The meaning behind the moo
June 08, 2016
It’s no secret that farmers and ranchers have a powerful connection with their animals — it seems as though they can almost understand them. This is the case for cattle in particular and why some researchers today are digging deeper into discovering exactly what cows are saying — and how they communicate through their moos.
"I can't translate cow moos into English," cattle geneticist Jared Decker said in an article, "but there are certain times when you can tell when the cattle are communicating with one another.”
In his experience, these are some meanings of the moo:
When cows change environments, like moving from one farm to another, they will moo to try to connect with their friends as they figure out their new surroundings. Decker said it's like going to the school cafeteria after you've just left a classroom. When you enter the cafeteria, you look for your friends. Cows do the same thing when they disembark at a new location.
The article explains that these moos are the pickup lines of the cattle world. Bulls and cows let each other know that they are ready to, in the words of Marvin Gaye, get it on.
Researcher Monica Padilla de la Torre and her team looked at communication between cows and their offspring. When mother cows were separated from their calves, they made a louder, higher-pitched call. When their calves were close, their calls registered at a lower frequency, suggesting that higher-pitched calls are meant to alert calves that they are being missed.
In addition, the calves themselves made a distinct moo when they wanted milk but couldn't find their mothers. De la Torre says the calves' higher-frequency moos and the older cow's lower-frequency moos were individually distinctive, suggesting moms and babies may actually recognize each other's voices.
Often directed to the farmer, cows have been known to vocalize when they believe it’s time for some hay or grain.
Also directed to the farmer, these moos can let the farmer know that it's time for a helping hand.
Maybe it's too hot or maybe they are caught in a fence. Decker says he has noticed a higher-pitched, more frequent moo when cows are dealing with these issues.
On the flip side, Decker mentioned that happy cows don't need to moo. "It's when something's out of the ordinary that they need to moo," he said in the article. "It's 'I'm hungry, farmer come feed me.' It's 'my baby's not near me, let me find my baby calf.' It's ... 'let's make a baby calf.' "
For more information, click here.
"I can't translate cow moos into English," cattle geneticist Jared Decker said in an article, "but there are certain times when you can tell when the cattle are communicating with one another.”
In his experience, these are some meanings of the moo:
- They are trying to find their friends.
When cows change environments, like moving from one farm to another, they will moo to try to connect with their friends as they figure out their new surroundings. Decker said it's like going to the school cafeteria after you've just left a classroom. When you enter the cafeteria, you look for your friends. Cows do the same thing when they disembark at a new location.
- They want to make calves.
The article explains that these moos are the pickup lines of the cattle world. Bulls and cows let each other know that they are ready to, in the words of Marvin Gaye, get it on.
- They've lost their calf or their mother.
Researcher Monica Padilla de la Torre and her team looked at communication between cows and their offspring. When mother cows were separated from their calves, they made a louder, higher-pitched call. When their calves were close, their calls registered at a lower frequency, suggesting that higher-pitched calls are meant to alert calves that they are being missed.
In addition, the calves themselves made a distinct moo when they wanted milk but couldn't find their mothers. De la Torre says the calves' higher-frequency moos and the older cow's lower-frequency moos were individually distinctive, suggesting moms and babies may actually recognize each other's voices.
- They're hungry.
Often directed to the farmer, cows have been known to vocalize when they believe it’s time for some hay or grain.
- They need to be milked.
Also directed to the farmer, these moos can let the farmer know that it's time for a helping hand.
- They are stressed out.
Maybe it's too hot or maybe they are caught in a fence. Decker says he has noticed a higher-pitched, more frequent moo when cows are dealing with these issues.
On the flip side, Decker mentioned that happy cows don't need to moo. "It's when something's out of the ordinary that they need to moo," he said in the article. "It's 'I'm hungry, farmer come feed me.' It's 'my baby's not near me, let me find my baby calf.' It's ... 'let's make a baby calf.' "
For more information, click here.