# Magnetic cows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 25, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257 "2008-08-25T23:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/1 "2008-08-25T23:07:57Z")
[Have you read this?](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gx4I_zbBPCJ2mvk8Az01Df2tf44gD92PHTK80) Apparently sattelite photos have disclosed that 60-70% of all cattle at any given moment are aligned north to south in their fields. Could, researchers ask, they be aligning to the Earth’s magnetic field? > [@](#): > > And the finding held true regardless of what continent the cattle were on, according to the study led by Hynek Burda and Sabine Begall of the faculty of biology at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany. Any guesses on how this is going to play out? Any guesses on what jokes will be told on TV tonight? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/2 "2008-08-25T23:17:21Z")
Maybe they are just sunning their flanks… Or perhaps they’re pining for the fjords. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/3 "2008-08-25T23:45:17Z")
Per one of the quotes in the article, they didn’t think it was that, because they had checked the shadows, or something. No one had considered the fjords thing. It seems to make nearly as much sense as magnetic field sensing cows, tough. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/4 "2008-08-26T00:22:49Z")
A quick glance out my front window reveals nine cows and one bull. All are currently facing south, with butts pointed north. Twilight here, so no sun or shadows. I’ll have to watch this for a few days. If it proves true, it’s something I’ve never noticed in over 30 years of being in the beef business, and I’ve never heard of this trait before. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/5 "2008-08-26T00:29:29Z")
With Google maps it should be easy enough to verify. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/6 "2008-08-26T00:39:02Z")
According to MSNBC, Google Earth is what the researchers used to gather data. The researchers also said that roe deer did the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/7 "2008-08-26T01:01:26Z")
Hey rick, you got a compass? No, but I have a cow. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/8 "2008-08-26T01:09:41Z")
Probably all those Cow Magnets they put in their stomachs. > **[Hardware disease](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_magnet)** > > Hardware disease in livestock is traumatic puncture of the gastrointestinal tract with resultant spread of infection, caused by ingestion of a sharp, hard object, usually a piece of hardware (hence the name). These pieces of metal settle in the reticulum and can irritate or penetrate the lining. It is most common in dairy cattle, but is occasionally seen in beef cattle. It is very rarely reported in any other ruminants. It can be difficult to conclusively diagnose, but can be prevented by Cattl... ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/9 "2008-08-26T02:21:34Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Probably all those Cow Magnets they put in their stomachs. > **[Hardware disease](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_magnet)** > > Hardware disease in livestock is traumatic puncture of the gastrointestinal tract with resultant spread of infection, caused by ingestion of a sharp, hard object, usually a piece of hardware (hence the name). These pieces of metal settle in the reticulum and can irritate or penetrate the lining. It is most common in dairy cattle, but is occasionally seen in beef cattle. It is very rarely reported in any other ruminants. It can be difficult to conclusively diagnose, but can be prevented by Cattl... [/QUOTE] Darn! I was going to say that. So, cow butts point north? This could be helpful if I ever get lost in a pasture. ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/10 "2008-08-26T02:49:13Z")
In that case, I presume you will want to head south, regardless of where your destination actually is. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/11 "2008-08-26T03:07:00Z")
[QUOTE=horsetech] In that case, I presume you will want to head south, regardless of where your destination actually is. [/QUOTE] On the other hand, if you wanted to get going really, _really_ fast… ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/12 "2008-08-26T03:08:40Z")
[QUOTE=horsetech] In that case, I presume you will want to head south, regardless of where your destination actually is. [/QUOTE] My thoughts exactly. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/13 "2008-08-26T03:19:52Z")
[QUOTE=Yllaria] how would they test for magnet-sensing? [/QUOTE] I herd (ha!) about this on NPR today, and the guy said, laughing, that they would attach magnets to their heads and see what happened! I don’t know if he was serious or not. This all started, by the way, by a guy studying naked mole rats, who always make their bedrooms in the south of the burrow and have a known magnetic sensory input. He wondered if people did the same thing, left in a natural environment, and fired up the Google Earth to try and find tents and see which way people set them up. (I assume this meant one man tents, as no one looking at my cabin tent from above would know where my bed was inside it.) He couldn’t see tents well enough, but he could see lots and lots of cows. After working out the math on the cow thing, a hunter friend of him told him to try looking for deer beds - oval smooshed places in long grass, and they mostly lined up north/south, too. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/14 "2008-08-26T03:27:30Z")
It could be motivated by sight and scent, being bovid food herds and heavily preyed upon. Maybe they don’t like the sun in their eyes… or they might like to stay nose to the wind of prevalent Northerlies or Southerlies, in any given area. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/15 "2008-08-26T03:33:43Z")
I’m wondering what is the best way to mount a cow to my dashboard? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/16 "2008-08-26T03:38:40Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] I’m wondering what is the best way to mount a cow to my dashboard? [/QUOTE] Lots of upscale cars come with the cow mounted on the dash (and seats, etc) straight from the factory. ---
**Author:** ![Debon\_Err](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Debon\_Err](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debon_Err)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/17 "2008-08-26T03:50:00Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] I’m wondering what is the best way to mount a cow to my dashboard? [/QUOTE] In my experience, 65 mph is the best way to mount a cow to your dashboard. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/18 "2008-08-26T03:56:36Z")
Is 10-20% statisticly significant in this case? Since grazers tend to orient themselves windward or leeward not crosswise to, wind direction needs to be factored in as well. Then, of course, there’s the fact that cows are, [magnetic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_magnet) to some degree. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/19 "2008-08-26T04:36:55Z")
Wind, sun and precipitation were accounted for in the stats, according to the NPR piece. Good guesses, though. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/20 "2008-08-26T04:42:27Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] I herd (ha!) about this on NPR today, and the guy said, laughing, that they would attach magnets to their heads and see what happened! I don’t know if he was serious or not. [/QUOTE] He probably was; IIRC they’ve done that with birds. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257.md?page=2)