How intelligent are cattle?

Question

How intelligent are cattle?

Answer 1

In a herd. Not very. They play into instict and basically act like lemmings.

I have spoken with owners of individual cows who say their pets do display a level of intelligence.

Answer 2

The are Really smart and protective. When the mother (Cow) has to get food to produce milk for the calf they usally have one mother cow to stay behind and watch the calves well the other Cows go out to eat. There is usally seven cows that go out and one to babysit.

Cows are just like people and make their own Groups based on popularity.

For feeding hay you would be suprised sometimes the littlest cow is the most feared so she can just come and move the others away getting what she wants.

They are very protective of there calves here is a true story of what my sisters cow did.

Well it was the middle of winter and a pack of coyotes decided to try and get some of our new borns. Most of the cows formed the protective circle around the calves and got a fars way around them. But they had one cow and one calf cornered. The cow Stammped the snow till it turned into ice and protected that calf for probley 4-6 hours. Untill my dad came out to feed. he then chased off the coyotes.

My dad says that he had saw about 5 coyotes and we didnt lose a signle cow or calf.

And if you spend enough time with them when they are little they follow you around when you walk. its like having a 1500 pound puppy dog.

Answer 3

Not too intelligent if they let us eat them!  LOL  Most herd animals do have very good memory but not alot of computing power if you catch my drift.  Memory is rather important to them to find good watering holes and the parts of the pasture with the tastyest grass, as well as who is a friend and who is not but thats pretty much it for intelligence.

Answer 4

Not very smart at all.  They are creatures of habit though.  I worked on a cattle ranch right after college. If you went out there and yelled for them they would not come, but if the manager who fed them every day called them they would come.

Also if you ever go to a dairy.  Watch the cows as they go into the feeding stalls.  Each one goes into the same stall each day.  If they happen to go in the wrong one they will immediately back out.  

Other than that they pretty much eat, p**p, and either produce milk or make hamburgers.