Editing User:Raven/ignore me (section)

== Economy ==

Cattle are kept on farms to produce meat, milk, and leather, and sometimes to pull carts or farm implements.<ref name="FAO Cattle">{{cite web |title=Cattle |url=https://www.fao.org/livestock-systems/global-distributions/cattle/en/ |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref>

=== Meat ===

{{Further|Beef cattle|Beef}}

The meat of adult cattle is known as [[beef]], and that of [[Calf (animal)|calves]] as [[veal]]. Other body parts are used as food products, including blood, [[Liver (food)|liver]], [[Kidney (food)|kidney]], [[heart]] and [[oxtail]]. Approximately 300 million cattle, including dairy animals, are slaughtered each year for food.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL |title=FAOSTAT |website=www.fao.org|access-date=25 October 2019}}</ref> About a quarter of the world's meat comes from cattle.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-is-the-most-consumed-meat-in-the-world#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20United%20Nations,goats%2Fsheep%20(5%25) |title=AskUSDA: What is the most consumed meat in the world? |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture |date=17 July 2019 |access-date=5 December 2022}}</ref> World cattle meat production in 2021 was 72.3 million tons.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mapped: Global Livestock Distribution and Density |url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-global-livestock-distribution-and-density/ |website=Visual Capitalist |date=23 July 2023 |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=160>
File:Hereford bull in a field by the B4452 (cropped).jpg|The [[Hereford cattle|Hereford]] is a widespread beef breed, introduced in the 18th century
File:Cattle Selwyn Road Boulia Shire Central Western Queensland P1080822 (cropped).jpg|Australian [[Droughtmaster]] cattle on an extensive farm in [[Queensland]], Australia
File:Aberdeen Angus im Gadental 2.JPG|[[Aberdeen Angus]], a popular small breed, here in Austria with a traditional cattle bell
</gallery>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=300 heights=220 caption="[[FAO]] data for 2021">
File:World Production Of Meat, Main Items.svg|Beef is the third most commonly consumed meat worldwide.
File:Beef_production_1961_2021.png|Beef (and buffalo meat) production has grown substantially over the recent 60 years.
File:Production Of Cattle Meat (2021).svg|Production of beef worldwide, by country in 2021.
</gallery>

=== Dairy ===

{{main|Dairy cattle|Dairy product}}

Certain breeds of cattle, such as the [[Holstein-Friesian]], are used to produce [[milk]],<ref name=ukcows>{{Cite web |url=http://ukcows.com/holsteinUK/publicweb/Education/HUK_Edu_DairyCows.aspx?cmh=66 |title=UK Dairy Cows |access-date=7 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518064015/http://ukcows.com/holsteinUK/publicweb/Education/HUK_Edu_DairyCows.aspx?cmh=66 |archive-date=18 May 2015 }}</ref><ref name="CIWF 2015"/> much of which is processed into [[dairy product]]s such as [[butter]], [[cheese]], and [[yogurt]]. Dairy cattle are usually kept on specialized dairy farms designed for milk production. Most cows are milked twice per day, with milk processed at a dairy, which may be onsite at the farm or the milk may be shipped to a dairy plant for eventual sale of a dairy product.<ref name="dairy science">{{Cite journal |url=http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302%2879%2983526-2/abstract |title=Milking 3 Times per day |journal=[[Journal of Dairy Science]] |volume=62 |issue=12 |pages=1941–1950 |doi=10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(79)83526-2 |pmid=541464 |year=1979 |last1=Pearson |first1=R.E. |last2=Fulton |first2=L.A. |last3=Thompson |first3=P.D. |last4=Smith |first4=J.W. |doi-access=free}}</ref> Lactation is induced in heifers and spayed cows by a combination of physical and psychological stimulation, by drugs, or by a combination of those methods.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Larry Smith |first1=K. |last2=Schanbacher |first2=F. L. |date=1973-06-01 |title=Hormone Induced Lactation in the Bovine. I. Lactational Performance Following Injections of 17β-Estradiol and Progesterone1 |journal=Journal of Dairy Science |volume=56 |issue=6 |pages=738–743 |doi=10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(73)85243-9 |doi-access=free |pmid=4708130 }}</ref> For mother cows to continue producing milk, they give birth to one calf per year. If the calf is male, it is generally slaughtered at a young age to produce [[veal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm-animals/cows/veal-calves/ |title=About calves reared for veal |access-date=9 May 2015 |website=[[Compassion in World Farming]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074915/http://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm-animals/cows/veal-calves/ |archive-date=18 May 2015 }}</ref> Cows produce milk until three weeks before birth.<ref name="CIWF 2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm-animals/cows/dairy-cows/ |title=Compassion in World Farming: Dairy Cattle |access-date=7 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074913/http://www.ciwf.org.uk/farm-animals/cows/dairy-cows/ |archive-date=18 May 2015 }}</ref> Over the last fifty years, dairy farming has become more intensive to increase the yield of milk produced by each cow. The [[Holstein-Friesian]] is the breed of dairy cow most common in the UK, Europe and the United States. It has been bred selectively to produce the highest yields of milk of any cow. The average in the UK is around 22 litres per day.<ref name=ukcows/><ref name="CIWF 2015"/>

