Icelandic cattle are primarily bred for milking and all milk production in Iceland is based on this breed. The cattle have a great variety of colors but in comparison to other breeds are quite small. The vast majority of Icelandic cattle do not have horns. Cattle are ruminants but the ruminant stomach is a multi-chambered organ. It is usually composed of four separate chambers and allows digestion of large quantities of plant matter that would be relatively indigestible for most other types of mammals, in particular grass and the leaves.
