Click, Clack, Moo: Farm Animal Facts
COWS
Cows are often called cattle. The adult female
is called a cow. The adult male is called a bull. A
baby is called a calf.
Cattle are farm animals with thick skin and hoofed feet.
Cattle were domesticated (tamed from wild animals) thousands of
years ago. They are farmed for their milk, meat, hides
(leather), and many other products, like cheese, cream, gelatin,
glue, soap, and many other products. In some parts of the
world, cattle are still used to pull plows and carts.
Cattle vary in color from white, black, brown or tan. Milk
is produced in the female's udders. Cattle use their long
tail to keep insects off their back. Some cattle have
horns, others do not. Cattle are herbivores (plant-eaters)
that graze on grass and leaves.
CHICKENS
Chickens are domestic (farm) birds. The adult female
chicken is called a hen; the adult male is called a rooster; and
the young are called chicks. A group of chickens is called
a flock.
There are many different breeds of chicken that are different
sizes and colors. The rooster is large and more brightly
colored than the hen. Roosters make a very loud crowing
sound and can be quite aggressive. Chicken eggs range in
color from white to pale brown and other pale colors.
Chickens have a varied diet. They eat insects, worms,
fruit, seeds, acorns, grains, slugs, snails, and many other
foods. They have a well-developed gizzard (a part of the
stomach that contains tiny stones) that grinds up their food.
Many animals prey upon chickens. Predators include skunks,
owls, raccoons, hawks, opossums, bobcats and snakes.
DUCKS
The duck's mouth is called a "bill." Normally, it is broad
and flat and has rows of fine notches along the edge to grip its
food. However, ducks bills come in different shapes and
sizes. The shape of the bill and body features will
determine how the duck hunts for its food. Ducks which
have broad beaks, sift their food for insects, snails and seeds
from the mud. Some ducks have long and narrow beaks.
The narrow beaks are also covered with saw-like edges which help
them to grab fish. Some ducks have broad and short beaks
and eat plants, seeds, grasses and other small insects and
animals that they find on or under the water.
PIGS
Pigs are also called hogs or swine. A mother pig is called a
sow. A father pig is called a boar. A baby pig is
called a piglet. A whole group of pigs is called a herd.
A sow can give birth to 8-12 piglets in one litter, and can have
2 litters in one year.
Pigs vary in color from brown, black, white, to pinkish.
Some wild pigs have large tusks, overgrown teeth used for
fighting and digging for food. Some pigs have straight
tails; others have curly tails. Pigs have four toes on
each hoof. Pigs walk on only two of their toes on each
foot. They look like they are walking on tiptoe.
Pigs live on farms or in the wild and like to eat corn,
potatoes, grains, etc. Pigs are some of the cleanest
animals around. When we see pigs rolling in the mud, it's
not because they are messy. Pigs cannot sweat because they
have no sweat glands and the mud keeps them cool when it is hot.