Physical Description
Cattle have heavy bodies with short legs. The eyes are large and brown; the teeth, like those of a horse, are suited to a vegetable diet. Most breeds have horns, which are present in both sexes. The horns are hollow, and located above and in front of the ears. Polled cattle are hornless; some are members of breeds that do not develop horns, while others are individuals whose horns have been removed. (The horns of cattle are often removed because dehorned cattle are less aggressive and less likely to harm people or other cattle. Polled cattle also usually sell for more than horned cattle.) The stomach has four compartments. The animal spends about eight hours a day grazing; during much of the rest of the day it chews cud, food brought up into the mouth from its first stomach compartment to be chewed again. Healthy and strong domestic cattle have short legs and compact, almost rectangular bodies. A beef steer should have a straight back, and full, fleshy hindquarters because the meat with the greatest retail value is found in the top rear of the steer's body. Cattle can live 15 to 20 years, but most beef cattle, except breeding animals, go to market before they are five years old.
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