WOW THE COW
Did you know cows have 32 teeth just like you? But unlike us, they don't have front teeth in the top of their mouths. Can you imagine how you would bite something without your front teeth? So for cows to eat grass, their tongue is a very important part of their mouths.
A cow's tongue is very long and strong and feels scratchy like the tongue of a cat. Cows use their tongue to wrap around the grass and tear it from the ground. Their tongues are so long that they use it to clean the inside of their noses. Ewwww!
Once the grass is in the cow's mouth, the lengthy process of digestion begins. Cows are fast eaters. They eat lots of grass in a very short time, but unlike us, they chew their food more than once. The first time they swallow their food it gets into the first of the cow's four stomachs. After the cows fill their first stomach, it's time to chew their food again. They regurgitate the food from the rumen (first stomach) and chew it again. This is called "chewing the cud". Once the grass is thoroughly chewed, it moves to the other stomachs called omasum, abomasums and reticulum. Try saying that ten times fast!
Cows can live 18 to 20 years. Don't fret if you wore red today. Cows don't charge red capes because they are red/green color blind. It's the swift, rapid movement of the cape that bulls charge. They charge because they are "protective" animals. Our cows are gentle.
A cow can weigh up to 1500 pounds. That's like 10 of your parents standing on a scale all at one time. Watch your toes, that is a lot of weight. On a hot day a cow can drink a bathtub full of water. That's up to 50 gallons of water a day!
Cows love salt. We feed our cattle a mineral mix which has salt in it. The mineral is what is in the white barrels you see hanging from tree limbs on our farm.
There are more than 250 breeds of beef cattle. Here on our RiverView Family Farm, we raise Black Angus cattle. Cattle are raised all over the world with the United States being fourth in cattle population size. American is one of the largest beef producers and it's happening right here in your hometown on this farm.
BEEF IT UP
Beef provides ZIP -- -- We all need Z I P
Beef has Zinc, Iron and Protein
These are body-building nutrients in some of your favorite foods, like hamburgers, tacos and steak. These nutrients help your body in many ways.
Zinc helps your body fight off colds. Zinc helps heal your injuries, build muscle, strengthens your body to fight infections and help you think, remember and pay attention. It is also important to your sense of smell and taste.
Iron is key to brain development. Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Iron from beef is much more easily absorbed than iron from vegetable sources. If someone is iron deficient, they might feel tired, score lower on problem solving tests or run out of energy sooner on the ball playing field.
Protein helps build muscle. Protein is a source of energy for your body. Proteins build and repair your body's muscles, bone, blood and organs. The protein in beef is a "complete protein" which means it has all the essential amino acids (building blocks) the body needs to build and repair tissue.
Beef is also a great source of many important B-vitamins, which help unleash the energy in food. B vitamins are important in metabolic activity – this means that they help make energy and set it free when your body needs it. Vitamin B 12 is needed for normal functioning of the nervous system. It is only found naturally in food from animals. Vitamin B6 is important for a healthy nervous system. It helps the body fight infection and builds protein needed for growth. Beef is also a good source of niacin and riboflavin.