Cow Facts

Cow Facts 1

#1- Cattle will drink 40-70L of water a day... their urine is loaded with Phosphorus to feed the soil microbes.

Cow Facts 6

#6- A "Replacement Heifer" is a young female calf that will be used for breeding in the herd (pictured in the video). "Heifer-ettes" are young female calves that will go to the beef market like a steer would.

Cow Facts 7

#7- Cows are quite intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time. Animal behaviorists have found that they interact in socially complex ways; developing friendships over time, sometimes holding grudges against other cows who treat them badly.

Cow Facts 8

#8- 5 Miniature Cattle Breeds:
Miniature Herefords
Angus (Lowlines)
Zebus
Jerseys
Dexters
In general, miniature cattle breeds have been bred by choosing the smallest cows from a larger breed. The Miniature Zebu is a true breed of miniature.

Cow Facts 11

#11- Herd animals have a natural tendency to “bunch.” This defense mechanism is how cows (and goats) protect themselves from predators, which prefer a moving target to animals that stand their ground.

Cow Facts 12

#12- Calves should be fed daily approximately 10% of their body weight (1 quart of milk weighs 2 pounds). For example, a calf weighing 90 pounds at birth would be fed 4.5 quarts (9 lbs) of milk daily.

Cow Facts 13

#13-Not All Steak is Created Equal... depending on the genetics (breed) and their finishing feed the difference in Nutrition are quite noticeable. Our 6oz Sirloin has 200 calories where as other's have around 340 calories for the same size.

Cow Facts 14

#14- A cow's amazing sense of smell is arguably one of their best defense mechanism. They can sense a smell up to six miles away and they know their meals are being served well before they hear the tractor coming!

Cow Facts 15

#15- Cattle are very sensitive to high frequency sounds and have a wider range of hearing than humans (a human’s auditory range is from 64 to 23 000 Hz, cattle’s from 23 to 35 000 Hz).

Cow Facts 16

#16- Cows reject their calves for a variety of reasons. It's possible that a cow simply doesn't know what to do with the calf, if she has never given birth. Rejection may include failure to recognize the calf or a medical problem with the calf.

Cow Facts 17

#17- Cows have what is referred to as panoramic vision. This means they can see things in all directions without moving their heads. They have 300° vision because they can see everything except what is directly behind them.

Cow Facts 18

#18- Cattle put important nutrients back into the soil... The phosphorus content of cow urine is about 0.5% higher than solid manure which is 0.2% and the potassium content of SP urine is 1.5% and higher than 0.1% solid manure

Cow Facts 19

#19- Not all grasses are created equal. Both sequester C02, but the root system of the native prairie grasses will take in 200mt/hectare grazed, placing the carbon deep into the ground. Grazing Cattle are the key to keeping this vital ecosystem healthy.

Cow Facts 20

#20- Cows can demonstrate their emotions through their nose temperature. A new study has found that putting cows in a calm state and then stroking them causes a decrease in nasal temperature.

*Mortimer is awaiting his bottle patiently...

Cow Facts 21

#21- In Canada the Dairy cattle population (dairy cows and heifers) is1.4343 million head (July 1, 2021)
Number of dairy farms 9,952 ( Aug. 1, 2021)
Milk production95.12 million hl

*Photo credit @JoySYEG 😍😍

Cow Facts 22

#22- During World War I, the Germans orchestrated a bombing campaign over England. The only aircraft capable of carrying a payload the necessary distance were airships. The best material available for holding hydrogen was a calf’s intestines.

Cow Facts 23

#23- cow's tongue is about the size of a ruler (12 inches or 30 cm) or a foot long. 12 inches or 30 centimetres roughly the size of a ruler. They are able to use their tongue to keep their noses clean too.

Cow Facts 24

#24- You are able to keep between 0.5 and 1.1 cows per acre on average pasture. In general, rotational grazing may increase the cows-per-acre rate up to 30% compared to traditional grazing.

Cow Facts 25

#25- Canadian farmers held 11.1 million cattle and calves on their farms on January 1, 2022, down 0.5% from the previous year. In the "big picture" Canada is only holding approximately 1.8% of the world's 965 Million cattle herd.

Cow Facts 26

#26- Cows are warm-blooded animals with a core body temperature of 101°F. Believe it or not, they actually prefer colder temperatures to hot. Their thick skin, coarse hair and natural insulation (fat) help them stay warm.

Cow Facts 27

#27- Cows, when not startled or pressured, tend to walk at 2 miles per hour. The average human when working cattle walks 3 to 4 miles per hour, twice as fast as cattle.

Cow Facts 28

#28- Urea can be used to supplement the diet of cattle. It helps maximize the benefits of poor-quality grazing by optimizing digestion. Urea helps stem weight loss through improved rumen function in cattle when grazing feed quality is poor in dry seasons.

Cow Facts 29

#29- Breeding Season... Natural Service is when the Bull will impregnate on their own (1 Bull will "cover" about 25 head) AI (Artificial Insemination), straws of semen are used in a pipette and place inside the uterus when the Cow is "on" or ovulating.

