Antarctica. The Bovidae family includes more than 140 species such as bison, antelope, gazelles, goats, and sheep. From season to season, these animals’ survival depends on their intelligence, endurance, and keen senses.

Most domesticated cows can be traced back to a single common ancestor: the aurochs. Now extinct, the aurochs was native to the forests of Southwest Asia. Although domesticated cows have been selectively bred for thousands of years, their basic anatomy, physiology, and behavior are nearly identical to their ancient ancestor.

As strict herbivores, they spend much of their time grazing in herds never more than a few miles from water. They are crepuscular feeders, eating primarily at sunrise and sunset. In cold weather conditions, cows will huddle together to share their body heat. In hot weather, they spend much of the day lying in the shade and ruminating, a specialized digestive process that allows cows to eat large quantities of food and digest it later while lying hidden in the vegetation.

Cows and their ancestors, like all mammals, produced milk for one reason: to nourish their offspring. While there are many important factors in a calf’s development, nothing is more vital than milk. As with all mammals, a cow’s milk contains a unique assortment and proportion of nutrients customized specifically for her calf’s initial survival and proper growth.

Topics included:

  • Cows On Animal Farms
  • About Their Babies
  • The Manipulation Of Cows
  • Dairy And Colonization
  • The Harm Of Animal Farms

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

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