Friend Not Food

This photo was taken on February 19th at Old River Farms. Pictured is a Red Angus Cattle (Bos taurus), a common beef breed. Cows, like the one pictured, are a precocial species, meaning they are more independent in a short period after birth. Cows can even walk just minutes after birth. This cow in particular is named Maggie. She lives among cows that will later be sold as beef. Maggie is a natural herbivore, and grazes on grass throughout the day. She gets to stay on the farm as a pet because she was born a twin, an uncommon occurrence in most cows. Many times, when cows have twins one of the offspring is rejected. Maggie was rejected and then bottle fed, which explains her attachment to the farmer and friendliness towards humans. The rejection of one twin is an interesting ecological process. Many mammals abandon a twin in order to ensure that one of their offspring will survive and have enough care from the mother. From a survival standpoint, rejecting a twin makes sense.

Another ecological process involved in the picture is the life history strategy of cattle. Cattle are K-strategists. This means they are typically larger in size, have a low number of offspring, have more parental care, and more. Cattle fit this description well.

Done