How do Cows know when it will rain?

[kimera]

@KP

The remarkable thing is that modern man seems to think we need to be told. Honestly, how often have you been surprised by rain, when you were outside and paying attention to the skies (or the ground in the distance)? As unpracticed as we are, I’d say it’s only happened to me a handful of times (sudden downpours on bright sunny days with few clouds) and even then, you can often see signs develop for several minutes in advance.

I agree with this.

I spent most of the summers of my childhood in Ohio wandering outdoors in the woods behind my house. When a storm comes in you can see it anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or two before the first drops fall. The clouds start changing and gathering, the air has a smell to it (I really miss that smell by the way) and you can just feel it in the atmosphere. I don’t think there is any way to really describe it, but it’s one of my favorite things to experience. Rain but no storm is harder, but I was very rarely caught outside in the rain, even when I was 15-30 minutes from home.

And I imagine cows that spend most of their lives hanging out outside would be much better at weather forecast than I was.

[Princhester]

What Ava and KP said. And just before the rain hits there’s a little rush of cold wind, too.

[hlanelee]

Well, as long as I could remember, whenever I saw a group of cows laying down, it has always rained later on. I think cows are just great observers of their surroundings. I have faith in them. (Minor hijack) My father pointed out to me, when I was a child, that when you see a horse just standing a round, his ass will be pointed upwind.

[Musicat]

@hlanelee

Well, as long as I could remember, whenever I saw a group of cows laying down, it has always rained later on.

Yep, that’s always true. And whenever cows stand up, it does, too. And when they turn around and chew their cud, rain follows, sure as chewin’. Unless you are in the desert, all you have to do is wait long enough.

The rooster crows, the sun comes up. Unless you are deaf, dumb and blind, obviously there is a connection.

[clairobscur]

@neuroman

Neil, this sounds like an interesting question. Could you describe the circumstances under which you came to believe that your cows had the power to detect impending precipitation?

Personnally, having been brought up in the countryside, I’ve frequently seen cows gathering and seeking a shelter or cover when it’s about to rain (never heard about the lying down part).
Besides, a lot of people too can tell when it’s about to rain, even without having seen the weather forecast. This could certainly be analyzed and broken down to various perceived indications of incoming weather change, but it’s generally not a conscious process, and internalized, so people would just say they “feel” it’s going to rain. Of course, except if the signs are so blatant (black clouds, temperature suddenly falling) that nobody can miss them, this works only with people accustomed with the weather pattern in a local area.

[hlanelee]

Yesterday, me and the wife went to Charleston about a 60 mile trip. On the way back we pass about 5 cow pastures and in every pasture, all the cows were lying down. This morning it has started raining and it is supposed to rain through tommorrow. Granted it may be purely coincidental.