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The chicken is the closest living relative to the T-Rex! • The goat is among the cleanest of animals, and is a much more selective feeder than cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and even dogs. Goats do eat many different species of plants, but do not want to eat food that has been contaminated or that has been on the floor or the ground. • Chickens have over 200 distinct noises they can make for communicating. • Pigs are considered the 4th most intelligent animal (after chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants). • A group of pigs is called a "sounder." • Cows can recognize their names (though they may not come when called!). • Cows have a memory of about three years. • Cows are social animals who form bonds with each other. In a herd of cows, many will form cliques together. • Female sheep are called ewes, male sheep are called rams, and baby sheep are called lambs. • A female goat is called a doe. • Goats are great swimmers. • Some wild goats can climb trees and can walk along a ledge not much wider than a tightrope. • Female ducks are called hens and male ducks are called drakes. • Ducklings are born ready to leave the nest within hours of hatching – their eyes are open and they are able to find some of their own food. • Geese are faithful, mate for life, and mourn when their partner dies. • A male goose is called a gander, and a group of geese is called a gaggle. • Pigs can run 11 miles per hour – that's faster than a six minute mile! • Sheep have two toes on each foot. • Cows can sense a storm coming and will lie down. • Goats have rectangular pupils, allowing them to see well in the dark. • Ducks' feathers are waterproof. A special gland near the tail produces oil that spreads and covers the outer coats of feathers. • Pigs don't have sweat glands, so they must roll in mud to stay cool and prevent sunburns. likely to waste less and eat a greater variety of foods. 7 You learn about the circle of life. One of the hardest aspects about farming is the fact that where there is livestock there is dead stock. The cycle of life is hard to teach and even harder to accept. Being on the farm brings the joys of new life and the sadness of lost life. It is the cycle of life, hard and rewarding at the same time. 8 You learn to have a greater awareness of weather and Mother Nature: Weather, of all sorts, affects farming on a daily basis. Rain is extremely important but too much is never good. Extreme heat or extreme cold affects everything and everyone on a farm. Farms are very dependent on Mother Nature yet there is no control over any of it. All you can do as a farmer is be aware of what is forecast and prepare properly. 9 Animals have a mind of their own and things change on a daily basis. As a farmer, you need to figure out ways to get chores done if animals, weather or equipment doesn't want to cooperate. Fixing fences, pulling weeds, fixing watering systems so that everything on the farm continues to function are just some problems that farmers face daily. 10 Farming teaches there are sweet rewards after all the hard work: Farming is one of the hardest jobs ever. It is physical, mental, stressful, and emotional but at the end of the day it is so very rewarding. According to U.S. Department of State, American farmers are selling more of their high-quality products to the rest of the world than ever before in the history of U.S. agriculture. The United States, the world's top food exporter, shipped over $139.5 billion in agricultural products abroad in 2018, a $1.5 billion increase over 2017. Agricultural exports support more than 1 million American jobs in farming and ranching, as well as jobs in processing, packaging and transporting the crops. Farmers are important and they really do feed America! Of f icialKidsMag.com • MARCH 2020 • 43

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