Interesting Cow Facts

The cow is one of the most widely spread animals on the planet with populations in nearly every country. The female of the species is called the cow while the male is referred to as the bull. The first cows and bulls were brought to America in 1611, to Jamestown by the pilgrims, and since then have become an important part of American agriculture. Throughout the world they serve many functions, from providing dairy and meat products in some cultures to being worshiped as sacred animals in other cultures.

  1. Milk Facts

    • Cows provide about 90 percent of the world's dairy products, which works out to each cow producing approximately 200,000 glasses of milk in its lifetime. Cows do not start producing milk until after they have given birth to their first calf. This occurs once the cow has reached maturity, at two years of age.

    Dairy Facts

    • Many dairy products are made from cows' milk such as yogurt and cheese. A single cow can produce up to 14 lbs. of cheese or nearly 6 lbs. of butter. Alternately, instead of 64 quarts of milk, over 5 gallons of ice cream could be made.

    Bio Facts

    • A 1,000-lb. cow produces more than 10 tons of manure every year. This works out to more than 60 lbs. of feces every day and over 30 lbs. of urine. The reason for this is because cows eat cud for about seven hours per day (about 40 lbs. of food), and can drink up to 35 gallons of water. Cows have 32 teeth with which to chew their cud, but cows do not initially bite their food. Instead they curl their tongue around it and rip it from the ground. They then spend the rest of the day and 40,000 jaw movements to chew it up.

    A Four Part Stomach

    • A cow's stomach is sectioned into four parts. The first part can hold up to 50 gallons of partially digested food which is chewed on as cud. This section provides the protein for the cow's body. The second section is in case the cow swallows something it shouldn't. Instead of obstructing the digestive tract it falls here and does no damage. The third section of a cow's stomach acts like a filter and the fourth section digests the food and processes it along the digestive tract.

    Odd Facts About Cows

    • In some cultures and religions, like the Hindu religion, cows are considered sacred animals. They are allowed to wander free throughout the countryside and cities, and if they get in the way of humans then the humans have to wait. This can lead to long waits as cows generally sit down and stand up about 14 times per day. There are also times when humans are called upon to rescue cows because they are able to climb up stairs but lack the ability to climb back down. The reason for this is because cows' knees do not bend in the right places for it to be able to descend stairs.