10 facts about dairy cattle


Interesting and surprising facts about cows

  • Cows have almost 360-degree sight and can see all colours except for red.
  • The natural life expectancy of a cow is twenty years. Some get up to 25 years old. The approximate age of a cow can be determined by looking at its teeth as well as the number of rings in its horns. In the dairy industry, cows reach an average age of only five years.
  • Cows like to take a break. That's why they lie down between five and ten times a day and spend up to twelve hours resting.
  • Cows have a strong sense of smell. They can perceive smells at a distance of up to ten kilometres.
  • Compared to the hearing of humans, the hearing ability of cows and cattle is better in the deep and high frequency ranges.
  • A cow eats an average 50 to 100 kilogrammes of grass and spends around eight to twelve hours per day grazing.
  • Cows are very social animals. They can recognise at least 50 to 70 members of their species and form close friendships with other animals in their herd. Licking each other reinforces relationships between the animals and has a relaxing effect.
  • Cows drink a whole bathtub of water in just one day.
  • Pregnancy lasts nine months, just like with human beings. Cows only give milk when they have a calf.
  • Cows 'moo' and use various postures – such as the position of the head, limbs and tail, as well as facial expressions – in order to communicate.