Cows eating "candy" corn
Farmers look for cheap alternatives to corn feed, but are there health consequences?
Candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner might be a 5-year-old’s dream, but it’s the new reality for dairy cows in some parts of the country. Reuters reports that this summer’s drought has driven up the cost of corn feed, forcing farmers to look for cheaper and more plentiful alternatives. And they’ve found them in the form of gummy bears, marshmallows and even cookies. 
Ki Fanning, a nutritionist with Great Plains Livestock Consulting in Eagle, Neb., told Reuters:
"It's kind of funny the first time you see it but it works well. The big advantage to that is you can turn something you normally throw away into something that can be consumed. The amazing thing about a ruminant, a cow, you can take those type[s] of ingredients and turn them into food."
But are there any health consequences for humans from consuming dairy products from cows on a sugar high? Not exactly, as the federal government mandates strict nutritional guidelines for livestock to make sure that they’re getting a healthy mix of energy, protein and nutrients. So, just as with humans, it’s all about moderation.
According to the latest forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2012 is on track to yield the smallest corn crop in six years, which undoubtedly will force farm operators to continue looking for alternative feed options.
OK folks, it seems that not to many of you have ever seen a cow let alone know about their diet or their digestive system.
Yes cows eat grass, but also they eat clover, mushrooms, browse on your bushes etc. They have 4 stomachs, they regurgitated the grass and chew it several times, as it moves through the stomachs it is converted to amino acids and sugars and fermented. The sugars feed the cow, not the grass. Just step in one cow patty and you will see the grass.
And for you that think you should be a vegetarian just look at your teeth and digestive track, they are like a bear's or pigs. You are a omnivore. That means you eat everything and if you don't you might not live a healthy life.
It amazes me that people who have probably never worked a dairy or even seen milk extracted from an utter make comments on cows eat only grass. A lactating cow that is milked for a year or more would be very unhealthy and immune deprived if all she consumed was grass. We feed a mixture of grains including corn and maze. The reason we feed corn is that it turns into what, yep that’s right sugar. Well guess what candy turns into sugar as well. I can guarantee you a dairy farmer is not going to do anything that would endanger his cows because they are his living and they give milk many more times than once in their lifetime.
