Cattle or cows are the most common type oflarge domesticated ungulates.,In some regions, such as parts of India, cattlehave significant religious meaning.,However, they are commonly raised as livestockfor meat, milk, hides, and draft animals.,According to an estimate from 2011, thereare 1.4 billion cattle in the world, existing,in different sizes.,Because of that, it is time for us to introduceyou to the 10 of the largest cows in the world.,Number 10.,Charolais is one of the earliest and mostpopular cattle breeds not only in France but,worldwide.,It can reach a weight of up to 1,100 kg, andare white or creamy white in color, where,the hair coat is usually short in summer,but thickens and lengthens in cold weather.,With more than 1.8 million pure race cattlein France, Charolais represents half of the,cattle bred for beef in the country and aquarter of the cattle bred for beef in Europe.,Also, it has been said that no other breedhas impacted the North American beef industry,so significantly as the introduction of Charolais.,The Charolais came into widespread use inthe United States cattle industry at a time,when producers were seeking larger framed,heavier cattle than the traditional British,cattle breeds.,Number 9.,Parthenais breed finds its place in the topof the biggest cows in the world, with a height,of 1.45 m and a weight of up to 1,100 kg.,The name "parthenaise" is derived from "Parthenay",a town in western France.,The breed supposedly came to light aroundthe 1800s and is considered one of the oldest,breeds in France.,They were once a dual-purpose breed, witha good reputation in both milk and beef production.,The butter from Parthenaise milk was widespreadacross France in previous centuries.,However, nowadays their meat is what's soughtafter.,With regards to beef production, Parthenaiseare well-liked.,They have what is known as "double-muscling",meaning that high levels of lean muscle can,develop without being limited by the usualbiological systems.,Number 8.,Highly muscled beef cattle, this French breed,Limousin can reach a weight of 1,200 kg.,As a result of the environment where theywere bred, in the regions Limousin and Marche,,these cows have an unusual sturdiness, goodhealth and great adaptability.,Some people believed that Limousin were amongstthe oldest cattle breeds in existence.,Ancient French cave-paintings depicted ananimal similar to the Limousin, and for years,there were claims that this was in fact proofthat our cave-dwelling ancestors used Limousin.,After some research however, it was foundthat the paintings depicted a much older species,of bovine, but Limousins share many of thesame genetic features.,Perhaps the strongest quality of the Limousinbreed is its high immune system.,In fact, the usual bovine illnesses are rarelyfound in these cattle.,Number 7.,The cow Montbeliard originated in the Frenchregion of Montbeliard, used mainly for dairy,farms.,Montbeliarde cattle naturally horned, andthis can sometimes be a trait farmers don't,wish to deal with.,Their temperament has been described as difficultby some farmers.,They may be flightier and quite difficultto milk in some cases; however, isolated incidents,don't speak for an entire breed.,A single cow from this breed can produce morethan 7,400 liters annually and the bull can,reach 1.54 m in height and up to 1,200 kg.,Montbeliard cows produces a milk rich in caseintype B, which contributes to the increase,in yield and cheese production and is in thetop of the cheeses of protected origin.,Number 6.,The German Angus cattle are a beef cattlebreed which are raised mainly for meat production.,The breed was first developed in the 1950sin Germany by crossing Aberdeen Angus cattle,with different native German cattle breeds.,The new breed has higher weight gains andis bigger and heavier than the original breeds.,Main aim of the selection was to develop ahornless, good temperament, large sized and,meat with lower fat content than pure Anguscattle, and high milk yields.,A mature bull can reach a weight of 1,200kg, having a height of 1.5 m.,Number 5.,The Glan cattle are a multipurpose breed ofcattle which are raised for milk and meat,production and also for draught purposes.,It is a traditional cattle breed particularlyfound in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of,Germany.,It can reach 1.45 m in height and a weightof up to 1,200 kg.,Unfortunately, the breed is now rarely usedand the number of cattle is fading each year.,Glan cattle are strong animals and are mostlymaintained in forage systems.,This cow breed is not used in breeding programsand in shows, because of its phenotypes, which,is why the number of this breed was decreasing.,At one time they were almost extinct, buttoday there are about 2,000 of them, due to,the the efforts of a preservation societyestablished in 1985, but it is still a cow,breed that is less known.,Number 4.,Most people know by now about the famed doublemuscling of Belgian Blue cattle.,They are famed for this huge size and musclyframe, which is why they are a regular on,show circuits.,This double muscle effect is caused by a genewhich ceases the production of myostatin,,which is responsible for the control of musclegrowth.,At full maturity, Belgian blue bulls can weighas heavy as 1,250kgs.,The large size of Purebred calves at birth,due to the double muscling effect, means Caesarean,sections are very common.,A sturdy breed, milk from Belgian Blue cattleis also highly nutritious, containing 3.23%,protein and 3.48% fat.,Also, the carcass yield from a Belgian Blueanimal can be as high as 80%.,Number 3.,The Maine-Anjou is a French breed of domesticcattle, raised mainly in the Pays de la Loire,region in north-western France.,It was created in the nineteenth century inthe historic province of Maine by cross-breeding,the local Mancelle dairy cattle with Durhamstock from Britain, and was at first called,the Durham-Mancelle.,With cows weighing up to 860kg, and bullsup to 1,400 kg, this breed was formerly a,dual-purpose animal, raised both for meatand for milk, but it is now principally a,beef breed.,However, it's not uncommon to see milked Maine-Anjoucattle around France in particular.,The bulls can be quite temperamental, butthe cows have a great maternal instinct and,because of the high quality milk they provide,the calves are always thoroughly nourished.,Originally, French farmers used Maine-Anjoucows if they had small land patches, because,they could gain a nice income from the cows,as they would fatten up so easy.,Number 2.,Also known as "The Gentle Giant", South Devoncattle are a breed of British beef cattle.,They are the largest of the British nativebreeds, and are believed to have descended,from the large red cattle of Normandy whichwere imported during the Norman invasion of,England.,They can achieve a weight of 1,600 kg on theaverage, although the largest recorded South,Devon cow was 2,000 kg.,Primarily known as a breed for both meat andmilk, the bulls from this breed can be used,for draught purposes up to the age of 12.,High milk production and the developed maternalinstinct ensure a high percentage of survival,of youth, and the cows are able to reproducefor 15 years.,With such longevity, few heifers are neededto upgrade the herd, many of which are available,for sale as breeding animals or superior qualitybeef carcasses.,Number 1.,The Chianina is an Italian breed of cattlethat is now raised mainly for beef.,Reaching a height of 2 m and a weight of morethan 1,700 kg, this breed is known as the,largest cattle breed in the world.,Many reports indicate that Chianina mightbe the oldest cattle breeds in the world.,There's a lot of evidence for this, one ofthe most interesting being that Chianina cattle,are immortalised in some of Ancient Rome'sfamous art sculptures.,These cows are quite well-adapted to warmerclimates.,Their black-pigmented skin reduces their cancerrisk, and their efficiency isn't reduced by,high temperatures.,As well as this, their skin is tough and resistantto parasites.