The Secret Life of Cows

Most people probably don’t even consider where the milk comes from when they reach to get it from the fridge for their morning cuppa. When they do venture into the countryside, the may be vaguely aware of these black and white animals in the fields as they flash past in the car. It is only when they have left the climate controlled atmosphere that they realise quite how big they are. Sadly, modern factory farming sees them as machines to either pump milk from or to be dosed full of antibiotics to grow at a rapid rate for slaughter.

At Kite’s Nest Farm, Rosamund Young sees all her animals in a very different way, and her cows hold a special place in her heart. Each cow is named and rather than being forced to stay in a single field, show more they are allowed to roam freely around the farm so they can find the best grass or shelter as necessary. This freedom, coupled with the fact they there are not treated as commodities, means that their own personalities shine through. Her observations have shown that they are capable of forming life-long friendships, can hold grudges, play games when younger and grieve when another in the herd dies and in their own way can communicate with us mere humans.

In this gently written, quirky and charming little book, Young sets about rewriting everything that you thought that you knew about cattle. In telling the stories of her animals, there are amusing anecdotes, moments of sadness and examples that show just how highly intelligent they can be. They seek out the plants that can help them when they are ill, and many of them know when to approach the family for extra assistance. This a book that is strangely moving and shows what can be gained from treating animals with the respect that they deserve and is a compelling case against the horrors of factory farming. 3.5 Stars show less

Rosamund Young is first and foremost a farmer and runs Kite's Nest Farm in the Cotswolds. She's been observing animal behaviour since 1980 and began to notice that cows are intelligent animals with personalities as diverse as our own. In The Secret Life of Cows, Rosamund shares anecdotes about her animals, their behaviours and interactions in a personable and chatty manner.

Every cow on her farm is given a name and Rosamund knows the complete family tree of all the cows on her farm. They play games, babysit, hold grudges and grieve. Her cows are able to communicate and let her know if another cow in the herd is hurt, and are surprisingly adept at problem solving. They also love to be groomed, who knew?

I was interested to learn cows will show more seek out food according to their needs, (willow if they have an injury or stinging nettles when pregnant) highlighting and reinforcing the need for organic farming practices.

Presented in an attractive little hardcover reminiscent of a clothbound classic, The Secret Life of Cows would make a lovely gift this Christmas for animal lovers, hobby and full-time farmers.

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin * show less

At Kite's Nest Farm, the cows (as well as the sheep, hens, and pigs) all roam free. They make their own choices about rearing, grazing, and housing. Left to be themselves, the cows exhibit personalities as diverse as our own.

In this affectionate, heart-warming chronicle, Rosamund Young shows that cows love, play games, bond, and form life-long friendships. This book does a lot to debate the issue of speciesism. A human-held belief that all other animal species are inferior. Young argues that they are all individuals and that cows are as varied as people.

This is the type of book that will have you grabbing at your heart and audibly saying, “aww”. The careful observations of Young retelling touching stories of how cows socialise, show more problem solve, and care.

On the inside cover of this book is a family tree of the cows. This book couldn’t be any cuter! show less

Neither surprising, nor very enjoyable to read. I was particularly annoyed by the format (like reading through someone's notes to themselves), the "dialogue" she writes for the cows (it just made the stories read really bizarrely), and the fairly fact-free speculation on science and agricultural policy. I would never deny that animal welfare is very important, and industrial farming a travesty, but finding a better way doesn't mean rejecting science overall. Her ideas about homeopathy and vaccines were not reality-based. This book was part personal observations, and part rousing essay, but didn't do either very well.

I may be biased by the fact that I've already read similar books about invertebrates, meaning that I wasn't remotely show more surprised by any of the intelligence or personality displayed by the farm animals. The Soul of an Octopus made me very attached to the charismatic molluscs, and Dave Goulson's books make insects come to life. I would recommend them over this.

I added back a star because it did make me laugh a couple of times. show less

Any book on animals I will pretty much read. Was glad to see someone wrote about cows, such misunderstood and abused creatures. Enjoyed reading about the unique characteristics of each individual. All animals have distinct personalities, but rarely ever seen by us human beings. However, I would have enjoyed more and believe there was a missed opportunity. I hope one day she shares more stories along with more enhanced day to day life with them.

This was a delight to read. Rosamund Young's respect and affection for the animals in her care soon became clear - not just the cows, but the pigs, sheep and hens too! Although I didn't feel that I had learnt anything new by the time I had finished the book , this was probably because she was "preaching" to the converted!

This is a new edition of a book first published in 2003. I cannot figure out why the publishers would choose to reprint it. It is a short book (137 pages) that felt like a long book.

The editors did not carefully review it, leaving in a reference to the photo of two cows on the cover, when there is a single cow on the cover. The editors of this US edition, should also have helped clarify some of the information that is specific to the UK farm the cows described come from.

Some of the anecdotes and information about cows are interesting, but they are not told well. More than once the narrative changed from one paragraph to the next, and I could not figure out the train of thought that lead to the change.

I think I would love this book, if show more the storytelling were better. show less