Holstein Friesian

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Subfamily: Antilopinae

Genius: Bos

Species: Bos primigenius

Subspecies: Bos primigenius taurus

Descendant: Antelopes

Named by: Carl Linnaeus

Year Published: 1758

Size: 100 and 140 centimeters (39 and 55 in) long in length; 61–81 centimeters (24–32 in) tall in height; 26–69 kg (57–152 lb) weigh

Lifespan: 6 to 10 years

Activity: Diurnal 🌅

Thermoregulate: Endotherm

Type(s): 

• Synapsids

  • Mammals (Bovines)

Title(s): 

• Cow

Pantheon(s): 

• Terran/Gaian 🇺🇳

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Loyal

Threat Level: ★★★

Diet: Herbivorous 🌿🍂🍊🌹

Element(s): none

Inflict(s): none

Weakness(es): Fire 🔥, Water 🌊, Rock 🪨, Air 🌬️, Electric ⚡, Leaf 🌿, Ice ❄️, Metal 🔩, Dark 🌑, Light 🔆, Arcane ✨, Fae 🧚, Sound 🎵, Spirit 👻, Time 🕛, Aether 🌌, Chaos ☣️, Cuncta 🌈, Poison 🤢, Paralysis 😣, Sleep 😴, Stunned 😵, Blastblight 💣, Sundered 💔, Leeched 🦟, Bleeding 🩸

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Domesticated (DO)

Today, the term "holstein" is used to describe North or South American stock and the use of that stock in Europe, particularly in Northern Europe. "Friesian" is used to describe animals of traditional European ancestry that are bred for both dairy and beef use. Crosses between the two are described as "Holstein-Friesian."

Holsteins have distinctive markings, usually black and white or red and white in color, typically exhibiting piebald patterns. On rare occasions, some have both black and red coloring with white. The red factor causes this unique coloring. 'Blue' is also a known color. This color is produced by white hairs mixed with black hairs, giving the cow a bluish tint. This coloring is also known as 'blue roan' in some farm circles. They are famed for their high dairy production, averaging 22,530 pounds (10,220 kg) of milk per year. Of this milk, 858 pounds (3.7%) are butterfat, and 719 pounds (3.1%) are protein.

A healthy calf weighs 40 to 50 kg (75–110 lb) or more at birth. A mature Holstein cow typically weighs 680–770 kg (1500–1700 lb) and stands 145–165 cm (58–65 in) tall at the shoulder. Holstein heifers should be bred by 11 to 14 months of age, when they weigh 317–340 kg (700–750 lb) or 55% of adult weight. Generally, breeders plan for Holstein heifers to calve for the first time between 21 and 24 months of age and 80% of adult body weight. The gestation period is about nine and a half months.

Cows produce milk for the same reason humans do—to feed their young—but calves on dairy farms are separated from their mothers when they are only one day old. They are given milk replacers (including cow blood) so that their moms' milk can be marketed to humans. This will open a new window.

Bloat is a form of indigestion marked by excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen. Immediately after cattle consume a meal, the digestive process creates gases in the rumen. Most of the gases are eliminated by eructation (belching). Any interruption of this normal gas elimination results in gas accumulation or bloat.

Strong grazers with sophisticated four-chambered stomachs for cellulose digestion, cattle have a strong sense of smell and good hearing, as well as a good recall and the ability to identify persons, routes, and herdmates. For their size, cattle have surprising agility; bulls are particularly strong and quick. Because they can swim, cattle can cross ponds, rivers, and flooded fields when necessary. Certain feral populations often swim short distances, such as Chillingham cattle or wild cattle in tropical islands.

Cattle utilize their horns to protect their calves, fight other cattle for dominance, mates, or territory, and defend themselves from predators (particularly in defensive breeds like Highland cattle or Watusi cattle). When they use their horns or headbutts, bulls can be very dangerous.

They moo to: seek their herd mates, calf, or mother; say they are hungry; call for a partner when they are wishing to mate; raise an alarm to warn their herd mates of potential danger; show contentment; and express pain.

Livestock animals, such as cows, sheep, goats and chickens, have many roles in the farm ecosystem. They eat corn and hay grown on the farm, they provide milk, eggs, wool and meat for humans, and their waste can fertilize the soil. Animal manure contains many nutrients that plants can use to grow. The National Agricultural Statistics Service compiles data on cattle loss by specific predator species such as coyotes, dogs, mountain lions, bobcats, cougars, pumas, lynx, eagles, vultures, wolves, and bears. Other animal species that can harm cattle include hawks, rattlesnakes, pythons, cobras, orcas, sharks, crocodiles, and even fire ants.

