A pet cow named Veronika uses a tool in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life

A pet cow has learned to scratch herself with a broom, showing creative problem-solving skills that make it harder to ignore the fact that these animals have minds, says Marta Halina

For decades, the default assumption has been that cows don’t have the kind of minds that support tool use. A famous Far Side cartoon, Cow Tools, made that idea into a joke: a cow stands beside strange “tools” that look like nonsense, because of course a cow couldn’t invent anything useful. But a new study suggests otherwise.

Cold weather and pregnancy increase cattle energy demands. Proper nutrition and shelter boost cow health and calf performance outcomes.