Cattle – did you know? Cattle have four compartments that act as a stomach and are described as ruminants. This means they are able to eat grass and other plants and then convert these into milk as well as helping them grow. Domestic cattle were being kept as long ago as 5,000 years before the birth of Christ. At one time in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, lots of people kept cattle. They would have lived in the fields near to their houses and have been a major source of food as well as their skins being used for clothing, shelter, carpets, containers for liquids, shoes and even armour. For thousands of years cattle or oxen were important as ‘working animals’. They helped pull carts and ploughs. Even today, in many less developed parts of the world, this is often still the case. There are over 2 million cattle (including calves, cows and bulls) in England Wales and Northern Ireland. Different breeds of beef cattle have evolved in different parts of the country, including Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, Limousine, Charolaise, Simmental and Belgian Blue. Some breeds of cattle are known as dual purpose because they are suitable for producing both milk and beef. However, many modern farmers prefer to specialise in one or the other. There are lots of different meals that can be made using beef. Some large tender cuts of beef from the rear end of the animal/carcase are good for roasting, e.g. sirloin. Beef steaks can be grilled, fried or barbequed and beef mince is made by mincing up less tender cuts of beef. Less tender cuts, which take longer to cook, can also be used to make casseroles and stews. One bull will run with about 30-40 cows although today cows are often artificially inseminated . Calving can happen all year round but spring and autumn are most common. A beef cow is pregnant for about 285 days and a new born calf weighs 25 to 45kg. Heifers (young cows) can produce their first calves when they are two years old. After that they give birth to one calf per year but sometimes it’s twins! Prime beef animals are normally slaughtered between the ages of 12 and 30 months. Calves reared on beef cows remain with their mothers for 6-9 months before being weaned. Dairy calves are separated from their mother shortly after birth. Offal - this is the name given to the edible internal parts of animals produced for food, including heart, kidney, liver and tongue. Offal is good value for money and provides important nutrients which support health and well-being. A variety of beef offal is available including liver, tripe, tongue, oxtail, calves’ liver and ox kidney. For more information about offal, go to: http://bit.ly/1fE5xYy