Fun Facts

  • How Many Kinds of Cows Do You Think There Are?

    There are seven different types of dairy cows. The most common dairy cow breeds are Holsteins and Jerseys. You will also find Red Holsteins, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn.

  • Did you know that cows don't sweat?

    We sweat to keep our bodies cool; but since cows don't sweat, they prefer to live in the shade and keep cool. Cows drink lots of water and are surrounded by fans in the warmer times of the year.

  • Did you know you can get milk from lots of different animals?

    Dogs, cats, pigs and even humans make milk for their babies. All animals that give milk to their young are called mammals. Cows are mammals.

  • Do you think a male cow can give milk?

    No... he can't. Only the mother, a female, can give milk. Like all mammals, a cow produces milk to feed its baby.
    A cow can give milk only after it has a baby calf.

  • Do you have any questions about Cows?

    When you come to Kids and Kows you can have all these questions answered.

  • How Do Cows Make Milk?

    What a cow eats affects how much milk she makes and how it tastes. A cow that eats only grass can give about 50 glasses of milk a day. A cow that eats grass, corn, hay and mixed feeds can produce about 100 glasses of milk a day. Cows eat about 90 pounds of nutritious food a day. Cows drink 25 to 50 gallons of water a day. That is nearly a bathtub full!

    If you milked cows by hand, one person could milk about eight cows an hour. A dairy could milk about 60 cows an hour with one man and 14 machines.

    One cow will produce about 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime. The cows need to drink lots of water so they can make milk.

  • Did you know that the milk that the cow gives has two parts to it?

    It has nonfat milk and cream.

    The creamiest part of the milk comes out of the cow during the last part of the milking. If you let the milk sit for a while, it will separate. The cream, because it is lighter, will float to the top.

    Did you know butter is made from cream?

  • What Else Comes From Milk?

    In addition to butter and cream, popular food products like cheese, ice cream, yogurt, whipped cream and cottage cheese are all made from milk. Cow's milk is just the starting point for many delicious food and drink products.

    Milk contains 13 nutrients your body needs to grow and stay healthy. These include Niacin (for a healthy metabolism), Protein (which builds and repairs muscle tissue and increases energy), Calcium (which builds strong bones and teeth), Riboflavin(which increases energy for exercising), Vitamin A (for healthy eyes and skin), Vitamin D (for strong bones), Vitamin B12 (which builds red blood cells to strengthen lungs and muscles), Phosphorus (which increases energy and builds strong bones) and Potassium (for muscles and healthy blood pressure.)