GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — When we think of dairy, milk is typically what comes to mind first, but today we’re sharing few a-moo-sing facts about the animal it comes from.
What's black and white and drinks an entire bathtub of water a day?
“Cows are full of fun mystery,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, an ambassador for Brown County Dairy Promotions.
While there are 7 different breeds, Holsteins, the black and white cow you might typically think of on a farm, are the most common in Wisconsin.
“No two dairy cows are going to be the same,” Bartkowski said. “Each cow pattern is uniquely different to them, just like we have snowflakes that are different in the winter, just like fingerprints.”
With four stomachs and weighing in at about 2,000 lbs., the "steaks" have been raised; one cow will go through about 100 lbs. of food a day. If we cow-culate that out, just imagine eating about 100 cans of food.
“Kind of similar to us chewing our gum, because they’re so efficient at what they eat, they spit up and re-chew that food to make sure they get every bit possible.”
It’s also important to remember that brown cows do not produce chocolate milk.
And if you haven't "herd," while we only have a few more days of the June Dairy Month celebration, next month is also pretty cool. It's National Ice Cream Month, so don't forget to continue supporting our Wisconsin farmers.
If you’re also interested in learning to make your own butter, the Brown County Dairy Promotions has a fun event to check out below.
