There’s a lot more to cows than meets the eye. Everyone knows that cows give us milk which makes all our favorite foods, like cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc. but did you know some of these fun facts about cows…
Cows are natural recyclers and can eat food that would typically end up as waste. Dairy cows thrive on parts of plants that humans can’t eat, even if we wanted to.
SO WHAT SORTS OF BYPRODUCTS DO COWS EAT?
- Almond hulls– Byproduct from the almond industry. The leftover hulls are a good source of fiber.
- Cottonseed– Byproduct from the cotton industry. The leftover cottonseed is a good source of fat and protein.
- Expired (or ugly) produce- Leftover produce from the grocery store is a great source of sugar.
- More examples include using brewer’s grains for brewing beer, sugar beet pulp from making sugar, and some dairies even use candy that would be discarded from the manufacturing plant. (Remember the skittles?)
Their manure is ✨magical✨ (sorta)
- Arizona dairy farmers are always looking for ways to recycle and conserve resources. Many are able to use their manure on crops to help feed their cows. Which brings the cycle of dairy farming full circle. The cows eat the crops, they make milk and waste, the milk goes into dairy products and the waste goes back to the crops.
