Crazy Things We've All Believed
Cows Have 4 Stomachs
Imagine a 50 gallon drum inside of a steer and you've got about the right size for their rumen.
This is something we're all told as kids, that cows have 4 different stomachs. While it's not untrue, the more correct statement would be that cattle have one giant stomach with four different compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen is the biggest compartment and can hold up to 50 gallons while the abomasum is the most similar to our stomachs.
The Egg Yolk is the Unborn Baby Chick
No rooster in the hen house for these ladies!
It's easy to think that, when you crack open an egg, the yolk is what would turn into the baby chick. In fact, the yolk is what the baby chick would eat had the egg been fertilized. Eggs you buy at the store are from hens who had no contact with a rooster so there is no chance the eggs are fertilized in the first place. The chick would form from the part of the egg called the germinal disc.
Riding a Horse = Riding an ATV
Trust us, these two act nothing like an ATV.
As someone who has worked as a trail riding guide, I can say this is true of a lot of people who have never been around horses and that's completely fine! We wouldn't know how to act around a camel to stay safe so we don't expect everyone to automatically know how to be safe around livestock. The number one thing to keep in mind when riding or handling a horse is that it is a 1,000-pound animal that may or may not decide to do whatever you tell it to do. It's always better to be extra cautious and ask questions instead of trying to figure out how to control a horse on your own. Trust us when we say riding a horse feels nothing like hopping on a 4-wheeler and tearing down the trails.
Cow Tipping!
She would not be happy if someone attempted to tip her.
We've saved our favorite one for last: cow tipping! Everyone knows someone who has claimed that they went out one night and tipped all the cows in the barn or field. It always makes us laugh to hear this one because of one important fact: cows sleep laying down. Even if they slept standing up, you would have to sneak up on a whole herd without waking a single cow because they would quickly alert their friends to your shenanigans. Depending on the breed, cows usually weigh between 1,200-1,600 pounds and some can easily exceed that range. It is physically impossible for a person to tip a cow over though according to this website you could tip a 1,400-pound cow with two people. If you could find one sleeping standing up, not wake up the other cows, and produce enough force between the two of you. Note we do not suggest even attempting tipping a cow over because you would probably get kicked, run over, or shot at for trespassing on someone's land and none of those options are good for your health.
It's ok to believe some crazy myth about farms or animals, we've believed many of the same ones! What's not ok is to hang on to that belief even after asking your local farmer for the facts and perpetuating the myth as fact. We will always be more than happy to hold conversations about our field of expertise so we hope you always feel free to ask away!