On my way to town I drive a large pasture where a smallish herd of cows graze. As far as I can tell, they’re there all the time; it’s not a farm, just grazing land, and I never really see anyone attending them, nor do I see haybales or the like. Just a lot of cows, munching contentedly.
Usually they’re scattered hither and yon around the field, but today as I drove past I noticed they were beginning to gather around a point. They were close enough that I couldn’t tell if they were interested in something, or if it was just one of those, “Hey, what’s she looking at over there?” I made a mental note and went on.
Coming home an hour or so later…now they’re REALLY gathered together–shoulder to shoulder, heads all toward the center. A couple of them were lying down, but mostly on their feet and apparently interested in something that I couldn’t see for all the bovine backsides.
I recently read about someone who would go into the cow field and lie down, just to watch all the cows gather around her too look at her, but this was a LOT of cows.
Perhaps they’re holding a meeting? Observing a birth? Planning an overthrow? I can’t stand the suspense!
Thanks,
karol
Cows With Guns
Giving you some fresh derriere. dairy air
I’d guess someone just dropped off some goodies. It could be a fresh salt lick or maybe some silage, which is sometimes used as supplemental nutrition to pasture-fed cattle and which the cows find quite tasty.
It wasn’t her, although she may have originated the idea…it was some celebrity, I think. One of those factoids that I read and then dismissed, and now I can’t remember who it was.
It was either newly placed food stuffs or ‘something’ of interest that was new to them. Cows are inquisitive and will crowd round new things and observe. If you enter a field of cows, expect to be closed in on for closer inspection.
I so want to go lay in that field now.
We were talking about you. Sorry you noticed.
Knead
Secretly a cow
If it was someone lying down, probably someone from where you work.
You know, a cow orker.
Moodoo adult?
This is most likely it. Even if you don’t notice the food, it’s likely somebody drops off some chow for them from time to time. Cattle swiftly learn where and when the food will arrive.
I thought it looked like they were comparing the size of their butts. Now it allllll makes sense…
Just so. 
Speaking as someone with a good deal of experience with cows due to growing up on a farm, I can confirm that this is in fact the correct answer.
Be afraid.
Those of us that raise puppies for service dog schools are required to meet monthly. One of our meeting was at a place adjacent to a cow pasture. I was surprised to find the cows gathering at the fence to inspect us or something.
If you really want to notice something freaky that you can’t un-notice, pay attention to cows grazing freely in pasture, not at a feeder/hay/silage. They will almost all be standing north to south. There may be a few oddballs, but the vast majority will be north to south.
Maybe they are catching the rays.
With the sun moving rought east to west aligning themselves north south would expose the most skin area.
Anybody know how cows align on mid-summer day near the equator?
ftw! I lolled