A Day In The Life Of A New Zealand Cow Is Studied

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 19, 7 August 1950, Page 7

A Day In The Life Of A New Zealand Cow Is Studied

Department of Agriculture research experts have been studying the private lives of dairy stock which are twins. They have ascertained how long in the course of a day the cows graze, loaf, lie down, drink and do other odd things associated with the daily round. The facts have been presented to Parliament in the annual report of the Department of Agriculture. No similar reports on human behaviour have yet been tabled. The experts studied the grazingbehaviour of identical cow twins. They found that in 24 hours they spend 411 minutes grazing, 195 minutes loafing, 580 minutes lying down, walked 3038 yards and had only four drinks. The number of grazing bites in that time was 24,000 and the rate of grazing bites a minute 50. A total of 325 minutes was spent in rumination and during that time, the animals took 17,000 bites.

The department’s experts are also investigating the possibility of develaping a market in England for queen bees. Its report records also that it appears that bees emit supersonic vibrations and apparatus is being constructed with a view to discovering' if the bees use them as a means of communication.