All About the Cows

Scientists have established that a small herd of cows was domesticated by man a staggering 10,500 years ago. That’s a very long relationship. Cows are intelligent, curious and emotional animals. They’re also very much part of the rural Cotswold landscape. Find our favourite cow facts below, about these grand and imposing beasts.

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1. Cows have one stomach with four chambers. Cows are ruminants, which means they have a digestive system that helps them break down grass and other vegetation that other animals can’t digest.
   

2. Cows have incredible peripheral vision. With eyes on either side of their head, cows have almost 360-degree vision. This means they can continually monitor their surroundings, even when their heads are down and grazing. Which is often. However, they don’t have very good depth perception.
   

3. Cows are intelligent. Cows are very bright and  love to solve puzzles. A 2004 study showed that when young cows solve problems, their heart rates increase, and their brains release endorphins. They even celebrate by jumping and kicking when they arrive at a solution.
   

4. Cows are very sociable, they will maintain familial relationships and have best friends. Cows often form lifelong relationships and friendships. They can become anxious and stressed when they’re separated from their friends and the rest of the herd. They also enjoy physical affection.
   

5. Cows are pleasure seekers and love to play. Cows love to play with balls, chase one another, playfight, bounce on trampolines or prance around happily in the springtime.
   

6. Cows experience a wide range of emotions. Cows experience joy, sadness, frustration, anger and love. They are also incredibly curious about the world around them.

7. Cows have great memories. Cows have excellent spatial memory and can easily remember where things are. This is helpful when locating their food, water and shelter. They also remember the faces of their herd mates and the farmers who take care of them.
   

8. Cows have individual personalities. Just like us, cows are individuals with individual personality traits. Also, different herds have different personalities depending on the cows in that herd. Some herds are grumpier than others and some are calmer than others.

9. Cows have a strong sense of smell. They have an incredible sense of smell and can detect a scent up to 10 kilometres away. This helps them respond to threats in their environment and recognise their herd and friends.
   

10. Not all cattle are cows. It’s not technically accurate to call all cattle cows.  There are different terms for cattle depending on their sex, age and reproductive status. Before giving birth, a female is called a Heifer. Bulls are intact male cattle whilst a Steer is a castrated male cow.

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If you’d like to find out more about cows and farming, we recommend the book ‘The Secret Life of Cows’ by Rosamund Young. Rosamund runs and owns Kites Nest Farm in Snowshill in the north Cotswolds.

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