FACTS ABOUT DAIRY COWS
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Cows drink a bathtub of water (about 40 gallons) and eat 120 pounds of feed a day.
- Cows have 32 teeth.
- The body temperature of a cow is 101.5 degrees F.
- Cows have one stomach with 4 digestive compartments.
- Cows chew their cuds up to 8 hours a day.
- Female calves are called heifers. Male calves are called bull calves when they are born.
- Size and age are used to determine when heifers should be bred. Typically this is when they are 12-15 months old. Holsteins are usually 14 months old, and weigh 700 pounds when bred (Source: 4-H manual.)
- When a dairy cow gives birth, it is called calving or a freshening.
- Two months before a cow gives birth, she takes a rest from milking to grow her calf. At this time, she is called a dry cow.
- There are six breeds of dairy cows: Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorn and Guernsey. All of Fairvue Farms cows are Holsteins. About 80-90% of the mlk people drink comes from Holsteins.
- All cows are born with horn nubs that are removed when they are a few months old.
- Dairy farmers and their families must milk and feed their cows 365 days a year. Cows are usually milked twice each day. Fairvue Farms' high-producing cows are milked three times a day.
- Cows have pierced ears for identification.
- Dairy cows can produce 125 pounds of saliva a day.
- Cows have an acute sense of smell, and can smell something up to six miles away.
Also see Facts About Calves
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