A new report released by the Department of Agriculture reveals that beef cattle fed a steady diet of corn make for deliciously overweight steaks. “Corn is like candy to an 8 month-old cow”, states old ‘Mac’ McDonald, who has a farm in Eahi, Idaho, “and on this farm we raise our cows to obesity in a matter of months.” When cattle are fed corn, they gain weight faster, and their meat contains more marbling, or fat, along with a more consistent taste.
Do Corn Fed Cows have Health Problems?
Some animal activists have criticized the practice of corn feeding, noting the suffering caused to the animal. Because it’s not natural for cows to eat large quantities of corn, they are more likely to suffer from bloat, even fatal amounts of excess gas, and liver abscesses. Cows consuming a lot of corn are also more susceptible to E. coli infection, which can in turn infect people who eat the meat. Because the corn is high in phosphorous and low in calcium, it can also lead to the development of urinary stones in cattle.
But not to worry says old McDonald, “they don’t suffer long, we snuff out those delicious beasts way before they get old enough to care.”