What is the difference between buffalo and cow

What exactly is the difference between cows, cattle, bison, heifer, bulls and more? Well, now I know better and want to share with you the differences between all these terms. Cows describe female bovines after they have given birth for the first time. Heifers, on the other hand, have yet to give birth. Bulls are male bovines, that have not been castrated. Sterilized bulls are called steers. An Ox has more to do with the use of the animal, which is mostly drafting, for that reason most Oxen are also steers.

Buffalos are quite simply another genus of the bovine species. All this information can be quite overwhelming, so I will break it down in a more detailed manner also going a bit more in depth. But before we can start getting into the differences between all these different terms, we first have to establish, what a bovine is.

Cows are female animals, that already gave birth at least once. A cow does not have to be from the bovine species. Heifers are female bovines, which are not yet mature and have not given birth. After having a calf a Heifer automatically becomes a Cow. There are still some more distinctions. For example, a Heiferette is a Heifer older than 2 years. An infertile Heifer is called a Freemartin , but you probably will never need these terms, except for the odd pub-quiz. A Bull is simply an intact and mature male used for breeding.

Bulls tend to be a bit more aggressive and should be treated respectfully. When working with bulls getting in their way is a mistake you can only make once.

A Steer is a male, that has been castrated before maturity. Castrating a male after maturity makes him a stag. Steers are obviously not used for breeding, but rather for meat production. These animals can be found in West Africa and along the plains of southern and eastern Africa.

Some of them have been domesticated for years and are valued for milk, meat, leather, and as work animals. It is also possible to find the Cape buffalo in the wild. These animals are dangerous and can gore people with their sharp horns.

Difference between buffalo and bison As stated already both animals are bovids but there are differences in physical appearance. Generally, the buffalo has a larger body than the bison. The buffalo also has bigger horns. The bison has a larger head used to forage for feed during the winter months. The buffalo also has a smooth coat while the bison has a shaggy winter coat. The bison has stocky legs, and a hump on its back which helps hold the musculature of their large head.

It is to preserve the unique grain patterning of the bison hide. Pick up some leather cleaner, leather conditioner , and learn how to care for your leather so you can carry it with you for years to come. CART 0. Your Cart is Empty Continue Shopping. Continue Shopping.