As a builder of agricultural pole barns, we at Milmar know a thing or two about animals. But we had no idea about some of these crazy facts about common barn creatures. Here is Part I of our Did You know? Animals Series!
Horses
- Have the largest eyes of any land animal.
- Are able to run within hours after being born.
- You can tell the gender of a horse based on the number of teeth it has. Females have 36 teeth and males have 40.
- Old Billy was a horse in the 1800s that lived 62 years.
- The fastest speed recorded from a horse was 55 mph.
- The US horse industry nears $40 billion annually from only 9 million American horses.
- Are unable to vomit and produce 10 gallons of saliva per day.
- If you see a horse with a red ribbon on its tail – look out. That is a signifier that the horse kicks.
Cows
- An average domestic cow only sleeps four hours per day and spend 10-12 hours lying down.
- Were brought to North America on the second voyage of Christopher Columbus.
- Drink one full bathtub of water on an average day. A milking consumes over 100 pounds of feed per day.
- One gallon of milk equals 350 udder squirts.
- Walking up a flight of stairs is easy for cows, but getting down is impossible – their knees are unable to bend that direction.
Pigs
- Are able to recognize their mother’s voices and their own names within the first two weeks of their lives.
- Adult pigs bunk the reputation of being fat, lethargic animals. Reaching top speeds of 11 mph, a pig could theoretically run a seven-minute mile.
- The phrase “sweat like a pig” is a complete farce. Pigs have hardly any sweat glands and often cool down by getting down-and-dirty in mud.
- Sure, pigs can’t fly. But the do have one odd thing in common with airplanes: their squeals can reach 115 decibels, which is slightly louder than a supersonic airliner.
- There is an island in the Bahamas where tourists can swim with the pigs. But if you’re down there, use caution, as a handful of the porkers died from being fed poisonous food.
Stay tuned for Part II of next week!
Milmar Post Buildings & Construction blends Amish craftsmanship and professional design to deliver homeowners beautiful home remodeling projects and post-frame structures. Contact us today to request a consultation.