Cow Facts 30

#30- Puberty in bulls occurs when they can produce viable sperm. This is approximately at 12 months, it can vary in individual bulls several months before/after this age depending on biological type (primarily frame size, potential mature weight).

Cow Facts 31

#31- Here is a lesson (fact) in "emotional" bidding and buying. When you are at an online auction and are going by only picture/videos. Do not buy a bred heifer just because she has your name. You WILL get a "lecture" on breeding parameters at some point.

Cow Facts 32

#32- What causes lump jaw in cows?
The most common form of lump jaw is caused by Actinobacillus bacteria. It occurs in the soft tissues, forming an abscess, often along the lower jaw. Actinobacillus is a gram-negative bacteria routinely present in soil.

Cow Facts 33

#33- Straw is the best choice of bedding to provide thermal insulation for the young calf. Straw tends to hold moisture, so it is important to add fresh bedding regularly. Moisture exceeding 20 percent is too high.

Cow Facts 34

#34- One “rule” for weaning is to do it when the Moon is the signs of Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. These signs rule the thigh, knee, ankle, and feet, and the dates listed in the Farmers' Almanac are based on this rule.
*We're weaning today

Cow Facts 35

#35-Weaning is one of the most stressful events in a calf's life. Two primary stressors affect calves at weaning: social separation from their mothers and moving to a new environment where they must develop new feeding and watering skill. New environment.

Cow Facts 36

#36- Cattle are the No. 1 Ag source of greenhouse gases worldwide. Each year, a single cow will belch about 220 pounds of methane. Good news is each cow will sequester 100mt of C02 per half hectare grazed annually. *1/2 Hectare will sustain 1 cow.

Cow Facts 37

#37- The number of days a cow spends dry has a significant impact on milk production in the following lactation. Cows need a dry period lasting between 40 and 70 days to allow for restoration of mammary gland cells.
*Photo credit @JoySYEG

Cow Facts 38

#38- The sheath and prepuce are anatomically simple yet vital parts of the mating apparatus of the bull. They are also susceptible to a range of insults, and pathology of these structures is a common cause of infertility.

Cow Facts 39

#39- Cows have a layer of fat and hair that acts like insulation that is no different from your house. When you see them covered in snow, that tells you the heat is not escaping from inside their bodies and that's exactly where you want them to be.

Cow Facts 40

#40- Canadian Western Agribition is the best beef show on the continent and the largest livestock show in Canada. The show is anchored by beef cattle and features horses, bison, sheep, goats, and an extensive agribusiness trade show. #CWA

Cow Facts 41

#41- Cow Urine contains 95% water, 2.5% urea, minerals, 24 types of salts, hormones, and 2.5% enzymes. It also contains iron, calcium, phosphorus, carbonic acid, potash, nitrogen, ammonia, manganese, iron, sulfur, phosphates, potassium, urea, uric acid, amino acids, enzymes, cytokine and lactose.

All these nutrients get put back into the soil to help grow healthy grasses and pastures and feed the micro organisms that reside in the soil. 90% of all life form resides in the soil.

Cow Facts 42

#42-A bull ring is simply a ring, usually made of brass, stainless steel or aluminium that is inserted into the septum. This is usually done by a veterinarian. The bull ring has been used for generations as a safety measure to control an animal.

Cow Facts 43

#43- Cattle judging is assessing & ranking a series of cattle on each animal's individual traits compared to that of the others in class. Ultimately it is based on which animal represents the most desirable traits of each breed and profitability of animal.

Cow Facts 43b

#43- Over 98% of the beef animal is used when it is processed. About 45% of the animal is used for meat and the rest is used for other byproducts including leather, china, glue, film, soap, pharmaceuticals, insulin, gelatins.

Cow Facts 44

#44- Good help is hard to find. There are 39,324 people employed in Beef Cattle Production. For this industry, 37,514 of establishments are non-employers and 9,075 have one or more employees.

*Our Herdsman is fantastic, we are grateful and blessed!

Cow Facts 53

#53- Cow hoof is cloven, or divided, into two approximately equal parts, usually called claws. Approximately 95% of lameness in dairy cattle occurs in the feet. Lameness in cows can reduce milk production and fertility, and cause reproductive problems.

Cow Facts 71

#71-Cows were used for radiation testing of early cell phones. Farmers were paid to have high-powered phones strapped to their cows head 24/7. A single engineer worked full time to chase the cows and change the batteries.

Cow Facts 79

#79- 1/3 of Canada’s agricultural land is covered in grasses and forages (20 million hectares). These lands are unsuitable for crop farming but support grazing cattle while maintaining wildlife, storing approximately 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon.

Cow Facts 80

#80- in Canada, GHG emissions from cattle contribute only 2.4% to Canada’s total GHG emissions. Transportation contributes 28% of the total GHG emissions in Canada. On a global scale, GHG emissions from Canadian beef production accounts for 0.04%.

