Yesterday, driving to work, there was a herd of Herefords on the left side of the road, all gathered at the fence, staring at a herd of Angus's on the other side of the road...yep, they were staring back. Looked like a regular cow convention- wish I had a camera handy. Funny stuff. I still love my commute.

 

I have raised both cattle, and sheep, and gotta say neither one is overly bright sometimes. you talk about sheep doing the same stupid thing time again, well Ihad a blue heeler that was not allowed to chase or bite the cows unless to protect herself or if we were moving them so she would sit with her chin on the gate, and wait for the cows to come up, and sniff at her (and never even move an eyeball while waiting) when one would get close she would then snap at hte nose, the cow would run off, and 5min later come back, and do it again.

 

Cows seem to be the opposite of humans; when a cow (calf) gets older the seem to get dumber .

 

I know I dont dare bring a note of seriousness to a thread like this but Im gonna do it anyway, because well you all know me

When in line at a slaughtering facility, they panic and urinate and defecate all over the animal in line behind them, based on what Ive read its because scientists believe they can percieve what is about to happen to them, whether it be olfactory, or they hear something that connects for them.....

Im not kidding either, wish I could remember where I read that and dig it up.....

the things we remember...now where the heck are my car keys.........

 

A good friend of mine used to work at a slaughter house back in the fifties, He said the first cow of the day would walk right into the kill pen.....the ones in line next always put up a little fight after seeing what was about to happen.

 

I'm not sure if they get "bored per say" I mean , I'm not qualified to give a ans. to that one.

I'm a city slicker and never knew that "cows don't give milk" unless they have a calf! I always wondered why a BULL was present amoung milk cows.
(man what a lucky one)

But I can say, they can predict weather in advance, (maybe this keeps them from getting BORED!)

cobrah

 

yeah, animals are generally not really very bright. especially a big dumb cow. I don't see them even having emotions, so being 'bored' isn't even a remote possibility. Thier DNA tells them to be big and fat, and happy when they are in a field, safe and fed.

Ryan

 

Ryan,

Well ... I have given some thought to "cows being bored" and have concluded that maybe, just maybe, they can be.

You mentioned emotions, well if they had no emotions there would be no cows, right?

They respond to "hunger pangs"...they show "anger" when provolked...they are "protective" of there young...they "scratch" when they itch... I don't know how, but they can sleep standing up... and the list goes on...

Boredom is characterized by actions, example; yawning..needless motion (pacing)..
figidy..

The reverse of "boredom" is "contentment" and I'll tell ya this, a cow looks content to me don't you agree? So why not boredom?

I know if I were a cow I would be bored to death, unless of course I were a BULL... what a lucky stiff!

 

I really wasn't expecting this thread to get this deep.....Philosophy of the bovine mind. Cows are from Venus, Bulls are from Mars. Damn....

 

hmmm time to lighten it up some then. Old joke but still funny kinda
2 bulls standing on a hill looking down at a group of cows the young bull is jumping up,and down saying let's run down there, and breed some of those cows.
The old bull says I have a better idea, lets walk down there, and breed them all.

 

i find the whole conversation amusing.. but i feel i must put my 2cents in. have been around beef cows for all of my 31 years, i have come to the conclusion that they are not "dumb" animals.. i think they are just driven by different reasons that most other animals.. i have cows that will pick thru the best barbed wire fence for no apparent reason.. other than it gets me out there.. they know if they pick thru it, i will come out with a sack of feed to get them to come back into the pasture.. then they can eat while i am fixing the fence back. they respond to how you treat them and talk to them as well.. around my place, we dont yell at them. i always talk real gentle to them when i am out in the field. the result of this is that when we have to pen them for ear tags or to be moved, they come right to me. they go where i want them to go.. we dont have to fight with them to move them around or any of that.. i can snap my fingers at them and get the reaction i want.
i have 3 of 70 they want nothing to do with me..they will run at me if they get the chance.. and i have 5 cows, 1 yearling, and 8 calves that will come to me when called by name..

bored? no.. content? if they can help it they are...

 

They have enough between their ears to realise you are helping them, in other words....

Interesting - some people think dogs are "Dumb Animals".
Some think Cats are a superior species....

If I had a herd of living things, I suppose I would use some sort of a common draw to get them to all come to the same place (An internet message Board, for example). I would need to have some idea of what the herd was primarily interested in of course - BAIT for the draw....

With that - I could draw this imaginary "HERD" to some sort of a slaughterhouse, or harvesting facility - and that done: Reap the benefits.

Ladies and gentlemen (and the rest of you!) I have just described the entire nature of "COMMERCE", regardless if it is internet based or not... Your utility commission assuredly considers you its "herd", for example.

"Late on your bill, are you? But you are making it up... Okay. Can you say "MOO" please? Thank you... Move along. NEXT PLEASE!"

Power, and water. Gas, those things. CABLE - and satellite TV. You can't live without it, in the modern age. It has been presented to you as a necessity.

"MOO..."

You are a COW....

CASH cow perhaps, but in any case - Can you say: "MOO"?
I assure you - that each and every one of us is being "harvested" in some way - constantly. That is how money is made.



~Wolf sendz

PS: I read BOOKS. I quit watching TV in about 1977

 

If they were really bored wouldn't they just get on the internet and talk to the rest of us bored individuals?

 

BINGO!

You got that right...
(He says, drily...)

 

ranger74 If they were really bored wouldn't they just get on the internet and talk to the rest of us bored individuals?