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.

[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!

[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.