Cow Facts 96

#96- Cows have around 25,000 taste buds, about 2.5 times more than a human. This is due to the fact that cows are herbivores and must be able to differentiate between the poisonous plants and the safe plants. A cow will move her jaw (chew) 50X a minute.

Cow Facts 145

#145- Cattle produce about 25 billion pounds of meat each year. The combined value of the cattle and beef industry is 0 billion.

Cow Facts 146

#146- The hide from one cow can make 144 baseballs, 20 footballs or 12 basketballs.

Cow Facts 147

#147- The first three weeks of the calf's life they only drink their mother's milk, because their rumen is not yet fully developed. Rumen is one of the 4 stomach chambers in ruminant animals. After eight weeks the calf's rumen should be fully functioning.

Cow Facts 148

#148- There are two classifications; Bos indicus and Bos taurus. Bos taurus includes British and Continental. The British Cattle are the foundation of the USA and Canadian beef herds. Common English breeds include Angus, Red Angus, Shorthorn, and Hereford.

Cow Facts 149

#149-Bos indicus are humped cattle originating from SC Asia. They are adapted to heat, humidity, parasites, and poorly digestible forages. Bos indicus breeds are found in the S USA Common breeds: Brahman, Brangus, Beefmaster, Simbrah, and Santa Gertrudis.

Cow Facts 150

#150- Colostrum contains antibodies vital for the newborn and has twice the calories of regular milk. Calves are born with no protection from diseases, so their antibodies come from their mother's milk. Calves absorb antibodies from the colostrum directly into their bloodstream, pores in their intestinal lining. Within the first hours the intestinal walls begin to thicken and the pores close up. By the time they're six hours old they can only absorb a fraction of what they need

Cow Facts 151

#151- Cattle were first brought to the western hemisphere by Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1493. Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez took offspring of those same cattle to Mexico in 1519. In 1773, Juan Bautista de Anza brought 200 to CA.

Cow Facts 152

#152- The first 3 weeks the calf will only drink their mother's milk. Between 3-8 weeks the calf goes through a transitional period where they start eating some hay and grass along with the milk. At 8 weeks the calf's rumen should be fully functioning.

Cow Facts 153

#153- Cattle are ruminants. Meaning they have one stomach with four separate compartments. Their digestive system allows them to digest plant material by repeatedly regurgitating it and chewing it again as cud allowing them to thrive on grasses/vegetation.

Cow Facts 155

#155- Many ranchers run cow-calf operations. They keep a herd of cows to produce calves. The cows are bred to calve in the spring or fall. Cows, like humans, are pregnant for nine months.

Cow Facts 156

#156- The ideal breeding age for heifers is at least 14-16 months of age, depending on breed. Heifers should be about 65% of their mature weight before breeding.

Cow Facts 157

#157- Some of the products produced from cattle Hide and Hair: insulation, paint brushes, glue for bookmaking and band-aides, clothes, shoes, luggage, saddles, furniture, automobiles, volleyballs, basketballs, and baseball gloves.
Photo @Frances89805199

Cow Facts 158

#158- A 3oz serving of lean beef contributes more than 10% of the daily recommended value of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorous, choline, niacin, B6, iron and riboflavin. Beef is among the top food sources for protein, zinc and vitamin B12.

Cow Facts 159

#159- Cows belong to the family Bovidae (hollow-horned ruminants, which also includes antelope, sheep, and goats). Horns grow from a unique area of skin cells at the base of the horn. At 2 months, horns become attached to the frontal bone of the skull.

Cow Facts 160

#160- in light of the current cold snap.. Cattle do adjust or acclimate to colder weather by growing a longer, thicker coat. This provides additional insulation against cold weather. The coat must be clean and dry to provide maximum protection to the cow.

Cow Facts 161

#161- To keep the herd size approximately the same, ranchers keep replacement heifers. The steers will be sent to the feedlot while the best heifers are retained to produce calves, the remaining heifers will go to the feedlot as well.

Cow Facts 162

#162- International letters are designated for each year of birth. This option is easy to use in conjunction with numbers. The letters I, O, Q and V may not be used as a year letter.
2019G
2020H
2021J
2022K
2023L

Cow Facts 163

#163- Do cattle get cold? They do if they aren’t fed well enough. That’s why it’s important to maximize food delivery during cold weather. Without enough energy, they can’t generate enough body heat and their core temperature drops.

Cow Facts 165

#165- The stress of temperature fluctuations can cause sickness and even death in beef cattle. Some common issues are respiratory diseases, hypothermia, frostbite, loss of body condition and hoof problems.
*we're treating a Heifer calf for a snotty nose.

Cow Facts 166

#166- Stress can cause the suppression of the animal's immunity thus allowing bacterial or viral diseases to overcome the respiratory system. Respiratory infections require medication administration. Micotil (antibiotic), B Vitamins, Vit A and Banamine.

