Calf

Calves (/ˈkævz/ or /ˈkɑːvz/; singular calf /ˈkæf/ or /ˈkɑːf/) are the young of domestic cattle. Calves are reared to become adult cattle, or are slaughtered for their meat, called veal, and for their calfskin.

Terminology

"Calf" is the term used from birth to weaning, when it becomes known as a weaner or weaner calf, though in some areas the term "calf" may be used until the animal is a yearling. The birth of a calf is known as calving. A calf that has lost its mother is an orphan calf, also known as a poddy or poddy-calf in British English. Bobby calves are young calves which are to be slaughtered for human consumption. A vealer is a fat calf weighing less than about 330 kg (730 lb) which is at about eight to nine months of age. A young female calf from birth until she has had a calf of her own is called a heifer (/ˈhɛfər/). In the American Old West, a motherless or small, runty calf was sometimes referred to as a dogie, (pronounced with a long "o") though in the classic traditional folk song, Git Along, Little Dogies, the "dogies" in question meant cattle strong enough to be herded from Texas to Wyoming, including weaners, yearling steers and other young, non-orphaned animals.

Calf (leg)

The calf (TA: sura) is the back portion of the lower leg in human anatomy. The muscles within the calf correspond to the posterior compartment of the leg. The two largest muscles within this compartment are known together as the calf muscle and attach to the heel via the Achilles tendon. Several other, smaller muscles attach to the knee, the ankle, and via long tendons to the toes.

Structure

The calf is composed of the muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg: The gastrocnemius and soleus (composing the triceps surae muscle) and the tibialis posterior. The sural nerve provides innervation.

Clinical significance

Medical conditions that result in calf swelling among other symptoms include deep vein thrombosiscompartment syndrome,Achilles tendon rupture, and varicose veins.

Idiopathic leg cramps are common and typically affect the calf muscles at night.Edema also is common and in many cases idiopathic. In a small study of factory workers in good health, wearing compression garments helped to reduce edema and the pain associated with edema. A small study of runners found that wearing knee-high compression stockings while running significantly improved performance.

Calf (disambiguation)

Calf may also refer to:

Biology and animal byproducts

Geography

People

Other

See also