• Question: When 'Cow Tipping' takes place, why can't the cow get back up?

    Asked by sharman2k10 to Ben, Heather, Louisa on 24 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Ben Still

      Ben Still answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      The size and reduced flexibility of the cows legs mean that it cannot right itself from laying on its side.

    • Photo: Heather McKee

      Heather McKee answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      Good question!!
      Funny enough there have been numerous scientific publications on this area which have debunked cow-tipping as a myth. Cows only doze instead of sleeping while standing up, and they are easily disturbed. Even funnier is that a number of maths boff’s performed a variety of calculations to determine if cow tipping is physically possible!! A study led by Margo Lillie, a doctor of zoology at the University of British Columbia, concludes that cow tipping by a single person is impossible. Her calculations found that it would take at least two people to apply enough force to push over a cow if the cow does not react and reorient its footing. If the cow does react, it would take at least four people to push it over. Professor Lillie noted that, contrary to the myth, cows are well aware of their surroundings (they have excellent senses of smell and hearing) and are very difficult to sneak up on!!
      see the following image that illustrates the foce needed to tip a cow!(4 people required)
      http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,242244,00.jpg

      The problem with a cow not being able to get up is that when cows lie down on their bellies with their legs under them. They get back up by straightening their legs. A cow which has been tipped, falls on her side with her legs to the side, and she cannot often get her legs under her to get back up-poor cows!

    • Photo: Louisa Chard

      Louisa Chard answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      Pretty sure that cow tipping is actually a myth because cows are huge, pretty fast and very aware of their surroundings so would be extremely difficult to get close enough in the first place, let alone push one over. They have a pretty low center of gravity too, which makes them pretty stable.
      I would also think they can get back up, think that bits a myth too. They lie down all the time. WOuld just probably take a bit of effort to get up from that position as opposed to their lying down position as they’ve got quite a bit of weight to support and it’ll be hard to get their legs under them to support this. They’d manage it though, albeit awkwardly.

Comments