6-1 Farm Animals

Everyone knows about dogs, and many people keep them as pets. But did you know that there are also dogs that work on farms? These dogs are called herding dogs. Herding dogs help farmers move other animals, like sheep, around farms. Farmers use special words and whistles to control the dogs. Some herding dogs are so good that they join herding contests. They show their skills, and the best dogs win money.

If you ask someone to think of a farm animal, most people would say a chicken. Chickens are one of the most common animals in the world. People raise them in almost every country. In fact, they are so popular that over 50 billion chickens are raised every year. Of course, chickens are raised for their meat and eggs. Healthy female chickens, called hens, can lay almost 400 eggs in one year. The meat and eggs are an important part of the world's food supply.

When most people think about cats, they usually don't think about a farm. But cats do live on farms, and they have an important job to do. Most farmers have a cat on the farm to help them kill mice and rats. These small animals can eat the food farmers are growing, so the farmers use cats to stop them. The cats you find on farms are similar to pet cats, but they are a little more wild. That means they aren't as friendly as the cats we keep as pets.

Cows are a very important part of most farms. People all over the world raise cows for their meat, called beef, and for their milk. You can get more than 200 kilograms of beef from a single cow. The meat is used for steaks, hamburgers, and many other things. The milk that cows make can be drunk, and it can be made into cheese, yogurt, and many other products. Cows are large animals, so they can also do some work on the farm. The skin of a cow can also be used to make leather.