Cow candy feed is one of the many different kinds of animal feed you can purchase for your cows. The type of feed you choose for your cows depends on a variety of factors. For example, if you have dairy cows, you will want to find a feed that has been specially designed to promote milk production. You can also look into other types of feeds, such as by-product feeds, sawdust, and Skittles. These types of products will help you keep your cows healthy and happy.
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Skittles
For decades, farmers have fed their cattle Skittles. Candy is one of the cheaper forms of carbohydrates for animals, and many farmers give their cows sweets to help them survive in the winter. In 2012, a Reuters report estimated that farmers in the US could save 10 to 50 percent by feeding candy to their livestock.
The Skittles factory in Waco, Texas melts unused candy into syrup, which is then sold to livestock feed processors. According to the company’s website, “Skittles are used in a variety of food byproducts, including ruminant animals such as cows and sheep. These foods are then mixed with other ingredients to achieve a nutritional profile.”
Last week, a large amount of Skittles spilled out of a truck in rural Wisconsin. The truck was hauling candy for a local farm, but the sweets fell off the flatbed and coated a highway. The incident caught the attention of CNN, which reported on the spill.
Sawdust
Some farmers in southeast Iowa are using sawdust as cow candy feed. It may not be the most aesthetically pleasing feed, but it is a relatively inexpensive source of carbohydrates for farm animals.
Besides candy, this feed also includes corn, vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients. The claim is that this mix is as nutritious as grass hay, which makes the feed an attractive proposition to farmers and ranchers.
Bob Batey, who runs a 50-cow herd of Angus and Charolais cattle in West Point, IA, claims to have found a method for making sawdust into a usable cattle feed. He soaks the sawdust in nitric acid to break down the cellulose and lignin bond, freeing up a large percentage of cellulose.
Chicken poop
In the cattle industry, feeding a good amount of poultry poop to your cows can make for a nice meal at the end of the day. The FDA has approved poultry litter for use in cattle feed a couple of times, in the early 1990s and 2005. This enables ranchers to cut costs and boost meat output. However, a recent study has highlighted the downsides of this practice.
First, there is the fact that a lot of chicken poop gets spilled. Second, chicken poop contains a myriad of microorganisms, some of which can make humans sick. Moreover, the food-grade type can contain heavy metals like arsenic and cadmium. Finally, a good quality spill may contribute to the dreaded waste-to-feed ratio.
By-product feedstuffs
Candy is fed to cows to provide them with extra calories and sugar. The practice is increasing as prices for corn increase. However, this method of feeding cattle is not without its critics.
By-product feedstuffs are a cheap waste product from the production of human food. For ruminants, these include blood meal, wet distillers’ grain solubles, and ethanol from distillers’ grains. While these by-products can be beneficial, some consumer groups have expressed concerns about the health implications of feeding them to animals.
Despite these criticisms, by-product feeds can offer producers a valuable opportunity to trim feeding costs. But the process requires careful consideration. Some factors to consider include storage, handling, and consistency.
By-product feedstuffs include candies, chocolates, orange peels, and other food waste. These products can be added in small amounts to beef cattle’s diets, which allows for a variety of nutritional profiles.
Long-term costs
Among the many expenses involved in running a cattle operation, the feed cost is by far the largest. Cattle consume large quantities of grain. If the price of corn or soybeans is a concern, an alternative form of feed may be worth considering. Aside from the nutritional value, there are other factors to consider, like handling, transportation and storage.
Cow candy feed isn’t an unheard of practice. In fact, in the past few years, some farmers have taken a different approach. They have mixed in cheaper ingredients to their standard cow meal. These products include: peanuts, corn, and even cotton. This is the latest fad in cattle feeding, and one that can reduce overall feed costs for beef cattle.