Cattle shown to align north-south

BBC ^ | 8/25/08 | Elizabeth Mitchell

[LibWhacker]

Have you ever noticed that herds of grazing animals all face the same way?

Images from Google Earth have confirmed that cattle tend to align their bodies in a north-south direction.

Wild deer also display this behaviour - a phenomenon that has apparently gone unnoticed by herdsmen and hunters for thousands of years.

[Question Liberal Authority]

They just can’t let the Civil War go.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

It was at an east/west fence the cows stood
at night before we tipped them.

[Mr. Mojo]

....a phenomenon that has apparently gone unnoticed by herdsmen and hunters for thousands of years.

Oh, I suspect more than a few sharp hunters/herdsmen have noticed the phenomenon in those thousands of years.

[Inyo-Mono]

Actually, I have noticed this. I always thought cattle did it to keep the sun out of their faces so that they could see predators better.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Cattle do stand with their rear facing a windy cold snap.

[TruthWillWin]

My step daughter does that when sleeping. She needs to place the head of her bed facing north.

[oldenuff2no]

The sun has something to do with it but the weather is what usually causes this alignment. Storms come in from the south and a cow well put her behind into the weather. North winds are cold and dry but a cow will still turn her head away from that weather change too.
I was born and raised on a big ranch and every cowboy worth his salt knows all about what a heard of cattle will look like in a storm.
Who ever dreamed up this post doesn't know the north end of a cow from the south end.

[aShepard]

Well yeah!

At least one eye is available to check out the surrounding area without being blinded by the sun!

[martin_fierro]

[aShepard]

Well yeah!

At least one eye is available to check out the surrounding area without being blinded by the sun!

[dighton]

Horses too, south end of northbound.

[Crystal Cove]

Mark Twain talked about cows always facing north in either The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. I don’t notice them all facing the same way when I see cows, though.

[FrPR]

It was neither the Civil War nor the War between the States. It was the Second War for Independence.

[Inyo-Mono]

Cattle facing same direction PING!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1960184/posts

[river rat]

"Have you ever noticed that herds of grazing animals all face the same way"?

May I suggest that "herds" are called "herds" because they are herding animals.... Herds follow the leader.... Most members of herds usually move in the same direction -- this requires them to generally face that direction since most animals resist walking backwards!

I will admit that during my preteen youth spent in the company of LOTS of cattle, sheep and deer ------ I NEVER noticed a bias toward a North/South alignment.... What I DID notice was the current position of the herd, plus the direction they wished to go -- modified by the terrain , had a whole lot to do with their "alignment"...

Jeeze - these scientists have too much time on their hands..

[dfwgator]

[Cvengr]

Methinks the grad students taking the surveys of cow alignments always stood to the north or south of the penned cattle. Maybe the socialists are breeding cattle herds the same way they farm raise trout. Look for synchronized cow tipping in the next Olympics.

[444Flyer]

There’s a Far Side joke in there somewhere.

[Smokin' Joe]

Yep. Wind direction dependent more than anything, and it depends on which direction the storms come from. The writer needs to get out in the boonies more often...

[nathanbedford]

You are right, Twain uses this myth in Huckleberry Finn in the scene in which Huck disguises himself as a girl to gain information. His interrogator admonishes him about how to behave as a girl and how to lie.

I'm looking out the window now, it's dawn in Germany, and the horses are definitely not aligned north and south. Cows did not get the memorandum either. Both the author and Huck got it wrong.

[Kirkwood]

You are 100% correct.

[ETL]

"Cattle shown to align north-south"

Study: Earth's magnetic field is changing
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26273268/

Posted on Monday, August 25, 2008 8:58:11 PM by Raineygoodyear
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2068001/posts

[Liberty2007]

It was neither the Civil War nor the War between the States. It was the Second War for Independence.

well, we are about to have our 3rd war for independence to be brought on by mstain or nobama.

[LibWhacker]

Ditto to what you said; I never noticed it.

I suspect the reason it may have gone unnoticed for so long (if, indeed, that's the case) is because at any given moment during grazing there are enough animals in the herd moving about at random to prevent it being noticed. Only a careful statistical analysis, as was done here, would reveal it.

[mountainbunny]

They also seem to lay down before rain.

If you see a field of cows and most of them are laying down, it’s going to rain.

[Inyo-Mono]

If you see a field of cows and most of them are laying down, it’s going to rain.

Or it is hotter than hell.

[gigster]

And all camels and goats face Mecca!

[PGR88]

It’s an old farmer’s belief that cows will give more milk if their sheds are north-south.

[the_Watchman]

This is an interesting observation, but it needs to be correlated with the time of day of the observation and the season.

One would expect the cows to align themselves relative to the sun based on whether they wish to be warmer or cooler.

[redhead]

"If you see a field of cows and most of them are laying down, it’s going to rain.

Or it is hotter than hell."

Or they all have full bellies, empty udders, and are chewing their cuds.

[KarlInOhio]

50% of cows align themselves within 45° of the north/south line.

Seriously, do they align themselves along the magnetic north/south line or the geographic line? In some areas there is quite a bit of difference.

[wastedyears]

LOL!

[FrPR]

Their names are John McCain and Barack Obama.
They are running for the most powerful office in the world.
You might be right.
MOLON LABE.

[Daffynition]

Proof!

[Daffynition]

No mention of mad cows in the article. Bogus study.

[DainBramage]

Bulls dont....they usally sleep or align themselves with a momma cows rear no matter where that may roam.

[jmpmstr4u2]

Wonders if they will ask for $50.00 and a mule?

[Cedar]

I’m surprised you remembered my post from way back when! Glad to read about others noticing which way cows are facing, but not totally convinced with their magnetic conclusion.

I tried to figure out if the cows were facing north-south in those pictures I had posted on that thread, but couldn’t really tell. Probably a photographer could tell by the position of the sunlight in the photographs...?

Thanks for the ping. Interesting.