Surprising Traits You’ll Find In Farm Animals

Portrait of a male farmer standing on his dairy farm

If you have grown up and lived on a farm, you may recognize the value of animals and what they can do. However, you may be surprised by some of their traits and abilities. The more you learn about farm animals, the more you’ll learn to appreciate them.

The Minds of Sheep

A quick look at sheep may not inspire much confidence in their intellectual abilities. Furthermore, sheep have a reputation as not being the smartest members of the animal kingdom. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sheep are great at problem-solving, even though most people think of them as simply following the crowd. In addition, sheep have excellent memories and are socially skilled. Sheep can even read other animals’ expressions and can express their own feelings through the noises they make.

Pigs: Fast and Smart

Pigs are far from being mindless creatures that roll in the mud and do nothing but eat. Experts suggest that pigs are the smartest animals on earth. For example, they have good object placement memory. They can even play video games. Pigs may not look like athletes, but this does not mean they can’t move when necessary. For instance, these animals can run up to 11 miles per hour. At this pace, a pig could finish a mile-long race in six minutes.

Psychic Cows?

Have you ever considered that some animals might be able to predict the future? Cows, for instance, just might have this ability. Before a storm starts brewing, cows can sense its arrival. They even have memories of up to three years. Despite their size, cows can also climb up stairs. Furthermore, cows can solve problems and get excited when they accomplish such a feat.

Chickens and Memories

Some people think that chickens are among the least intelligent animals around. However, these birds are good problem solvers and can remember up to 100 faces. Chicken can see and dream in color. These farm animals can rationalize and display discipline that most animals do not share. You have probably heard that chickens can lose their heads and still live. This is true. In fact, these animals can run 100 yards with no head.

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Expert Climbers

You know that mountain goats are world-class climbers. However, regular goats are no slouch. Firstly, they can scale cliffs with ease. Goats are also smarter than you may think. These animals can learn their names. They can also learn tasks much like dogs can.

Now that you have learned more about these animals, you can see them in a different light. Take a visit to a nearby farm, or just head to your own, and see these traits for yourself.

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