Cow Facts 167

#167- Hypothermia and frostbite are directly related to frigid temperatures. Hypothermia occurs when the animal's body temperature drops well below normal levels, moderate hypothermia can start when their temperature goes below 85° F.

Cow Facts 169

#169- In the colder weather the cattle work to keep their body temperatures stable, they burn even more energy than is normally needed for maintenance. Therefore without additional energy added to their diet, body condition will decline.

Cow Facts 170

#170- Hypothermia & frostbite are related to frigid temperatures. Frostbite most often affects teats, ears and testicles. Providing bedding for your cattle to lie on can help prevent frostbite on udders and testicles which can impact their fertility.

Cow Facts 171

#171- Adequate water is absolutely fundamental for cattle. Eating snow can meet some of your cattle's needs but cows require 14 gallons of water a day. The energy needed to melt snow is six times that of drinking fresh water.

Cow Facts 172

#172- Exercise for your cattle is important to their muscular and skeletal health even in the winter time. You can get your cattle to move around more by varying the feeding locations. Our cattle walk (exercise) to their water source in the winter.

Cow Facts 173

#173-Faecally excreted ivermectin inhibited development of larvae of dung-dwelling Diptera. Decomposition of dung pats from treated cows was delayed significantly, compared with untreated cow's. No adverse effects of treatment were recorded on earthworms.

Cow Facts 174

#174- a continuation of yesterday's fact...Faecally excreted ivermectin inhibited development of larvae of dung-dwelling Diptera. So we only use ivermectin in Winter and use Silence in the Spring so as not to kill the dung beetle larvae. (I didn't know)

Cow Facts 175

#175- Cow magnets are used by cattle farmers to safely collect any metal objects such as nails or barbed wire their animal might ingest. Because the cow magnet produces a field gradient along the length of its shaft, metal objects neatly stick to its sides

Cow Facts 176

#176- 90% of the world's milk supply comes from dairy cows. Other than cows, water buffalo, camels, goats, sheep, horses and even reindeer are milked. Photo credit @JoySYEG

Cow Facts 177

#177- Cows can have best friends too... a study found that over 50% of the cattle spent time and shared space with one specific mate; interestingly, this preference wasn’t based on biological family. It was based on pure friendship. ♥️♥️

Cow Facts 178

#178- Okay, this isn’t ENTIRELY true, but there is some truth to it. Cows can doze off while standing up, but during REM sleep, they lie down just like the rest of us. This is true not just of cows, but of most other large herbivores as well.

Cow Facts 179

#179- What is Raw Dairy? The body temperature of a cow is 102 degrees F, keeping all of the beneficial bacteria/enzymes in tact. As long as a product is not heated above the internal body temperature of the animal it came from, it is considered raw.

Cow Facts 180

#180- Intact landscapes such as wetlands, forests, grasslands are some of nature’s best carbon sinks – meaning they have the ability to store large amounts of C02. These landscapes could be a very effective tool in efforts to reduce carbon footprints.

Cow Facts 181

#181- Ranchers are using innovative management approaches to improve carbon storage, which can further boost the ability of grasslands to store carbon in the future.Unlike forests, grasslands sequester most of their carbon underground.

Cow Facts 182

#182- B12 is synthesized by certain bacteria and archaeon, but not by plants or animals. The synthesized B12 is transferred and accumulates in animal tissues, and even in certain plant tissues via microbial interaction. Meats and milks of are good sources.

Cow Facts 183

#183-Calf losses at calving time are often a result of dystocia (difficult calving) problems. Most of these occur in first calf heifers and can be prevented if the heifers and cows are watched closely and the dystocia problems detected and corrected early.

Cow Facts 184

#184-If the calf is normally presented and the pelvic area is large enough, the majority of animals will give birth without assistance. Recognizing a normal calving is just as important as knowing when it is abnormal. So not give help when it's not needed.

Cow Facts 185

#185- Calving Facts; The first stage of parturition is dilation of the cervix. The normal cervix is tightly closed right up until the cervical plug is completely dissolved. In stage 1, cervical dilation begins some four to 24 hours before the actual birth.

Cow Facts 186

#186-The second stage of parturition is defined as the delivery of the newborn. It begins with the entrance of the membranes and fetus into the pelvic canal and ends with the completed birth of the calf.

Cow Facts 189

#189- Timing; if the heifer is not making significant progress one hour after the water bag or feet appear, examine the heifer to see if you can provide assistance, heifers that were in stage 2 labor much more than one hour definitely needed assistance.

Cow Facts 190

#190- Research shows that calves from prolonged deliveries are weaker and more disease prone, even if born alive. In addition, cows or heifers with prolonged deliveries return to heat later and are less likely to be bred for the next calf crop.

Cow Facts 191

#191- Most ranches develop heifers fully and use calving ease bulls to prevent calving difficulties. However, a few difficult births are going to occur each calving season. Using the concept of evening feeding to get more heifers calving in daylight helps.

