Get to Know THE BIG MOO Cows
Few consumers have ever visited a dairy farm, so we get a lot of questions at THE BIG MOO baked cheese about dairy cows. Dairy farmers take great pride in their cows and here at THE BIG MOO cheese, we source from local Wisconsin family farms where all the cows have names and live very humane lives.
Here are six surprising facts about dairy cows from whose milk we make THE BIG MOO baked cheese.
- Cows have four stomachs. Technically, cows only have one stomach, but it has four distinct compartments. Due to this unique digestive system, cows can convert plants into nutritional fuel that humans can't. Did you know that all cows are vegan!
- A cow that is milking eats about 100 pounds of feed each day. The feed is typically a combination of grass, grain, and a mixture of other ingredients like citrus pulp, almond hulls, and cotton seeds.
- A cow that is milking drinks about 30 to 50 gallons of water each day. That’s enough water to fill a bathtub.
- An average Holstein dairy cow weighs about 1,500 pounds. That’s nearly one ton.
- An average dairy cow produces 7 to 9 gallons of milk a day. Because it takes 8 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of THE BIG MOO baked cheese, the average dairy cow makes only 8 lbs of baked cheese per day or 16 8 oz. blocks!
- Cows like it cool. Due to their thick skin, hair and natural insulation, dairy cows prefer temperatures between 40˚ and 65˚F.