Where are all the cows and who looks after them?

[Rowland]

So, I’m new to Warhammer, but I’ve seen a lot of the artwork and painted a lot of figures now.  I’ve just finished my intercessors (straps and holsters), I’m currently painting a Librarian in Phobos armour (leather waistcoat)…but I’ve never seen, in the art of the Grim dark future a meadow full of cows.

Where are they and who looks after them?

[Mazer Rackham]

The cows are generally placed on agri-worlds, which are worlds given over to monstrous farms, crops and animal husbandry. Grox is the cow of the day, and they are all over civilised and feudal worlds as well. Some leathers are xenos hides (make it up).

 

The Howling Griffons, for example, their homeworld is Mancora, and it looks just like medieval England in any Arthurian film you care to name, with moo-cows aplenty.

[Rowland]

Ah, brilliant.  I knew they would have it covered…thanks Mazer.

[Mazer Rackham]

2 hours ago, Rowland said:

Ah, brilliant.  I knew they would have it covered…thanks Mazer.

 

You are 'Moo'-st! (most ) welcome, sir.

 

Edited April 27 by Mazer Rackham

[jaxom]

There’s a bit about this in one book regarding all the vellum imported to Terra. Whole continents on agri-worlds are given over to giant animals bred for the purpose. The meat becomes a delicacy sent to hive world nobles.

[Rowland]

Ah…Tyranid heaven.

[Magos Takatus]

I watched a video that was a retrospective on the Fire Warrior game, and the creator noted that there was cheese on the plates in the Imperial ship (or the base, I don't remember for sure). I had always assumed Grox were the default alternative to provide meat in a lot of the Imperium and they are described as reptilian which does make me pose the obvious question....

 

Where did the milk come from?

 

Part of me is afraid to discover the answer.

[GSCUprising]

On 4/27/2026 at 5:42 PM, Rowland said:

So, I’m new to Warhammer, but I’ve seen a lot of the artwork and painted a lot of figures now.  I’ve just finished my intercessors (straps and holsters), I’m currently painting a Librarian in Phobos armour (leather waistcoat)…but I’ve never seen, in the art of the Grim dark future a meadow full of cows.

Where are they and who looks after them?

 

"Maisie! Maisie! Come quick!"

 

"What is it, Bertha?"

 

"They're onto us, Maisie."

 

Maisie's eyes narrowed as she looked toward the fortress-monastery. She stamped one forehoof.

 

"OK, girls. Time to put the plan into action. You remember what to do."

 

"Moo."

 

"Perfect."

[Mazer Rackham]

9 hours ago, Magos Takatus said:

Part of me is afraid to discover the answer.

 

Wisdom, frater, true wisdom.

 

Or as Ottobus Von Bismarckus once said:

 

'Laws are like sausages. If you love them don't go to see them made.'

[Vogon]

On 5/1/2026 at 1:00 PM, Magos Takatus said:

Where did the milk come from?

 

Part of me is afraid to discover the answer.

It's dog milk, full of goodness, full of marrowbone jelly and of course it lasts longer than any other type of milk...

 

 

[Xenith]

The cows evolved into the Taus!

[Mazer Rackham]

1 hour ago, Xenith said:

The cows evolved into the Taus!

 

Considering the establishment next door sells Kroot Fried Chicken, I think you're onto something.

 

[Adeptekon]

I wonder if there's any anti-gmo movements.

[Magos Takatus]

 

My life is a series of ancient Simpsons references chained together. I don't think I've seen a single episode since years before the movie but they still live rent-free in my head.

 

Maybe this is why Commissar Cain seems to drink his Tanna tea straight.

[Rowland]

3 hours ago, Magos Takatus said:

 

My life is a series of ancient Simpsons references chained together. I don't think I've seen a single episode since years before the movie but they still live rent-free in my head.

 

Maybe this is why Commissar Cain seems to drink his Tanna tea straight.

Be careful not to learn any new stuff then…

[Adeptekon]

So basically the midwestern cattle boom of the 19th century dialed all the way up. Nothing like the smell of fresh cow pie.

[Mazer Rackham]

6 hours ago, Adeptekon said:

So basically the midwestern cattle boom of the 19th century dialed all the way up. Nothing like the smell of fresh cow pie.

 

Regrettably, in the grim darkness of the 41st Millennium, there is only the freshly minted stench of cowpat.

 

And everyone is up to their neck it.

Edited August 22 by Mazer Rackham

[Griefbringer]

If you are a farmhand in the 41st millennium, there is a chance that you might end up shovelling grox dung. Which is likely a very vile substance, because if it were not the grox (who are not picky about their diet) would eat it themselves and there would not be need to shovel it in the first place. Even people who are not working at farm (especially those in the military) occasionally refer to disliked persons as grox dung. That said, handling grox dung still beats handling live grox (e.g. as a shepherd or butcher), since they have the bad habit of occasionally chomping off the odd finger (or worse) off anybody who comes too close - they have rather sharp teeth and strong jaws. But their meat is considered delicious and nutrious, though specific dishes are not usually discussed (though I have seen groxburger mentioned somewhere).

 

The short story Warped Stars (by Ian Watson) is situated in a grox farming community, One of the main characters, a youth named Jomi Jabal, is working in a slaughterhouse, sorting grox offal from the slaughtered animals. His mother considers himself lucky to have such a soft job, just having to handle the various organ meats.

 

In the last chancers novel 13th Legion by Gav Thorpe, the penal legion soldiers are usually fed dull protein slop, though on the world of Kragmeer they receive the luxury of being fed roasted snow-ox, which they tend to enjoy though find it a bit harsh for the digestive track.

