Cattle

Cattle are animals found in Red Dead Redemption. They are a bovine animal species, domesticated globally for their milk and meat. They represent a vital means of economic sustenance in the American west during the time period.

The player can herd cattle while on horseback as a way of generating cash.

Going near a Bull will make it chase after the player. Killing it sometimes does not count towards honor or bounty. Slaughtering cattle will result in bounty if it is witnessed, and nearby displeased ranch-hands may shoot at the player.

Location
In general, domesticated cattle can be found in pens on the majority of ranches that are present in the game. Wild cattle, which are larger than domesticated cattle, can be found in some areas as well.

New Austin
 * MacFarlane's Ranch
 * Twin Rocks (wild)
 * Ridgewood Farm
 * Pike's Basin (without starting the Gang hideout)

Nuevo Paraiso
 * Agave Viejo
 * Chuparosa

West Elizabeth
 * Beecher's Hope (after completion of "The Outlaw's Return")

Characteristics
Cattle are the most commonly used livestock in Red Dead Redemption and were vital for the economic needs of that period. They are useful for their Meat and Dairy produce, their Meat being high in protein and low sodium but also high in cholesterol. Their cow hide is used for clothes and other material based items such as a Gun Holster or Cowboy Hat. Its height is 4' 4" feet and weighs 1000 lbs.

Trivia

 * If a cow is lassoed, it will not retaliate and will follow Marston wherever he goes. This is surprisingly good for hunting animals such as Wolves or other carnivores, as cattle can be brought out into the hunting ground and used as a kind of makeshift Bait.
 * The cattle that appear in game are Holstein dairy cattle, with the exceptions being Bulls and the completely brown cows.
 * It is odd that on MacFarlane's Ranch, dairy cows are kept with a Hereford Bull, a breed of beef cattle.
 * Some players have wondered why the in-game cattle are not longhorns (the iconic cattle of the old west) but dairy and Hereford cattle. During the time period that the game takes place, the longhorn breed was in extreme danger of becoming extinct as they had been replaced by fatter and unhardy cattle breeds like Herefords and anguses. It is likely that the games creators knew it would be historically accurate for there to be no longhorns in game (the super bull mount being the exception).
 * In multiplayer, if the player has very low health and a cow runs them over, it will display the message "[Player] was somehow killed by a cow."
 * Killing the cattle at MacFarlane's Ranch will give the player a small loss of Honor and small bounty.

Gallery
Vaca