A long time ago, the dairy farmers used to take their cows up into the high pastures of the mountains where they grazed on green grasses. Now it’s too dangerous for my big herd of nearly 600 cows to cross the street, so we just stay at home on the farm. The herdsman knows just the right foods to feed us and the healthier the food, the better the milk tastes.

Cows have big grinding teeth, like you do in the back of your mouth. When a cow eats she doesn’t chew her food very well, but just swallows it quickly. The food is stored in the first of four - yep I said four stomachs! How many stomachs do you have?

Grass, hay and grains are hard to digest. That’s why a cow needs more than one stomach. After the cow has eaten, she brings up bits of unchewed food, called cud, from her stomach. Then she chews her cud like chewing gum. The well chewed food goes into the other stomachs where it gives the cow energy and nutrition to make milk.

Cows can’t make milk unless they have already had a baby calf. After her calf stops nursing and starts to eat adult cow foods, the cow still produces a lot of milk. If she is happy and healthy she can produce around 15 half gallons a day. Can you fit 15 bottles of milk into your refrigerator every day? Why that might take up the whole top shelf!

Well I still don’t know why green grass makes white milk. I guess it’s just one of those amazing miracles!

Coloring Pict