How Humans and Cattle Stay Healthy the Same Way.
Everyone, and everything, wants, and strives, to be healthy. Nowadays people are trying to take that extra step to fulfill that New Year’s resolution to stay fit and go to the gym, or eat healthy, anything that may help them lose a few extra pounds. A good way for humans to start feeling better and maybe even loose a little of that unwanted weight is to just go outside. Breathing the same ole’ house air gets boring, spice up your day by going outside and getting some of that fresh outside air in your lungs. If the change of air quality is too much for you to handle at once then simply start your outside excursions by sitting outside. Once you are comfortable with sitting outside, then maybe be a little more active, like in taking a walk or doing some yard work. If you have a pet then take them outside with you and go for a walk or play some fetch (humans can fetch just as well as dogs, it’s really whatever you or your dog prefers to do).
Crazy thing is, cows do the same thing humans do. Cattle, or any sort of livestock, live outside most of the time. They fill their lungs with fresh air all the time. Cattle are so comfortable with the outdoors that they may even accidentally sniff up a little bug while they are enjoying some tasty hay or grass. Cows walk, lay down, take naps, eat, drink, and do just about everything else in the outdoors. Most of the times the cows feel pretty good while doing their outdoor activities.
Now, you may be thinking yeah, sure both humans and cows can exercise, go outside, breathe air, all that good stuff, but how are cows and humans alike in staying healthy?
A mineral tub. Purina is a large supplier of mineral feed for farmers to feed to their cattle.
Well now, the minerals in our diet, as well as in a cow’s diet, are essential for a variety of bodily functions. In an Eat Balanced article it states that minerals are, “important for building strong bones and teeth, blood, skin, hair, nerve function, muscle and for metabolic processes such as those that turn the food we eat into energy. This means that minerals are needed for the body to work properly, for growth and development, and overall, for maintaining normal health.” When cattle do not receive enough mineral they may have a reduced growth rate, a lowered immune system, and they may even have trouble reproducing. To prevent these things from happening ranchers will provide their cattle mineral in the form of mineral blocks or tubs, which is hard mineral that the cows lick.
Mineral blocks can be set in the field or trough for cattle to lick and eat.
However liquid mineral is also an option in the form of a large tub filled with liquid mineral with a wheel attached to the top which the cow licks in order to get the mineral from the bottom of the tub.
Cows eating mineral out of a liquid mineral tub feeder
Written by: Lindsey Wendler