Farm Animals Awareness Week starts September 13th! There is a rising number of people who are getting out of the cities, moving to rural areas, and starting homesteads. We’re happy to see more and more small farms popping up, as this lifestyle typically offers animals a much, much better quality of life than factory farms. Of course, caring for any type of livestock isn’t just a lot of work: it also means a lot of research. Farm animals are actually quite fascinating! A Wichita, KS vet lists some fun facts about some of the most popular ones below.

Goats

Goats have rectangular pupils, are great swimmers, and can sometimes climb trees. They’re also very clean! And, while they have a reputation for eating just about anything, they’ll refuse anything that is contaminated or that’s been lying around on the floor or ground.

Cows

Cows are smart, sociable creatures that form very close bonds with their herd buddies. Herds actually often break off into little cliques of close friends. However, if a cow decides they don’t like a person or another cow, they will probably never change their mind. They can also learn their names, and actually produce both more milk and better quality milk when they’re happy. And, they lie down when there’s a storm on the way!

Chickens

Did you know that chickens can make over 200 sounds? They are also quite smart, and can recognize up to 100 different faces. They also dream, and can see colors very well. Another interesting fact about chickens? They’re very closely related to dinosaurs!

Pigs

Pigs are also extremely intelligent: they’re actually the fourth-smartest animal, behind chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants, respectively. That means they’re even smarter than dogs! Though pigs can’t see well, they have an excellent sense of smell, and love to snuggle with their buddies. Mama pigs even sing to their piglets.

Sheep

Sheep make bleating noises to communicate. They all sound unique. In fact, lambs can find their mamas by their vocalizations. They also have amazing peripheral vision, and can see almost 360 degrees. Sheep are well-known for their wool. Those fuzzy coats never stop growing. These guys also make great lawnmowers. They were often used to keep grass trimmed before mechanical lawnmowers were invented.

Do you have questions about farm animals, or their care? Contact us, your local Wichita, KS animal clinic, today!