This Quiz Isn't Just Cattle Prattle

Answer: north/south

The next time you're lost in a cow pasture, just note the direction the cows are facing! The studies by German scientists involved observing over 8000 cattle in random pastures in six continents. The grazing and/or resting patterns of cows indicated they usually faced either magnetic north or south regardless of wind direction and the angle of the sun.

The study was the first to point to a magnetic sense in large mammals similar to the way fish, birds and bees use the Earth's magnetic fields as orientation.

Answer: indentation on either side of the tail

The cuckoo hole is also known as the tail hollow. If it is deep it indicates a very thin cow with little body fat.

Answer: the cow is relaxed

When the tail is straight down, the cow is relaxed, grazing, or walking. If the tail is tucked between the legs it could be frightened, sick or cold. During mating, threat, or investigation, the tail hangs away from the body. It's held straight out, sometimes with a kink, when galloping or when the animal is in a bucking, playful mood.

Answer: True

Yes, cows have a selective "taste" for music! A study conducted by two psychologists from the University of Leicester showed cows that listened to songs like "Everybody Hurts" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water" produced 3% more milk! Cows that listened rap or techno had no increase in milk production.

When a cow is stressed, the release of oxytocin, a hormone essential to the milking process, is slowed down. Dairy facilities can be noisy or stressful for a cows and certain music helps distract them and is shown to have a calming effect.

Answer: True

Cows like to feel special! Dairy farmers who consistently addressed their cows by name reported a 68 gallon (258 liter) higher milk yield, per cow, over a ten month lactation period than those who didn't. Cows tend to fear people and get nervous when led into the milking parlor resulting in an increase of cortisol, a hormone which suppresses milk production. Calling cows by name and interacting with them, as they grow up, improve the animals' perception of humans and a relaxed cow is a productive cow!

Answer: threat

This posture, called "threat display", means a challenge or territorial dispute. The bull is showing off his broadside, his greatest profile. Sometimes it will quickly shake its head from side to side and the hair along its back will stand erect. The "recipient" bull will advance with its head down also and horn or head butting will follow.

In instances where the recipient animal has been previously subdued, he will likely withdraw from the confrontation.

Answer: weight gain

Cows can experience "Eureka moments"! A Cambridge University experiment found that young heifers showed behavioral signs of excitement when successfully completing tasks. The tasks involved the animals pressing their noses against a panel to access food and pushing a lever to activate a water fountain. An electroencephalograph was used to measure brainwaves and increase in heartbeats. Some even jumped into the air! The animals fed and given water in a "usual" way did not display any of the same behavior.

Answer: an orphaned bull

Sometimes fear and true aggression are confused. Aggressive behavior occurs when the animal views a herd mate as one which needs to be dominated.

All grazing animals must learn the normal give and take of herd behavior. A bull that has been reared alone will often be a vicious fighter because he never learned that once he becomes dominant he doesn't need to keep fighting. Aggression may be prevented by rearing a young animal in a social group.

Answer: calving

Cows are very social and need to be in herds. Cattle usually graze with younger animals in the center of the herd "protected" by more aggressive animals. Sometimes aging or weak cattle may graze away from the heard due to difficulty keeping up. Before a cow begins calving, she will seek an isolated sheltered place that is soft and dry.

Answer: to prevent intrusion from other females

Other females may interfere with the bonding process. Before calving, a cow's maternal hormones are peaked and they can become receptive to any calf, even one that is not their own. Some cows have even tried to "claim" another's newborn.