Polled livestock are livestock without horns in species which are normally horned. The term refers to both breeds and strains that are naturally polled through selective breeding and also to naturally horned animals that have been disbudded.[1] Natural polling occurs in cattle, yaks, water buffalo, and goats, and in these animals it affects both sexes equally; in sheep, by contrast, both sexes may be horned, both polled, or only the females polled. The history of breeding polled livestock starts about 6000 years BC.[2]
- ^ Ekarius, Carol (2008). Storey's Illustrated Breed Guide to Sheep, Goats, Cattle and Pigs. Storey Publishing. p. 319. ISBN 978-1-60342-036-5.
- ^ Swalve, H. H. (2015). "The history of breeding for polled cattle". Livestock Science. 179: 54–70. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2015.05.017.