Village Cow Try Hard for Mating PX1

Village Cow Try Hard for Mating PX1

Predators and Threats

Cow predators include dogs, coyotes, bobcats, and similar animals. Because most cows are on farms, the threat of predators is typically small. In the United States, for example, only two percent of all farm cow deaths were the result of predators. Most of those predators were dogs, followed by coyotes.

The bigger threat to cows comes from disease. Because cows move in herds, one sick cow can quickly infect others. Depending on the type of infection, this can cause big problems. For example, some worry about a return of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). FMD doesn’t affect humans but can wreak havoc on cows. FMD is spread easily for miles, and can quickly infect a whole herd.

Governments take cow diseases very seriously. In 2003, reports that some U.S. cattle were infected with a disease called “mad cow disease” resulted in governments not allowing U.S. beef in their countries. This costs beef farmers roughly $11 billion in lost sales.

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