> But that's not the primary function right? In other words, once the pig is fat enough to eat, it's slaughtered. This is as opposed to something like a chicken where it's deliberately kept around even when it's ready to be eaten.
Nobody said anything about it being their primary function! As the original article mentioned, most chickens weren't kept for meat purposes until the 20th century. We're talking about what domesticated animals are "meant" to do; the answer to that is a multiplicity (with perhaps one "primary").
> Are those the same breed?
There are lots of different breeds of cattle, but yes: the word "ox" specifically refers to any male cattle breed that's been neutered. The distinction between "beef cattle" and "dairy cattle" is a modern one (with modern breeds), contemporaneous with industrialized production of both dairy and meat.
Nobody said anything about it being their primary function! As the original article mentioned, most chickens weren't kept for meat purposes until the 20th century. We're talking about what domesticated animals are "meant" to do; the answer to that is a multiplicity (with perhaps one "primary").
> Are those the same breed?
There are lots of different breeds of cattle, but yes: the word "ox" specifically refers to any male cattle breed that's been neutered. The distinction between "beef cattle" and "dairy cattle" is a modern one (with modern breeds), contemporaneous with industrialized production of both dairy and meat.