Cow Facts 192

#192- Forced Extraction of Calf. It's very important to exert pressure only when the animal strains and relax completely when the patient relaxes. Steady pressure in assistance is wrong, unless the cow has already given up/no assistance is coming from her

Cow Facts 193

#193- Two distinct kinds of prolapse exist. Uterine prolapse requires immediate attention and if treated soon, most animals recover. If they rebreed and become pregnant there is no reason to cull animals suffering uterine prolapse after calving. Vaginal prolapse, however, which occurs before calving is a heritable trait and is likely to reoccur each year during late pregnancy. The condition will eventually result in the loss of cow, calf, or both plus her female offspring would be predisposed to vaginal prolapse.

Cow Facts 194

#194-The porcupine is our 2nd largest rodent after the beaver. They can approach 40 lbs. Each quill has 700-800 tiny one-way barbs at its tip that make the quill much more difficult to pull out than was required when they went in.
Photo: @MarkMytopher

Cow Facts 195

#195- Water intake is important in the nursing calf; it prevents dehydration, promotes rumen development. Suckled milk enters the abomasum via closure of the esophageal groove, allowing highly digestible protein to go straight to tissue growth.

Cow Facts 196

#196- Several methods can be used to estimate the gases emitted from cattle; based on a variety of equipment, lab techniques, tracers, sensors, and mathematical models. Respiration chamber method is the standard method used to measure the emission of CH4.

Cow Facts 197

#197- About one to two per cent of cattle have twins, but the chances of triplets is roughly one in 100,000, according to Saskatoon’s Western College of Veterinarian Medicine.

Photo @frankld79

Cow Facts 198

#198- Sometimes when a cow has twins, she is not able to produce enough milk, or may reject one of the twins. Ranchers will often sell one of the calves if they do not have the time or resources to bottle/bucket feed. My neighbour buys around 40 BBs a year

Cow Facts 199

#199- Plain and simple, scours is diarrhea. The cattle industry has routinely used the term scours to refer to diarrhea in young animals for as long as anyone can remember. Scours causes dehydration and is the leading cause of death in calves under 1 month

Cow Facts 200

#200- Electrolyte solutions, given promptly and consistently, can mean the difference between life and death for young calves suffering from scours. The calf's intestinal tract can absorb the electrolytes; salts and fluids, allowing the animal to rehydrate

Cow Facts 201

#201- Unique among cattle, the Highlander has a double coat of hair. The shaggy, outer coat is made of long hairs, sometimes reaching 13 inches (33 cm).
*Galloway have a double hair coat as well.

Photo Credit: @KMuysson

Cow Facts 202

#202- This extremely hardy breed are considered perfect cattle for the harsh, long Canadian winters. The beef is lean yet well marbled. Because of the Galloway double hair coat, carcasses do not have the extra layer of back fat common to many other breeds.

Cow Facts 203

#203- If a cow stands with its tail to the west, the weather is said to be fair. If a cow grazes with its tail to the east, the weather is likely to turn sour. *Farmer's Almanac - Can Cows Predict the Weather? Let's see what Wiarton Willie has to say...

Cow Facts 204

#204- To collect the highest quality colostrum, producers should aim to milk the cow within 1-2 hours after calving with a maximum delay of 6 hours. You want the calf to nurse within the 1st hour after birth. The first 12 hours are critical for colostrum.

Cow Facts 205

#205- Cows are warm-blooded animals with a core body temperature of 101°F. Belive it or not, they actually prefer colder temperatures.

Cow Facts 206

#206-Since it's tough for cows to blow her nose with a tissue, the cow will curl her long tongue into her nostril to give it a good clean. Cow tongues are perfectly shaped for their noses, they are also quite rough, which helps scrape their nostrils clean.

Cow Facts 207

#207- The largest species of ruminant (cud-chewing hoofed mammal) is the giraffe. The roughly 200 species of ruminants include domestic/wild. Ruminates include cattle, all domesticated/wild bovine, goats, sheep, giraffes, deer, gazelles, and antelope.

Cow Facts 208

#208-Cattle have been invaluable for the transition of human society; nomadic hunter‐gatherers to sedentary farming communities throughout much of Europe, Asia and Africa since the earliest domestication of cattle more than 10,000 years ago.

Cow Facts 209

#209-Beef cattle production, on range or improved pasture, grass/high-quality pasture crops usually supply ample nutrients. Growing cattle can consume sufficient good-quality mixed pasture grasses/legumes for normal growth and maintenance.

Cow Facts 210

#210-Yes, cows need exercise. The ultimate goal in cattle exercise is to keep the cattle normal and healthy. It won't replace herd vaccination or antibiotics for a sick calf, but it can decrease the recovery time.

Photo: @bitter_ball

Cow Facts 211

#211- Cows that are suckled by their calves built the strongest bond compared to those who spent the same amount of time with their calves but weren’t suckled. Oxytocin is known to be increased when a mother feeds her young and it has a rewarding effect.