Cattle diseases were at the center of attention in the 1980s and 1990s when bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) was of concern. Cattle health is at once a veterinary issue (for animal welfare and productivity), a public health issue (to limit the spread of disease), and a food safety issue (to ensure meat and dairy products are safe to eat). These concerns are reflected in farming regulations. These rules can become political matters, as when it was proposed in the UK in 2011 that milk from tuberculosis-infected cattle should be allowed to enter the food chain.

Reproduction

• Breeding strategy: Polygynous (one bull mating with multiple cows).

• Gestation: ~9 months (similar to humans).

• Offspring: Typically one calf, twins are rare.

• Maternal behavior: Cows form strong bonds with calves and defend them aggressively.

• Sexual maturity: 1–2 years depending on breed and nutrition.

• Lifespan: 15–25 years (longer if well cared for).

Even while most people assume that cattle are calm creatures, the adage "when you mess with the bull, you get the horns" is not to be taken lightly. These big animals have an innate tendency to become far more hazardous when they are anxious or irritated. Many cow varieties are gentle, particularly dairy breeds like Jersey and Holstein. They can display tenderness, form bonds with people they know, and enjoy being brushed. But because of their size, they could be harmful, even accidentally.

Cattle herd animals have intricate social structures, communicate through body language, vocalizations, and scent, and are calm when handled gently but agitated by unexpected changes or solitude. Bulls can be dangerous and unpredictable.

Disease, transportation, overhunting, habitat damage, and overcrowding are some of the dangers that cattle confront. A deadly prion-induced brain illness that produced a significant outbreak in the 1980s and 1990s. Large numbers of animals kept in one location together might lead to disease issues. The main concerns across its range are habitat loss and fragmentation, disease susceptibility, and widespread poaching (for food, game, traditional medicine, and horns). Cattle are mostly limited to dairy farms and are legally protected in every country where they are found.

Threats

• Predation: big cats, wolves, dingoes, coyotes depending on region.

• Habitat loss and hunting (some feral cattle are culled as pests).

• Disease: foot-and-mouth, anthrax, parasites.

• Competition with native wildlife.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Near Threatened (NT)

Conservation Efforts

• Anti-poaching patrols.

• Community education programs.

• Monitoring with drones and GPS collars.

If cows need a level place to live, they can be found all over the world on grasslands. If there is sufficient foliage and protection from predators, it may thrive in any type of habitat. A grassland is a region where a constant grass cover dominates the vegetation. Compared to deserts, grasslands receive more rain, but not as much as woods.

• Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant

• Individual Type: Solo/Group

• Recovery Category: Largely Depleted

• Population Trend: Increasing

• Population: ???

• Locomotion: Terrestrial

• Habitat: Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests; Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Salt Flats; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Mushroom Forests; Mushroom Fields; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Mountain; Lush Cavern; Radiated Citadel; Warm Ghost Town; Cold Ghost Town; Ruined Skyscraper.

• Earth: 

  • Extant (Resident): Germany; Netherlands

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; American Samoa; Andorra; Angola; Anguilla; Antarctica; Antigua and Barbuda; Aotearoa/New Zealand; Argentina; Armenia; Aruba; Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Åland Islands; Bahamas; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bermuda; Bhutan; Bolivia; Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Sint Eustatius, Saba, Bonaire); Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bouvet Island; Brazil; Britain (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); British Indian Ocean Territory; Brunei; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Cayman Islands; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China/PRC; Christmas Island; Cocos Islands; Colombia; Comoros; Republic of the Congo; The Democratic Republic of the Congo; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Croatia; Cuba; Curacao; Cyprus; Czechia; Côte d'Ivoire; Denmark; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; Eswatini; Ethiopia; Falkland Islands; Faroe Islands; Fiji; Finland; France; French Guiana; French Polynesia; French Southern Territories; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Greenland; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Guam; Guatemala; Guernsey; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Heard Island and McDonald Islands; Holy See/Vatican City; Honduras; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Iran; Iraq; Ireland; Isle of Man; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan/Nihon; Jersey; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kiribati; North Korea; South Korea; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macao; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Marshall Islands; Martinique; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mayotte; Mexico; Micronesia; Moldova; Monaco; Mongolia; Montenegro; Montserrat; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nauru; Nepal; New Caledonia; Nicaragua; Niger; Nigeria; Niue; Norfolk Island; North Macedonia; Northern Mariana Islands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palau; Palestine; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Pitcairn; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Qatar; Romania; Russia; Rwanda; Réunion Island; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Martin Island; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; San Marino; Sao Tome and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Sint Maarten (Dutch); Slovakia; Slovenia; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; South Sudan; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Suriname; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tokelau; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Turks and Caicos Islands; Tuvalu; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United States of America; United States Minor Outlying Islands; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Viet Nam; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.; Wallis and Futuna; Western Sahara; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

