PETS

from Hong Kong Living February 2021

HOROSCOPES

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Dr Pauline Taylor shares her knowledge on the animal of the year

As we enter the Year of The Ox, I thought I would share some interesting facts about them.

I worked with ox and cattle for many years back in Scotland. As a kid growing up cows were always around me. I would see those big lumbering beasts from my bedroom window grazing in all kinds of weather with their big, beautiful eyes watching each other and anything else that came near. I used to round up the lactating cows and bring them into the milking parlour or feed hay to the herd during winter when grass was short.

Cattle Is the word for certain mammals that belong to the genus Bos. This includes ox, yaks, buffalo, steers, bulls, cows, heifers, calves. Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated hoofed animals and live in a herd which usually comprises of one adult male, a bull and his harem of cows which vary in numbers. Domestic cattle are descendants of wild oxen known as aurochs who lived in SE Turkey around 10,500 years ago. It is estimated that 1.4 billion cattle exist

Fun facts

Lifespan: 18-22 years Gestation period: 283 days Scientific name: Bos taurus Speed: 40 km/h (Maximum) Daily sleep: 4 hours Mass: Male: 1,100 kg (Adult, Bull), Female: 720 kg (Adult, Cow)

Dr Pauline, Pets Central veterinarian

today. Cows love to be petted, stroked and scratched behind the ears. They are very loving and welcome interactions with kind people. Studies show that by naming a cow she will produce more milk.

A cow has 32 teeth and will chew about 50 times in a minute, making their jaws move about 40,000 times a day. The main stomach of a cow, the rumen, holds up to 50 gallons of food that has been partially digested. Referred to as cud, a cow will chew cud and belch methane gas which is produced at this time for up to eight hours a day. They spend 10-12 hours per day lying down and of that sleep about 4 hours.

Cattle have almost 300 degrees of vision, with blind spots only right in front of and behind them. They are unable to see the colour red; red flags used by matadors only catch a bull’s attention because of the movement.

May I wish everyone a very happy, prosperous, peaceful and healthy Year of The Ox.

Cow trivia

• Cows have favourite friends and become stressed when they are separated. • Cows are good swimmers. • There are about 350 udder squirts in a gallon of milk. • Cows have an excellent sense of smell and can detect odours up to six miles away. • Hindu nations believe that cows are holy and there are strict laws to protect them. • USA President William Howard Taft kept a pet purebred Holstein cow “Miss Wayne” on the lawn of the Whitehouse to supplement his family’s fresh milk supply.