Cow Facts 212

#212-When exercising cattle;remember flight zones and the point of balance, avoid yelling and prodding, understand cattle’s natural movements in and out of corrals/pastures. Don’t use too much pressure, cattle should move at a comfortable pace.
@frankld79

Cow Facts 213

#213- Feeding livestock seaweed/macroalgae, has been shown to reduce methane production, but with highly variable results. In vitro analysis suggested that the red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis can reduce methane production by 95% when added to feed.

Cow Facts 214

#214- Colostrum is rich in developmental factors, such as epidermal growth factor, as well as immunologic components, such as secretory IgA, lactoferrin, leukocytes. It also contains high amounts of protein, vitamin A, B12, K, and low levels of lactose.

Cow Facts 215

#215- The bonding process of cow and calf is a complex blend of hormonal-induced and learned behaviour, the latter being the reason mature cows are usually quicker to mother their offspring than first-time heifers.

Photo @frankld79

Cow Facts 216

#216- The birth process is triggered by changes in progesterone and estrogen levels, but rising oxytocin levels trigger maternal behaviour. Oxytocin is released in the brain during birth, especially as the cervix dilates.

Cow Facts 217

#217- Calves positioned backward at birth are unlikely to survive without assistance. Often they suffocate because their heads are inside the cow when the umbilical cord pinches off or breaks.

Photo: @KMuysson

Cow Facts 218

#218- Sometimes a new mom won't accepting her calf. Put them together two or three times a day for nursing, until the cow resigns herself to accepting the newcomer. It may take 2 days or 2 weeks to change her mind, but she will eventually accept the calf.

Cow Facts 219

#219- Calves should be fed daily approximately 10% of their body weight (1 quart of milk weighs 2 pounds). For example, a Hereford calf weighing 90 pounds at birth would be fed 4.5 quarts of milk daily or 4.2 litres/day.

Cow Facts 220

#220- In 1911, J.K. Daniels sculpted the Fair's first butter cow. Today, the Iowa State Fair butter cow is a symbol of the fair and attracts countless visitors. Butter sculptures are three-dimensional works of art created with butter, a dairy product.

Cow Facts 221

#221- The udder on a cow is covered in short hair and feels soft to the touch. A cow is 101-102 degrees internally and her udder is the same. Her milk will come out the same temperature when she is milked.

Cow Facts 222

#222- The Canadian National beef cattle herd, including beef cows, replacement heifers, steers, and heifers totaled 6,959,609 head.

Cow Facts 223

#223- Patience is key for easy cattle handling. Stay calm, stay quiet and let cattle think it through for themselves.

Cow Facts 224

#224- There are approximately 10,000 breeders of registered beef cattle of all breeds in Canada.
Canadian purebred producers supply seed stock cattle, genetics and related technologies to commercial breeders within Canada and throughout the world.

Cow Facts 225

#225- There are currently twenty six breeds of Bos taurus beef cattle recognized under the Animal Pedigree Act (APA) administered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Bos taurus are known to produce high-quality, tender beef on a consistent basis.

Cow Facts 226

#226- The base of Canada’s national herd is built upon traditional breeds of British origin, primarily Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, and Galloway. Canada has also developed its own breeds using other breeds in combination, like Hays Converter & Speckle Park.

Cow Facts 227

#227- Who's in charge here anyway?? Herds have influencers and leaders; these are your key stakeholders, you need to figure out who they are and how to work with them and that will help you manage the herd.

Cow Facts 228

#228- A yearling bull should not be expected to breed more than 20 to 25 cows, while a mature bull with large testicles, good semen and good libido can breed 25 to 40 or more cows.

Cow Facts 229

#229- After puberty, a heifer continues to have regular estrous cycles every 21 days (the normal range is every 18-24 days). The estrous cycle in cattle is complex and regulated by several hormones and organs. * I always thought it was 27 days like women.

Cow Facts 230

#230- Not only do cows seem attracted to music, they stick around, listen and seem to be quite absorbed. What type of music do cows like? Apparently, slow songs with less than 100 beats per minute hit the milking sweet spot, the researchers found.

Cow Facts 231

#231- The adult cow has a heart rate of between 48 and 84 beats per minute. This can be assessed by using a stethoscope and listening over the left hand side of the cow's chest behind the cow's elbow.

Cow Facts 232

#232-A cow's respiratory rate may vary with the ambient temperature and if the cow is stressed. Cow's respiratory rate should be between 26 and 50 breaths/minute. When cows are panting and breathing heavily, they may be trying to dissipate their heat load.

Cow Facts 233

#233- Cows enjoy playing with balls, bucking, gambolling, galloping, and play-fighting. They also play with other species, including humans. They are highly social creatures.

Cow Facts 234

#234-Do Cows Bond With Humans? They certainly can, and do. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest this. Cows are often described as capable of forming close relationships with humans. Photo @bitter_ball 😍😍

Cow Facts 235

#235-Early mornings and late nights are consumed washing, feeding, clipping and practicing. All of that work accumulates for ‘5 minutes of fame’ – the brief time when an animal walks into the ring and gets a chance to impress the judge.