• Berbania: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): Albangkor; Ahlaria; Arahangaria; Ashailaju; Aharva; Awavokia; Bahrdnihamia; Barselonia; Borva; Bretonia; Chiosathira; Devhorjasho; Dhokorakha; Dinojerulla; Dzhemoblash; Elengora; North Emeraldia; South Emeraldia; Eshima, Froyadghu, Frostland; Ghesario; Gorrajeria; Hiershofia; Hirohito Islands; Hudhirenia; Ifuangiria; Inorthia; Izhorgia; Janiothewa, Jelyplaskogoria; Jermainia; Jonilarghia; Kampufora; Kataqira; Kheilia; Kicharhonia; Korikoiliu; Lakatharho; Luzhoria; Meridia, Nakarenia; Narvanicia; Nueva California; Ostrelliria; Paaskekhadia; Pengarria, Qafaria; Qezhonia; Rasitarolia; Registazlia; Rozzunia; Santa Maria Islands; Serfothaqia; Svathogoblash; Sysherio-ivaf; Thieravio, Thirenha; Tomasionia Tseriangistia; Vielgatborria; Vinohia; Vithorsia; Wotarsia; Xorethajio; Xorethanio; Ylossanu; Zhanguimia; Zhidhekia; Zhovirdhia; Zowhrinnge

• Reinachos: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): Abazorgia; Abirosa; Aghallarba; Ahjaru; Alfonsia; Angussia; Ascunsia; Asgardia; Bacuitogia; Barriville; Bergastadia; Bernardia; Cabarazhonia; Carlotania; Chanarth; Chinilia; Coilatha; Dengzharia; Dhalria; Dheria; Dominconia; Doquebetia; Duldoria; Dunpandia; Ehuecatlia; Falkbergia; Fharewalovia; Fortynidia; Galapagosia; Gherasen; Grenalandia; Gurrumia; Haayihardio; Hieppathi; Hishatofia; Huancoria; Illircia; Inu Vienna; Joaquinia; Kakvia; Koppia; Lothlonaghia; Maghrebia; Marseillia; Matamurigakia; Maungayapapa; Mosikeyia; Mourystia; Nakhelia; New Tenochtitlan; Ngetanyeho; Nu Fuyan; Nuaria; Nueva Granada; Nueva Tocharia; Oaxilantia; Paliosa; Phuiswaqia; Prairiville; Qirodennu; Qunasalia; Rahonatia; Raberangia; Rythania; Saeloun Jeju; Sanchagia; Sanhodosia; Sanhosatoseu; San Vicente; Shilliteria; Tasmanrisia; Terlimay; Thyrim Islands; Tianmingia; Tirania; Tirhomesa; Tseghahuyania; Uhoykoria; Unimoder; Verdanamo; Vizcania; Warepitia; Xatlos; Xhorashqipia; Xizhgotia; Yimakinzia; Zhonghu; Zotilia 

• Sawintir: Whisoala

Coming soon

Holstein Friesian cattle now dominate the global dairy industry. The Holstein-Friesian has the highest milk production of all breeds worldwide.

Near 100 BC, a displaced group of people from Hesse migrated with their cattle to the shores of the North Sea near the Frisii tribe, occupying the island of Batavia, between the Rhine, Maas, and Waal. Historical records suggest these cattle were black, and the Friesian cattle at this time were "pure white and light colored." Crossbreeding may have led to the foundation of the present Holstein-Friesian breed, as the cattle of these two tribes from then are described identically in historical records.

Coming soon

Coming soon

• The first breed of animal in this century, as well as the first domesticated animal.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_Friesian

• https://www.thecattlesite.com/breeds/dairy/22/holstein

• https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/animals-used-food-factsheets/cows-milk-cruel-unhealthy-product/

• https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g2018/html/view

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Holstein-Friesian-952418937