Animal: Cow

Cow

 I have decided to show you a little more about the animal among the other 11 animal zodiacs. It is...you guessed it...the cow! (Mooo!)

Cows are cattle, even though they are commonly referred to as cows. Cattle are domesticated ungulates, which are hoofed creatures, mostly mammals. Cattle is a very useful animal, not only can they plough carts and stuff, but their skin can be made into leather for clothes, they can produce milk, and don't forget, their meet and be made into BEEF! No offence Buddhists and Indians......

Cattle in India are honored in religious ceremonies and according to Vedic scripture they are to be treated with the same respect 'as one's mother' because of the milk they provide. Many Hindus also feel that at least it was economically wise to keep cattle for their milk rather than consume their flesh for one single meal.

And here is some interesting facts about our good friend, the cow!

The male counterpart of a cow is called bull and the offspring is known as a calf. (Wow! Who doesn’t know that?) A cow can climb up the stairs, but cannot climb down, this is because her knees cannot bend properly.

A cow gives milk for the first time, only after she gives birth to a calf. A cow produces around 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime. (Holy Cow!)

A cow stands up and sits down about 14 times a day. A cow that weighs 1000 pound can produce an average 10 tons of manure (fertilizers) every year. A cow usually spends 6-7 hours in day eating cud and around 8 hours on chewing it. Almost all the cows chew at least 50 times per minute. An average cow has more than 40,000 jaw movements in a day. Cows do not bite grass; rather they curl their tongue around it.

An average cow produces 30 lbs of urine and 65 lbs pounds of feces daily. (More than I produce in a week!) Cows can drink up to 35 gallons of water a day.

Cows have a single stomach, but four digestive compartments. Cows have almost total 360-degree panoramic vision. Cows have an acute sense of smell and can smell something up to 6 miles away. Cows produce around 90 percent of the milk in the world. Dairy cows can produce up to 125 lbs of saliva a day.

And since the Lunar New Year is nearing, I feel like enlightening people a bit more about this amazing animal zodiac : the cow. (Or as the Chinese call it, the Ox.) The Ox of Chinese Astrology is no bull in a china shop. Steadfast and solid, this powerful Sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. Oxen tend to be plodding and methodical; they approach projects in the step-by-step manner that serves them best, and they never lose sight of their goal. They are tireless workers who are detail-oriented and believe in doing things right the first time.

That's it for today guys, and remember when you are taking a bite off your medium rare steak, you are taking a chunk of a "mother" to some!