8 Things You Didn't Know About Cows
In 2009, scientists sequenced the bovine genome and found 22,000 genes, 80% of which are shared with humans.
Cattle" derives from Old French "chatel," signifying property. Cattle are a sign of affluence in many countries.
Cows are female, bulls are masculine. English usually has one name for both male and female of a species, like cat or dog.
The average cow sleeps four hours a day, usually in short bursts. Like humans, lack of sleep can influence a cow's health, productivity, and behavior.
In addition to playing with balls, gamboling, and running, cows interact socially with other mammals.
Cattle emit 250 to 500 liters of methane each day, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, when they digest food.
In this video of a cow utilizing a "Happycow" machine, cows prefer head, neck, and back massages like dogs.
German researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen found that cows face magnetic north or south when grazing or resting, regardless of the sun or wind.