Interesting facts you may not have known about cows.
The 1,400 pound domesticated female cattle is very well-known around
the world. In Hinduism, the cow is a holy animal. The cow in India is
revered as the source of food and symbol of life which can never be
harmed. There are over 280 million cows in India, the United States has
only 96,669,000. Over 26 distinctive breeds of cows roam freely through
the streets of India and many are treated as part of the family.
The
cow was domesticated about 5,000 years ago and where brought to America
by the Pilgrims. Cows are responsible for supplying 90% of the worlds
dairy needs, which includes milk, cheese and yogurt. Although the cow is
well-known for its black and white spots, there exist more than 920
different breeds and they don't all come in black and white.
Many
of these domesticated animals can also be found in brown or gray. The
Holstein breed is the popular black and white spotted cow seen in just
about anything you can think of. This black and white female cattle is
used as the symbol of many milk cartons and many other dairy products
because of the animals large production of milk. The Holstein cow can
produce as much as 5 gallons of milk per day. Thats about 150 gallons of
milk or more a month!
A cow produces milk for the first time
only when she gives birth to a calf. Cows can eat about 95 pounds of
food a day and drink about 30 gallons of water. Their diet consists of
grass, hay and silage. They regurgitate their food and eat it once again
for easy digestion. Cows slurp water like we do, they do not lick water
like many animals. They have over 32 teeth and over 200 bones in their
body.
