World Farm Animals Day 2018 - Jesse Granger: Bushranger

Today is World Farm Animals Day!

Farms are home to some very unique animals. From chickens to goats, these animals are a very important part of our lives. They provide people with food and livelihoods. They can also be used for labor on farms. Some kids growing up even raise these animals and take them to shows where they can win money and scholarships for college!

CHICKENS

Contrary to popular belief, chickens can fly. At least a little bit. They’re built too awkwardly to soar high in the sky but they can at least clear a fence or get to the lowest branch of a small tree.
Chickens on farms are fed seeds and grain but have been known to go after small prey such as lizards and mice.
Mother hens don’t feed their baby chicks through regurgitation or even by dropping food into their mouths like a lot of birds do. They lead their chicks to food and water and let them figure the rest out for themselves.

PIGS

Pigs are highly intelligent and social animals. They can communicate with each other through over twenty different squeals and vocalizations. Scientists also say that they like to snuggle and sleep nose-to-nose.
Pigs can recognize their own names when they’re around two weeks old.
The phrase sweating like a pig is actually false. Pigs roll around in mud and water because they don’t have any sweat glands so they can’t sweat like you and I do.

GOATS

Goats are known as animals who love to chew on anything and everything but did you know that goats don’t have teeth on their upper jaw? And they may chew on everything, but that’s just to see whether or not they want to eat it. Goats are very picky eaters!
I know I’m stating the obvious here but goat eyes are kind of creepy. The reason for this is that they have rectangular pupils that give them an almost 360 degree peripheral vision. This helps detect predators from all angles.
Goats are like cats in that they’re incredibly curious. They’ll follow you around and watch you work until they figure out what exactly it is that you’re doing. They might also headbutt you while you’re doing it.

COWS

You’ve probably seen bullfighting scenes where a matador is fighting off a bull with nothing but a red cape. This has led people to believe that the color red angers bulls. In reality, bulls/cows are red-green colorblind meaning they can’t see the color red. They’re actually attracted to the waving of the cape.
Cows spend about 10 to 12 hours a day laying down. That may seem lazy but they’ve got to conserve energy to keep their big bodies moving.
Most cows are like big dogs. They love companionship and a good petting! Some people even build machines specifically used for cows to rub on like they’re being petted.

HORSES

It is nearly impossible for a horse to throw up! They’re just not built for it. It’s thought that at one point during their evolution process, keeping food in was more important than getting toxins out. They’re very picky about what they eat so they probably didn’t have much reason to need to throw up. They also can’t burp or breathe through their mouths like we can.
Horses aren’t measured in inches or centimeters but in a measurement called hands. 1 hand = 4 inches. The world’s biggest horse was about 20 hands tall!
Horses are believed to have been really small millions of years ago. They’re said to have been more like a goat or a deer than the massive breeds roaming around today!

I hope you enjoyed learning about farm animals. Each of them is interesting and unique in its own way just like us.

Stay wild!