Product Description
The early chapters trace the domestication of cattle, looking more closely
at the now extinct ancestral aurochs, and how different types and breeds
gradually evolved, while later chapters study wild species of the cattle
family and some of their unusual interesting domesticants, especially in
Asia. The breed entries are gathered in geographical sections according to
the breed's country of origin. Each section has an introduction, which sets
the region's cattle in a cultural as well as an agricultural context. The
development of each breed is traced, with ample reference to influential
breeds that no longer exist or are rare today. The animal's physical
characteristics are described [including typical coat colouring and
markings, horns, sizes and conformation] along with their main roles
historically and currently [for the production of meat or milk, as a work
animal or as a form of currency or status symbol] and their special
characteristics.
About the Author
Valerie Porter has written some 30 books on rural themes including Saving
the Breeds a history of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, written jointly
with Lawrence Alderson. She has edited an extensive range of agricultural,
veterinary and life sciences books.
