A conversation in the car today with my mom, cousin, aunt and uncle discussing what new animal my mom should aquire (my vote went for 1. mini donkey 2. cow 3. baby lamb)... Aunt Kathy: You know my neighbors have these really great cows called _____ (I forgot what she said, but I swear this picture is what she described) and they are no work at all. They eat the grass, they are friendly, they claim they are the easiest pet they've ever had!
Me: Are they females?
Aunt Kathy: No, they are boys.
Me: Are they raising them for beef?
Aunt Kathy: Nope, just as pets! You know what I just found out that is so funny, but it almost makes me think they aren't quite as cool, is the fact that their names are Mary Kate and Ashley! Haha!
Me: I thought you said they were boys?
Aunt Kathy: No, they are girls.
(Overall feeing in the car): Dumbfounded.
After a little disputing of who-said-what and how cow's cannot be both male and female (ok, I'm not 100% on that, but that's beside the point) I started to slowly understand my aunts confusion. We were able to figure out that her neighbors have female cows (Mary Kate & Ashley) but because they don't produce milk and one of them gets horns, it was easy to see why she would have assumed they were males, with gender-bender names. The way female cows produce milk is by being bred and having calves, just like every other female animal (as my mom pointed out). To which, my cousin without thinking responded "But I don't have udders!"... an awkward moment passed for her to realize that she most certainly does (size doesn't matter! ha!), and then we moved right along discussing the cows. So the reality is that these female cows (which, by definition, a "cow" is a female) can definitely have horns. All cows can, I think. Some have just evolved to no longer need them (according to wikipedia). I did not know that, I always assumed that if a cow had horns and lacked milk, it was a male (aka: a "bull"). For a girl with horses, I'm a little embarrassed I didn't already have this knowledge. Now I do and now I feel a little bad for laughing at my Aunt when she was confused about her neighboring cows!
Side note #1: Cows have the same gestation period as women: 9 months
Side note #2: Two of my co-workers were late to work yesterday because a truck carrying cattle tipped over on 131 and the cows escaped and they had to close down a 7 mile stretch of the high-way to try to corral these cows. The last time I heard (pun not intended) they had only found 3. Give it up for Grand Rapids, Michigan!! Click for to part of the story from mlive.
- Lizzie