Sunday, September 23, 2012

Interesting Cattle Feed Alternatives


The worst drought in half a century in which the U.S. is experiencing currently, has destroyed much of the corn crop that not only feeds and fuels Americans, but also cattle.  Due to the scarcity, corn is essentially unaffordable to people who need to keep their farm animals alive and healthy.  Farmers have turned to alternative ways to feed their cattle, desperately looking for substitutes to the simple sugars that are supplemented to cattle through corn products. 

They mix sugary food such as gummy worms, cake sprinkles, cookies, fruit loops, and orange peels in with their normal feed in order to cut down on the use of corn.  By doing this they are able to decrease their monetary output by 10-50% depending on the vendor whom the junk food is purchased from.

Farmers are extremely careful to ensure that their cattle are receiving the proper nutrients, so although they do mix these foods in with their normal diet, it does not consist entirely on these junk foods.


http://www.weather.com/news/cows-get-sweet-treat-during-drought

1 comment: