Live, Friday, 16 October 2026
Cattle today
What is on the cattle calendar right now: the fairs, festivals, pasture days, races and shows under way, and one breed to get to know.
Nothing on the calendar today
No day in the calendar falls today. Here is what is coming.
Right now
What cattle are kept for
Pick a purpose to see its breeds.
Holstein Friesian, Jersey, Gir, Sahiwal and Red Sindhi: bred first of all for milk. All dairy breeds
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGir
A humped dairy breed from Gujarat, red and white with long drooping ears and a domed foreheadZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant
🇲🇳 MongoliaDzoམཛོ་
A yak-cow hybrid from Tibet and Mongolia, bigger than either parentYak · Dairy
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGayal
A semi-domesticated bovine of the Eastern Himalayas, kept for meat, milk and ceremonyMithun · Beef
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreZebu
Humped, heat-tolerant cattle of South Asia, kept for milk, meat, work and ridingZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant
🇳🇱 Netherlands and 3 moreHolstein Friesian
A black and white dairy breed kept worldwide, with red and white lines tooTaurine · Dairy
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreBraunvieh
A large Alpine brown dairy breed from Switzerland, known for its strength and high milk yield.Taurine · Dairy · Rich milk
Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Wagyu and Nelore: bred for meat and raised on grass and range. All beef breeds
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGir
A humped dairy breed from Gujarat, red and white with long drooping ears and a domed foreheadZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreZebu
Humped, heat-tolerant cattle of South Asia, kept for milk, meat, work and ridingZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreWild yak
A massive, shaggy wild bovine native to the high plateaux and peaks of the HimalayasYak · Beef · Cold-hardy
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGayal
A semi-domesticated bovine of the Eastern Himalayas, kept for meat, milk and ceremonyMithun · Beef
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreBali cattle
A small humped breed from Indonesia, descended from wild banteng, kept for meat and plowing.Banteng · Beef · Disease-resistant
🇲🇳 MongoliaDzoམཛོ་
A yak-cow hybrid from Tibet and Mongolia, bigger than either parentYak · Dairy
Hallikar, Amrit Mahal, Kangayam and the Podolic grey oxen: cattle for the plough and the cart. All draught breeds
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreBali cattle
A small humped breed from Indonesia, descended from wild banteng, kept for meat and plowing.Banteng · Beef · Disease-resistant
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 5 moreZebu
Humped, heat-tolerant cattle of South Asia, kept for milk, meat, work and ridingZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreBraunvieh
A large Alpine brown dairy breed from Switzerland, known for its strength and high milk yield.Taurine · Dairy · Rich milk
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreChianina
A massive white Italian breed known for beef production and historic draught work in Tuscany.Taurine · Beef · Heat-tolerant
🇭🇺 HungaryHungarian GreyMagyar Szürke
A tall, long-horned Podolic breed from the Hungarian plains, kept for beef and draught work.Taurine · Beef · Marbled beef
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreSahiwal
A heat-tolerant zebu from the Punjab, kept for milk, meat and draught workZebu · Dairy · Heat-tolerant
The Lidia of the bullring, Herens fighting cows, the Kangayam of jallikattu and the racing bulls of Madura. All sport and contest
🇲🇳 Mongolia and 4 moreYakགཡག་
A shaggy, cold-hardy highland bovine kept across the Himalayas and Tibetan PlateauYak · Triple-purpose · Cold-hardy
🇨🇭 SwitzerlandHérens
A small black or red Swiss alpine breed kept for cow fighting and mountain grazing.Taurine · Sport · Quick and strong
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreKangayamகாங்கேயம்
A grey Tamil draught zebu whose bulls run in races and in the Jallikattu arenaZebu · Draught · Quick and strong
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreBrahman
An American beef breed with a hump and grey or red coat, bred from Indian zebu cattleComposite · Beef · Heat-tolerant
🇮🇹 ItalyAosta Black PiedValdostana Pezzata Nera
A short-horned, black-pied dual-purpose breed from the Aosta Valley in ItalyTaurine · Dual-purpose · Thrifty foragers
🇦🇹 AustriaTux-ZillertalTux-Zillertaler
A stocky Alpine breed from Tirol, black or red, once bred for cow-fighting contests.Taurine · Beef · Spirited
Dexter, miniature zebu, Lowline and Punganur: small cattle for smallholdings and the show ring. All miniature and companion
The breeds for this purpose are being written.
Friday traditions
Lakshmi's day, when many Hindu homes honour the cow, and the day of London's old Smithfield cattle and horse market.
Coming up in the next six weeks
In 2 days, about 18 Oct 2026Fiesta de la TrashumanciaOnce a year, shepherds lead their flocks through central Madrid along the old royal drove road, a reminder of the right of way.