Cow Facts 236

#236- Cows often moo when they're stressed out, it may be that they're caught in a fence or they're too hot. It's when something's out of the ordinary that they'll moo,"It's 'I'm hungry, come feed me' or it's 'my baby's not near me', calls for their calf.

Cow Facts 237

#237-Feed consumption can increase up to 30% in winter, quality hay should be provided free-choice. A good rule is to feed an additional 1 lb. of grain/head/day for every 10 degrees the temperature is below -20 degrees to help meet higher energy requirements.

Cow Facts 238

#238- Speckle Park are Canadian! Speckle Park had their beginning in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada – a first for Saskatchewan. Their development took place in Alberta and Saskatchewan along the Yellow Head Highway.

Cow Facts 239

#239- Speckle Park were only the second breed of beef cattle in Canada to be granted distinct breed status. Speckle Park cattle are known for their high-quality carcass, efficient feed conversion and their meat quality.

Cow Facts 239.2

#239.2-The Hays Converter is a breed of cattle native specifically to Alberta, Canada. Named for Harry Hays, the agriculturalist and politician who developed the breed, it was the first pure breed of cattle created in Canada.

Cow Facts 240

#240- Cows can't see the colour red. In truth, cows are dichromatic organisms. Meaning their eyes only perceive variations of two colours, yellow and blue. They have no red-receptors on their retinas, making them colourblind to even the swankiest of capes.

Cow Facts 241

#241- Calves should stand and nurse within 2 hours of birth if everything is normal and weather is not severe. For maximum antibody exposure from the colostrum, calves need to nurse within four hours of birth.

Photo: @frankld79

Cow Facts 242

#242- In bush pastures the grazing cattle keep the undergrowth from getting too thick and being a fire hazard. There are still plenty of trees also a plethora of wildlife.
So to all the farmers and ranchers who keep these places wild, thank you!

Cow Facts 244

#244-Whole cow's milk contains about 87% water. The remaining 13% contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Cows consume 30-50 gallons of water every day to make it. In photo Sarah is a 1st Calf Heifer and just coming into her milk.

Cow Facts 245

#245- At 6.27 million head, the number of cattle on Canadian cow-calf operations as of Jan. 1/23 was down marginally from 6.4 million and 6.5 million the previous two years.

*edit to yesterday's fact, I got gallons and litres mixed up 🙄😬🤭😍 sorry!

Cow Facts 246

#246- Uruguay has the most cattle per capita in the world followed by New Zealand & Argentina. Uruguay has 3.44 head of cattle per capita. Canada has 0.30 head of cattle per person.

Cow Facts 247

#247- Purebred, in relation to an animal of a distinct breed, means an animal that is a purebred of the breed as determined by the by-laws of the association authorized to register animals of that breed.

Cow Facts 248

#248- year-to-date beef imports into Canada of 152,712 tonnes valued at .5 billion were up 5% in volume and up 19% in value year-over-year. Year-to-date import volumes declined from New Zealand (-15%), Uruguay (-29%) and Argentina (-79%).

Cow Facts 249

#249-A controlled calving season is a 60-90-day period in which all calves are born.
A controlled calving period allows improved nutrient, health, and marketing management due to animal similarity throughout the year.
Photo: @epperson_colby

Cow Facts 250

#250- Galloways are a very old Scottish breed and are recognised as the oldest polled (no horns) beef cattle in the world.
*I think I have a line on a White Galloway Embryo to transplant this Spring.

Cow Facts 251

#251- The USDA reported the world cattle inventory in 2021 at 1.0 billion head, up 13.2 million head from the prior year. It the largest world inventory since 2004.

Cow Facts 252

#252- Angus is one of the most recognized cattle breeds, characterized by their black hides. They are popular with farmers and ranchers because they are good mothers and are very good at converting their feed into high-quality meat.

Cow Facts 253

#253-An average human body methane emission of about 0.35 litre per day released through the breath and flatus, 127.75 litres annually. Notably, not all human subjects produce the same amount of methane. 1 litre contains 0.592 Kgs.
Cows emit 220lbs/annually.

Cow Facts 254

#254- yesterday's hot topic is a continuation or clarification of yesterday's.
Ima farmerette not a chemist or mathematician or a ghg scientist. So spare the rude comments and help get the correct information out there. Cheers!
0.3 litres x 0.592 kg/ltr x 2.254 lb/kg = 0.4lb methane ea/day

0.4 x 365 x 7B = 511 MILLION TONS for people

220 lb/yr x 1B cows = 110 million tons

Ratio 4.64:1
8 Billion (2022)
World population has reached 8 billion people on November 15, 2022 according to the United Nations.

Cow Facts 255

#255- Cattle use several different methods to protect themselves, including flight, kicks, stomps, head butts, and squeezes. A spooked animal (even a small calf) can run into or over a person and cause severe injury. Mature cattle and calves have a powerful kick.

