Farm Animal Info

Sheep have 8 glands that produce Lanolin. That Lanolin gets absorbed by the wool. Lanolin, after shearing, is extracted from the wool and used in many cosmetics such as hand lotions.

A horses' teeth are constantly changing throughout it's lifetime. horses live approximately 25 years, but there are some that live into their 30's and in rare cases, even 40's. As they grow older their teeth grow longer, and that's where the phrase "Long in the tooth" comes from.

The Holstein breed produces the most milk of all the breeds. An average cow weighs about 1500 lbs. and milked twice a day, produces about 10 gallons of milk.

Chewing a cud is what all ruminants must do in order to eat properly. A ruminant is any animal with multiple stomach chambers and no upper teeth in the front. Because they cannot chew well they ingest their food almost entirely whole the first time. The first chamber of the stomach retains the food for a time, then forms a 'mass' called a cud, and then burps the cud back into the mouth of the animal to be re-chewed. Per day, a cow spends 6 hours eating and 8 hours chewing cud. Animals that are ruminants include: cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, reindeer, and bison.

Hay is a mixture of different plants, including grasses, alfalfa, clover and timothy. Hay is used as a food source for animals. Hay is harvested as often as weather in that state permits it to grow. Northern climates, such as Michigan, have short growing seasons, so hay may only be cut for 4 months. Hay is dried for several days after cutting, raked into piles and then baled. It is essential for the days following cutting to be dry. Any moisture left in the plant creates mold that is bad for the animals (and makes humans sneeze) so if it rains during the process the hay is ruined. That is where the phrase "Make hay while the sun shines" originates.

Straw is a by-product of oats and wheat. Straw is used for bedding. After the grain is harvested away, the plant it grows on is left to dry. After a few days of drying, the straw is then baled up. Because the grain is gone, little nutrition is left for the animals

Pigs roll in the mud because they do not have sweat glands and the mud helps keep their bodies cool in warm weather. Mud will also keep the flies and other biting insects away.

Pigs are the fastest growing animal on the farm. They grow 2-3 lbs. a day up to 1000 lbs. Market weight, however, is 250-300 lbs. so unless a pig is used for breeding they rarely get that big.

Chickens:

In their natural environment, chickens are very active birds. They like to scratch at the ground, walk, run, fly, explore and search for food. Chickens like to keep themselves well groomed by taking "dust baths." When chickens "dustbathe" they flutter sand or other fine materials through their feathers to keep them fluffy and clean. Hens are very devoted mothers and courageous defenders of their young. There was once a mother hen who would "baby-sit" a group of kittens. The hen was very protective of the kittens and even when they were old enough to run and play, the hen still followed them around, fussing at them as if they were her chicks

Cows:

Did you know that all cows are cattle, but not all cattle are cows? A cow is an adult female who has had a calf and produces milk for that baby. They are known to be very gentle and patient. Adult male cattle are called bulls. Like people, it takes cows nine months to have a baby. Cows and their calves are very close, and they stay close even after the calf has grown up. Cows make great baby-sitters, too. If several calves are born in a herd of cattle, the cows will share baby-sitting duties. One or two cows stay to watch over the newborns while the rest go for food or water.

Pigs:

Pigs are one of the most intelligent animals on earth. In fact, pigs are considered to be even smarter than dogs. They are also very friendly and enjoy being scratched and stroked behind their ears and shoulders. By 2 to 3 weeks of age, they learn to respond when they are called. Pigs are very curious, and they immediately investigate any new objects they see. They love to play with balls, old tires, and other toys. When pigs sleep, they like to cuddle close together and groom each other. Wild pigs can also run fast and swim. Many people think that pigs are messy because they like to wallow in mud. However, the truth is that pigs are very clean animals. They keep the area where they live clean, and they teach their piglets to keep clean too. Because pigs don't sweat like people do, they use mud to cool themselves and to protect their skin (which is a lot like ours) from sun and insects.