[Adeptekon]

42 minutes ago, Griefbringer said:

If you are a farmhand in the 41st millennium, there is a chance that you might end up shovelling grox dung. Which is likely a very vile substance, because if it were not the grox (who are not picky about their diet) would eat it themselves and there would not be need to shovel it in the first place. Even people who are not working at farm (especially those in the military) occasionally refer to disliked persons as grox dung. That said, handling grox dung still beats handling live grox (e.g. as a shepherd or butcher), since they have the bad habit of occasionally chomping off the odd finger (or worse) off anybody who comes too close - they have rather sharp teeth and strong jaws. But their meat is considered delicious and nutrious, though specific dishes are not usually discussed (though I have seen groxburger mentioned somewhere).

 

The short story Warped Stars (by Ian Watson) is situated in a grox farming community, One of the main characters, a youth named Jomi Jabal, is working in a slaughterhouse, sorting grox offal from the slaughtered animals. His mother considers himself lucky to have such a soft job, just having to handle the various organ meats.

 

In the last chancers novel 13th Legion by Gav Thorpe, the penal legion soldiers are usually fed dull protein slop, though on the world of Kragmeer they receive the luxury of being fed roasted snow-ox, which they tend to enjoy though find it a bit harsh for the digestive track.

It seems like the Imperium should be cultivating lab-grown meat. Looking at the picture of Grox, I'd say it's about like farming aligator. I can't see it being the most high yeilding option, but I haven't studied Big Imperial Ag.

[Griefbringer]

I would presume that alligator farming is much safer than growing grox, but in the 41st millennium life is cheap and labour safety is not generally a high priority. As for the advantages of grox-farming, Warped Stars mentions the following: 

 

"The big reptiles [grox] were notoriously vicious. If they had not provided meat that was delicious to eat and highly nourishing, and if they had not been so well able to nourish themselves on any rubbish tossed their way, even soil, any sane person would have steered well clear of them. Although the breeding specimens were sedated with chemicals, a beast might still go berserk."

 

As for more synthetic foodstuffs, those are sometimes mentioned. For example in the underhives of Necromunda, settlements have their own slime pits that are used to produce some sort of edible and nutrious slime. I am not sure what the flavour is like, but it does not sound too delicious. Neither sounds the idea of cooking various underhive vermin that lurk around. But if you live in the underhive, you better be prepared to eat what you can get.

[Adeptekon]

8 minutes ago, Griefbringer said:

I would presume that alligator farming is much safer than growing grox, but in the 41st millennium life is cheap and labour safety is not generally a high priority. As for the advantages of grox-farming, Warped Stars mentions the following: 

 

"The big reptiles [grox] were notoriously vicious. If they had not provided meat that was delicious to eat and highly nourishing, and if they had not been so well able to nourish themselves on any rubbish tossed their way, even soil, any sane person would have steered well clear of them. Although the breeding specimens were sedated with chemicals, a beast might still go berserk."

 

As for more synthetic foodstuffs, those are sometimes mentioned. For example in the underhives of Necromunda, settlements have their own slime pits that are used to produce some sort of edible and nutrious slime. I am not sure what the flavour is like, but it does not sound too delicious. Neither sounds the idea of cooking various underhive vermin that lurk around. But if you live in the underhive, you better be prepared to eat what you can get.

Yeah this does all sounds a bit like the parodyish side of 40k. I'm willing to suspend my disbelief for now.

[Griefbringer]

When food is discussed in 40K material, it is often present to emphasize a particular aspect of the story, for example:

 

1.) Fancy and expensive food items are usually associated with high social class persons

2.) Dull or even disgusting food items are associated with those who have little control over their lives (penal legion troopers, prisoners, slaves etc.)

3.) Exotic or outright bizarre food items (whether delicious or disgusting) tend to emphasize the outright strangeness of the setting itself

 

Drinks (alcoholic or not) tend to appear in the material often, and are often handled in more neutral way than food items. That said, sometimes they also emphasize particular aspects of a particular setting, for example in the Necromunda underhive (anybody for a bottle of Second Best?).

[Bloodwraith]

The dark truth is on most imperial worlds espcially hive worlds, they eat protien compounds that are eirily similiar to the concept of soilent green......meaning....people. Many hive worlds the people are indirectly cannibals. The dead are collected by corpse grinders and they are added into the protien paste generation. The Imperium doesnt waste anything/resource including the dead. Now obviously soldiers, Marines, Sisters, people like that are spared that fate, but for the quadrillions of average citizens not on agri worlds or resort worlds. Recycled water, recaff, protient pasted. Translation, poo water cleaned as best as it can be, recycled coffee like stimulant drink and food that has human remains in its ingredients. Welcome to the Grimdark.

[Adeptekon]

12 hours ago, Bloodwraith said:

The dark truth is on most imperial worlds espcially hive worlds, they eat protien compounds that are eirily similiar to the concept of soilent green......meaning....people. Many hive worlds the people are indirectly cannibals. The dead are collected by corpse grinders and they are added into the protien paste generation. The Imperium doesnt waste anything/resource including the dead. Now obviously soldiers, Marines, Sisters, people like that are spared that fate, but for the quadrillions of average citizens not on agri worlds or resort worlds. Recycled water, recaff, protient pasted. Translation, poo water cleaned as best as it can be, recycled coffee like stimulant drink and food that has human remains in its ingredients. Welcome to the Grimdark.

I feel like some of the satire of the worst environements were the nightmares of the 1980's for the era we're living in today. Not sure some of these worlds could sustain the populations that live on them. And Terra being a waste land is kinda ridiculous for an empire maintaining a million worlds. It should be the luxury resort for the ultra elites.