Beef cattle are social creatures! They form complex social groups and hierarchies made up of close companions and individual acquaintances. Next time you are observing cattle grazing or driving through some pastures, check out their herd structures!

[Photo and caption by Alycia Drwencke]

Sowell, B. F., Mosley, J. C., & Bowman, J. G. P. (1999, July). Social behavior of grazing beef cattle: Implications for management. In Proceedings of the American Society of Animal Science (Vol. 78, pp. 1-6).