Things that Make You Go Moooo!
Fast facts you may not have known about everyone’s favorite farm friend!
Mootiful Works of Art!
Cows have coexisted with us for a long time. Archeologists recently discovered ancient cave paintings in Borneo. The one that stood out most depicted…guess moo? A cow! That painting was 40,000 years ago. Was it a wild cow? Had they been domesticated? We don’t know. The earliest we know for sure that they were used for meat, dairy, and strength was about 10,500 years ago.
Photo credit: Cows on Parade; artist: Billy the Kid
But the fascination with their beauty didn’t end there. From Peter Paul Reuben to Vincent Van Gogh, to Andy Warhol, artists across time have felt compelled by these beautiful bovines. In fact, a public art series called “Cows on Parade” visits cities all over the world.
There is something so captivating about their immaculate serenity. And yet, we now hold them captive, and take away any serenity.
I’m busy ruminating!
Cows spend all day ruminating. Does that make them deep thinkers? Not exactly…it makes them big eaters, though! Unlike us, cows have four sections to their stomachs. They swallow food and it goes to a section called the rumen. In there, it is churned into an oatmeal-like ball, and then? It comes back up for more chewing. Sounds gross, but actually it’s very efficient. Cows eat hard, fibrous plants. Chewing twice helps them get the most nutrients possible. After a second chew, it goes through the rest of the sections.
An adult cow’s stomach can hold more than 50 gallons! That’s equal to how much water a bathtub holds!
Incidentally…as ruminants ruminate, they produce yeast as a byproduct. If you see a really fat cow in the morning, and he’s skinny by mid-afternoon? Chances are, he was just ruminating. And all that gas DOES come out. Cow methane is a major cause of climate change!
The only way to tip a cow…
…is by putting money in a tip jar (here’s our virtual tip jar, wink wink, nudge nudge, Bob’s your uncle.) And that’s because YOU CANNOT SNEAK UP ON A COW. And we don’t advise trying it.
For starters, they can see almost a full circle without turning their heads! And if they don’t see you, they’ll hear you—they have much stronger ears than humans. But you don’t even have to be close by before they know you’re there. Cows can smell up to six miles away! (Note to self: take the perfume down a notch when visiting cows!)
There’s one more reason you’ll never sneak up on a cow. They only sleep about 4 hours in a 24 hour period. Of that time, only 45 minutes or so is spent in deep sleep. And while they can sleep standing with their legs locked, they usually don’t.
BBFF = Best Bovine Friends & Family
Cow herds are family. They form special bonds, and help each other when they’re scared, stressed, or sad. Even within cow herds, friendships form between some cows that are closer than the others. They’ll spend most of their time together, and even sleep (or just lay there, pretending to sleep, apparently!) in the barn snuggled up together.
We rescued Dexter (with the horns) just a few weeks before Harold finally arrived. Dexter was outgoing and inquisitive from Day 1. Harold was absolutely terrified. Here, you can see Dexter licking him to comfort him and gain his trust.
And what do friends love to do? PLAY!
Just like dogs, calves like these two boys love to play. They chase, butt heads, and even enjoy playing fetch! When they’re finished, they’ll find a nice sunny spot to cozy up for another licky lovefest. Both of these videos were taken when Harold first arrived. Today, Harold and Dexter are still the very best of friends.