# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/21 "2008-08-26T13:07:23Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] Is 10-20% statisticly significant in this case? [/QUOTE] Not for this size of a sample. They also don’t use data with a small enough resolution. Obviously they had a rather loose qualification of what is north and south, while using their personal judgment. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/22 "2008-08-27T04:21:58Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] I’m wondering what is the best way to mount a cow to my dashboard? [/QUOTE] Don’t mount a cow on your dashboard. Do it somewhere private like in a barn or you will get arrested. Oh wait, _to_. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/23 "2008-08-27T11:41:47Z")
All frivolity aside, I have doubts about the premise that cows orient themselves north/south more than randomly, and if they do, it’s the magnetic field that they detect to do that. The study doesn’t tell enough about how the data was gathered to determine whether it was valid. Did someone look at cow pix and just count the ones that were N/S? Did the counter-person know what the premise was? Were all cows in a random area accounted for? Were counts made at different times of day? Different countries or hemispheres? How many degrees off of North/South was still considered North/South or some other angle (if a cow was oriented 20 degrees off, was that “good enough”)? Was orientation decided in basis of head angle or body or an average? Did the counter-person know where N/S was in his sample, or did he just draw orientation lines and someone else correlated them with degrees and N/S determination? So many questions, so many cows. There’s a lot of cudd to chew on this one before it becomes good science. ---
**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 27, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/24 "2008-08-27T14:02:15Z")
Perhaps it’s all just a moo point. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/25 "2008-08-27T19:00:01Z")
[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] I’m always happy to learn a new word, but did I have to click on “bezoar”? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dazzling_White_Diamonds)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/26 "2008-08-28T01:37:22Z")
Maybe it has to do with all that [calcium](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=480976)? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/27 "2008-08-28T05:05:11Z")
I worked on an Angus farm for years and never noticed any of this. For the last few days driving to and from work, I’ve been slowing down and looking at the three pastures I drive by. I’m seeing a really random distribution of which way they face. Ancidote is not data, but I’m really skeptical of this. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnetic-cows/461257/28 "2008-08-28T05:07:15Z")
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