Cow Facts 256

#256- Donkeys can live with a variety of livestock, including cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, alpacas, and more. Donkeys can actually make good livestock guardians, as they will defend their territory against coyotes and other predators.

Cow Facts 257

#257- This type of social grooming is called allogrooming & is common in lots of species, including chimpanzees and domestic cats! Similar to how a cat might lick your arm or hand, a cow will try to “groom” you with their tongue if they consider you part of their herd. So if they lick a cat, they like it.

Cow Facts 259

#259-A cattle guard, Texas gate, or cattle grid is simply an assembly of pipes laid out horizontally over a hole in the ground to discourage livestock from crossing over to the other side.

Cow Facts 260

#260- When at a Bull Sale (Auction) it is best to keep an eye on your partner bidding or you won't know what he is bidding on until the gavel hits the podium and the auctioneer says his name. The breeder is keeping half interest in this bull and he will be drawn for semen in the next month before he shows up on the farm for breeding natural.

Cow Facts 261

#261- Cows' natural diet consists mainly of grasses, legumes, alfalfa, clover, and hay. They are grazing animals, after all. The average cow eats 2% of their body weight a day, which averages out to 24-26 pounds of food each day.

Cow Facts 262

#262- Vaccination of cattle is a hot topic it seems. This is the protocol we use on our calves. In day 1-2 we give the new born calf a shot of Vitamin A&D3 plus Selenium. At day 7 we give a BRV modified live virus vaccine (nasal) and a bolus for coccidiosis.

Cow Facts 263

#263- If a cow spends enough positive time with a human, they might start to see them as part of the cow's “herd.” They'll show affection back to humans by licking them, following them around, or even cuddling with them.

Cow Facts 264

#264-While apples are safe to feed to cows in moderation, they should be regulated. Too many apples can cause bloating and acidosis, which is potentially lethal. Apples have an energy value similar to corn silage, but with less crude protein.

Cow Facts 265

#265-The livestock guardians who are most likely to attach to a cow as a pack member will be Anatolian Shepherd, Komondor, Maremma and Tibetan Mastiff. This is not to assume that your herding farm dog will not attach to your cows, especially when raised together.

Cow Facts 266

#266- meet WLC Mira 11W E.T. and her new heifer calf. Mira is 15 years old and this is her 13th calf. The original Mira 62K lived to be 18 and had calves until she was 16 years if age. The most registrations out of a single Hereford Cow come from WLC Haroldson's Mira 62K.

Cow Facts 267

#267- Straw is the best choice of bedding to provide thermal insulation for the young calf. Straw tends to hold moisture, so it is important to add fresh bedding regularly. Moisture exceeding 20 percent is too high.
We use oat, pea, flax and canary straw for bedding.

Cow Facts 268

#268- A 'sacred cow' in the church is a tradition that has been exalted to a position of normalcy without Biblical warrant. Sacred cows are often hard to get rid of because they are accepted and considered respectable in Christianity. They are virtually immune from criticism.

Cow Facts 269

#269- Rumensin is a cost-effective feed additive that improves feed efficiency by 4%, by providing more energy from the ration through increased glucose supply. Feeding Rumensin also reduces dry matter intake and improves average daily gain. Additionally, the inclusion of Rumensin in the diet have been shown to decrease the incidence of bloat.

Cow Facts 270

#270- What is Embryo Transfer? Embryo Transfer is basically, multiple injections of hormone to stimulate and multiply the ovulations in the cow that you want to get the embryos from. 75%–90% will respond to the superovulation. This is one of our ET calves.

Cow Facts 271

#271- Higher quality embryos are associated with a 79% live birth rate with good quality at 64%. Poor quality embryos, however, are associated with a low birth rate of 28%. *We put in 2 embryos that were from 30+ years ago and had 2 successful births.

Cow Facts 272

#272- We use tags to identify the calf and their sire and dam. The calves are numbered in order of birth and the letters after these numbers will identify the year the animal was born. 2023 is the letter L.

Cow Facts 273

#273-Twins in cattle, it is a rare condition (3 to 5%) and depends on the genetic background and environmental factors. Certain breeds, such as Simmental, Charolais, and Holstein, and also large heifers are more likely to produce twins.

Cow Facts 274

#274- Including peas into your cereal greenfeed has many advantages, including improvements in yield, crude protein and dry matter.
*We grow peas and oats together to be baled as greenfeed.

Cow Facts 275

#275- If natural windbreaks (trees) are available, take advantage of them for feeding sites. If no natural windbreaks exist, producers will need to take steps to make permanent or portable windbreaks to protect cattle from the wind.

Cow Facts 276

#276-Normally, beef calves are weaned at 6/7months of age. Several studies have indicated that calves weaned as early as 2 months can perform well in terms of gain/overall performance when fed well-balanced diets meeting the animals' needs.
📸 @frankld79