In 4 days, 20 Oct 2026St Wendelin's DayThe feast of the herdsman saint of the Rhineland and the Alps, when cattle and horses are blessed in his processions.
In 9 days, about 25 Oct 2026Bataille de Reines final in AostaThe autumn final of the cow fights of the Aosta Valley, held on a Sunday in October at the Croix-Noire arena.
In 16 days, 1 Nov 2026Samhain and the coming down of the herdsThe Gaelic first of November: the end of the grazing year, when cattle came home from the hills for the winter.
In 20 days, about 5 Nov 2026Vasu Baras (Govatsa Dwadashi)The first day of Diwali in Maharashtra, when a cow and her calf are worshipped together in thanks for the milk that feeds the home.
In 21 days, about 6 to 15 Nov 2026Royal Agricultural Winter FairToronto's November farm fair, held since 1922, with Canada's national dairy and beef shows under one roof.
In 23 days, about 8 to 9 Nov 2026Tihar: Gai Puja and Goru PujaIn Nepal's festival of lights, the cow is worshipped on Laxmi Puja morning, and the ox is honoured the day after.
In 24 days, about 9 Nov 2026Govardhan PujaThe day after Diwali, when Krishna's lifting of Govardhan hill is remembered and the cattle of Braj are bathed, painted and fed.
In 26 days, 11 Nov 2026MartinmasSt Martin's Day, the old turn of the farming year in northern Europe, when the cattle went into their winter quarters.
In 26 days, about 11 to 13 Nov 2026Canterbury A&P ShowChristchurch's November farm show, the largest A&P show in New Zealand, ending on the city's Show Day holiday.
In 32 days, about 17 Nov 2026GopashtamiThe day Krishna is said to have first taken the cows out to graze: cows and calves are worshipped and gaushalas fill with visitors.
In 32 days, about 17 to 24 Nov 2026Pushkar Camel and Cattle FairA week of trading on the dunes round Pushkar's lake, ending at the full moon of Kartik; camels lead, but cattle are sold too.
In 39 days, about 24 Nov to 23 Dec 2026Sonepur MelaThe month-long fair at the meeting of the Ganges and the Gandak in Bihar, once the largest cattle fair in Asia.
In 41 days, 26 Nov 2026National Milk Day (India)India's milk day, on the birthday of Verghese Kurien, the engineer who built the cooperative dairies of Operation Flood.
In 43 days, about 28 Nov 2026The cattle crossing at DiafarabéEach late November, Fulani herders swim thousands of cattle across the Niger at Diafarabé to the dry-season pastures of the delta.Cattle news
- Started by a grandfather in 1937, this Florida ranch now covers 50,000 acres, feeds local communities and...Moneycontrol.com, Herding
- Kasaragod Kullan set to be Keralam’s third indigenous cattle varietyThe New Indian Express, Breeds
- Ancient cattle love affairs: East Asian cattle genomes reveal Tang-Song dynasty mixing and wild bovine introgressionBioengineer.org, History
- State announces public comment period for proposed bovine tuberculosis testing areasMichigan Farm News, Health
- Northeast 4-H Livestock Show celebrates 91 years of traditionGrand Rapids Herald-Review, Shows
- Annual Webster Parish 4-H Livestock Show set to begin next weekMinden Press-Herald, Shows
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Cachena: Rosino, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tux-Zillertal: Böhringer Friedrich, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Braunvieh: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Brahman: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aosta Black Pied: Lohen11, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bali cattle: Gsarwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gir: Pavanaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chianina: Monica, CC BY 2.0, source
- Sahiwal: Harvinder Chandigarh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hérens: Joe Byrne, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hungarian Grey: The original uploader was Faludi at Hungarian Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gayal: Aditya Kabir, Public domain, source
- Holstein Friesian: Vista Alegre baserria, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Yak: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zebu: A. J. T. Johnsingh, WWF-India and NCF, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kangayam: Pavanaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wild yak: Jim, the Photographer, CC BY 2.0, source
- Dzo: Markrosenrosen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vasu Baras: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Tihar Gai Puja: Sreekumar K. S., CC BY 2.0, source
- Pushkar Fair: sheetal saini, CC BY 2.0, source
- Sonepur Mela: Abhifrm.masaurhi at English Wikipedia, CC0, source
- Dewgal Diafarabe: Jacques Taberlet, CC BY 3.0, source
- Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: Matt MacGillivray, CC BY 2.0, source
- St Wendelin: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 2.5, source
- Martinmas Cattle: Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, source
- Bataille De Reines Aosta: Elena Tartaglione, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fiesta Trashumancia Madrid: Diotime, Public domain, source
- Canterbury Ap Show: not stated, Public domain, source