how does a cow drink water ???

[jcarkie]

one of our cows was lapping water like a dog, have you seen this? i have never seen a cow drink like this.

 

[Cheyenne]

Yep, mine do it too. Seem to do it more when I put in fresh water. One steer likes to try and drink out of the hose while I am filling the tank. Have no idea why they do this. Maybe someone else knows more.

 

[Beefy]

most of mine suck the water in. a few weirdos with lick the waterhose if given an opportunity.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Most of them suck up the water, like us humans do, but I've seen a few lap up the water like a dog if they have their head stretched thru the barn door and can't reach far enough to drink the other way.

But then again, there are some crazy ones who'll lap up the water even when their head ain't stuck thru a barn door.

 

[Susie David]

Some folks use straws and some don't.
If it doesn't hurt the cow, I've stopped wondering about such things awhile ago.
DMc

 

[jcarkie]

mine was in the pond and it had a thin sheet of ice, i wondered if the water was cold or if she was just wierd. we have two that we call dumb & dumber, she is dumber.

 

[warpaint]

I've got a yearling bull that will stick his nose in the water and blow bubbles thru his nose before he drinks. Everytime.

My granddad would not take a drink of his coffee without stirring it before each sip.

Just some individual quirks.

 

[stocky]

Especially with cold or new water, the cows will lick at it or lap at it or even with moss on top they will do the same. It seems like they are clearing a place to drink or they are getting their mouths used to the cold temperature. When I chop ice, they all do that the first little bit before they start actually drinking

 

[redneckcowgirlmn]

Yea, but "Wet Willies" from heifers are gross. (Mine got me last night, as I was leaning on the gate, filling her bucket. She was licking at the stream from the hose, I took my eye off her for a second, and EEEWWWW, she got me! Nothing like cow spit and cold water when its 3 out!)

 

[msscamp]

one of our cows was lapping water like a dog, have you seen this? i have never seen a cow drink like this.

I had the job of filling the stock tank with a garden hose last spring after the water line blew, and got to watch the cows up close and personal while they were drinking. I discovered that some of them will lap for a while before drinking, some of them lap even longer before they drink, and still others stick their nose in and blow bubbles for a while, then drink. Danged if I know why, though. I guess it's just a personal thing, or maybe they were just bored and looking for a little diversion because their behaviour tended to vary from day to day.

 

[karlie45]

Most of ours just suck the water. At shows, the normal "suckers" sometimes lap the water. I have always put it off as boredom and "oh look, there is a toy in the stall" kinda thing. We had one heifer on our show string last year that everytime you tried to get her to drink, she would stick her head in it about up to her eyeballs. Again, I just brushed it off as boredom....as long as they drink, I am happy.

 

[*Cowgirl*]

We've got mostly suckers
Have had hose lickers and bubble blowers
Have ceased to care as long as they are drinking

 

[Beefy]

dont suckers get brainfreezes when its really cold water?

 

[jcarkie]

is that why in cold weather they make such awful faces after they drink.