Dairy is a large industry worldwide. In 2023, the 27 European Union countries produced 143 million tons of cow's milk; the United States 104.1 million tons; and India 99.5 million tons.<ref>{{cite web |title=Major producers of cow milk worldwide in 2023, by country |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/268191/cow-milk-production-worldwide-top-producers/ |website=Statista |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref> India further produces 94.4 million tons of [[buffalo milk]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Buffalo Milk |url=https://www.tridge.com/intelligences/buffalo-milk/production |website=Tridge |access-date=14 February 2024 |quote=FAO Code: 0951 - Raw milk of buffalo}}</ref> making it (in 2023) the world's largest milk producer; its dairy industry employs some 80 million people.<ref>{{cite web |title=India Largest Producer of Milk in the World |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1929183 |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |access-date=14 February 2024 |date=1 June 2023}}</ref>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=220 heights=220>
File:Cow female black white.jpg|[[Holstein Friesian cattle|Holstein cattle]] are the primary dairy breed, bred for high milk production.
File:Hand milking a cow at Cobbes Farm Museum.jpg|The milking of cattle was once largely by hand. Demonstration at [[Cogges Manor Farm]], Oxfordshire
File:2014-07-25 Melkkarussel - Hemme Milch (5).jpg|A modern rotary [[Milking machine|milking parlour]], Germany
</gallery>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=440 heights=220 caption="[[FAO]] data for 2021">
File:World Production Of Bovine Milk.svg|World production of bovine milk (cow + buffalo)
</gallery>

=== Draft animals ===

{{Further|Ox}}
[[File:Traditional ploughing - Karnataka (cropped).jpg|thumb|Oxen used in traditional ploughing – [[Karnataka]] ]]

[[Oxen]] are cattle trained as [[draft animal]]s. Oxen can pull heavier loads and for a longer period of time than [[horse]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Tess|title=On Small Farms, Hoof Power Return s|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/dining/04oxen.html |access-date=19 June 2011 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 3, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522213735/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/dining/04oxen.html |archive-date=22 May 2013}}</ref> Oxen are used worldwide, especially in [[Developing country|developing countries]]. There are some 11 million draft oxen in sub-Saharan Africa,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Muruvimi |first1=F. |last2=Ellis-Jones |first2=J. |chapter=A farming systems approach to improving draft animal power in Sub-Saharan Africa |editor1=Starkey, P. |editor2=Kaumbutho, P. |year=1999 |title=Meeting the challenges of animal traction |publisher=Intermediate Technology Publications |location=London |pages=10–19}}</ref> while in 1998 India had over 65 million oxen.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Phaniraja |first1=K. L. |last2=Panchasara |first2=H. H. |year=2009 |title=Indian draught animals power |journal=Veterinary World |issue=2 |pages=404–407}}</ref> At the start of the 21st century, about half the world's crop production depended on land preparation by draft animals.<ref name="Nicholson Blake Reid Schelhas 2001">{{cite journal |last1=Nicholson |first1=Charles F. |last2=Blake |first2=Robert W. |last3=Reid |first3=Robin S. |last4=Schelhas |first4=John |title=Environmental Impacts of Livestock in the Developing World |journal=Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development |volume=43 |issue=2 |date=2001 |doi=10.1080/00139150109605120 |pages=7–17 |bibcode=2001ESPSD..43b...7N |hdl=10568/32888 |s2cid=133316829 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

=== Hides ===

Cattle are not often kept solely for hides, and they are usually a by-product of beef production. Hides are used mainly for leather products such as shoes. In 2012, India was the world's largest producer of cattle hides.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/est/COMM_MARKETS_MONITORING/Hides_Skins/Documents/COMPENDIUM2013.pdf |title=World Statistical Compendium for raw hides and skins, leather and leather footwear 1993-2012 |website=FAO |access-date=16 May 2015|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128005513/http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/est/COMM_MARKETS_MONITORING/Hides_Skins/Documents/COMPENDIUM2013.pdf |archive-date=28 January 2015 }}</ref> Cattle hides account for around 65% of the world's leather production.<ref>{{cite web |title=EST: Hides & Skins |url=http://www.fao.org/economic/est/est-commodities/hides-skins/en/ |access-date=2021-03-14 |website=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leathercouncil.org/introtoleather.htm |title=Introduction to Leather |website=International Council of Tanners |access-date=8 August 2018 |archive-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804104737/http://www.leathercouncil.org/introtoleather.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref>