Cows

Cows | Larger Pets

Cows are from the Bovinae family; they are the most widespread form of domestic cattle and are raised as livestock on farms all over the world. They are kept meat, dairy products and for use of jobs such as pulling carts. However in some countries they are seen as sacred objects and are worshipped in a number of religious ceremonies.

Though different stages in their lives cows are called different names, when they are first born they are called calf's, a young female cow is then called a heifer, a male is call a bull calf and then is called a bull for its mature life and a mature female is simply known as a cow. A cow tend to have her first calf around the age of 2 years old, cows are pregnant for 9 months like humans and will feed their calf up to about 9 weeks old. When a cow becomes pregnant, about 2 months before giving birth they will stop giving milk in order to grow her calf, during this time it is referred to as a dry cow'.

Unlike some animals cows never forget their calves and it isn't uncommon to see them later licking them like when they first had them, when they have grown up.

Some interesting cow facts;

  • Cows are milked for about 4 years of their lives and they must give birth in order to be able to produce milk.

  • Due to the massive development in technology, farmers are now equipped to get the same amount of milk out of just one cow that they would previously have got for 10 separate cows.

  • Cows are ruminant animals, this means they regurgitate their food, this is called cud, and spend up to 8 hours a day chewing it.

  • Many people wrongly think that cows have 4 stomachs, this isn't true they actually have 4 digestive compartments;
    --> The reticulum holds any hardware object like fencing that a cow accidentally swallows without causing any problems for the animal.
    --> The rumen holds up to 50 gallons of half digested food this is where the cud comes from.
    --> The omasum is like a filter.
    --> The abomasums it their stomach.

  • Everyday a cow will eat about 40 pounds of food and drink the equivalent to a bathtub full of water.

  • Every day a cow will give enough milk to fill 400 glasses of milk 25 gallons of milk a day!

  • Dairy cows provide 90% of the worlds milk supply.

  • The oldest cow reached the age of 48 (she passed away just 3 months before her 49th birthday), she was called Big Bertha. She also holds the record for giving birth to the most calves a huge 39!

  • Cows live up to around the age of 25.

  • Cows can produce up to 200 pounds of wind a day and produce 125 pounds of salvia a day.

  • On the majority of farms the ratio of bulls to cows is 1:30!

  • You can find out how old a cow is by counting the rings on their horns.

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