• Not all Cows are Cows
How can this be? Well a baby Cow is called a “Calf” and a Female Cow is only called a Cow after it’s given birth to a Calf, which is called “Calving”. Before that a Female Cow is actually called a Heifer, and a Male Cow isn’t a Cow at all – it’s a Bull! Young Bulls are called Oxen or Bullocks… so really the correct name to use is “Cattle”.
• Cows are colourblind!
But what about the saying “Like a Reg Rag to a bull”? This is actually a myth as Cows are Red/Green colourblind. It’s not waving a Red Flag that makes a bull charge, it’s the motion that makes it angry! Cows have a visual field of 330 degrees thanks to their large oval shaped pupils, but they mainly see Yellow, Green and Blue – Red is very hard for them to see at all!
• Cows only have 1 Stomach
Many people think Cows have 4 Stomachs, which actually isn’t true. Like the Goat, they have 1 Stomach, but it’s split into 4 diffferent compartments, or chambers. These complex stomachs can break down tough plant matter that would normally be indigestible. Cows are known the “Chew the Cud” – this means it brings food back up from it’s stomach to chew it again.
• Cows can’t predict the weather
Wait! A Cow sitting down means rain is on the way! Right? Wrong! In fact Cows lie down for many reason, for between 10 and 14 hours a day! There is no scientific evidence that wet weather is a reason for Cows to sit down. More often it means that they’re Chewing the Cud, or having a power nap!
• Cows need a good sleep
Many people think Cows sleep standing up- which is also not true! They typically sleep lying down, either leaning forward onto their chest, or lying completely on their sides. While they don’t actually sleep for long, maybe 30 minutes or so in deep sleep, they will do this 6-10 times a day to make sure they get plenty of rest.
• Cows are guzzlers!
Cows drink up to 100 litres of water daily! Thats the equivalent of a whole bathtub of water!! How much water do you drink? Typically Humans need between 2.5 – 3 litres of water a day, hardly anything in comparison!
• Cows are very social creatures
Cows live in small herds of 20-30 animals and form close friendships. Licking each other reinforces relationships between them and has a relaxing effect. As well as mooing, Cows also use body language, such as the position of their head, limbs and tail, as well as facial expressions to communicate. But it’s not all happy families, Cows can take a dislike to each other and bear grudges too!