When we picture a cow, we typically picture her in peace, grazing on some grass. However, grass is not included in the majority of our cows diets in America. Because of extra money from the government, farmers grow corn in excess to feed farm animals so that it's less money to spend on specific animal food. Unfortunately, cows are not designed to eat corn, but to eat grass. This means the corn is not digested. When the corn isn't digested it grows a bacteria, which is commonly known as E. Coli 157 H7. The E. Coli bacteria then spreads through the cow's system, and into the parts of the cow in which we ingest (meat and milk) and thus, into our bodies. Feeding cows food they cannot digest poses a major problem to our society's health. An estimated 73,480 E. Coli cases are reported each year, leading to 2,168 hospitalizations and approximately 61 deaths. Although not many deaths occur, this is still alarming enough to want to do something about! The government needs to stop being cheap, supply proper food for the cows to eat in order to prevent more fatalities.
- http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/kingcorn/cows.html
- http://onlygrassfed.com/pasture-vs-feedlot.html
- http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/4/04-0739_article.htm
- Kaylin Cust
Hello Kaylin. I think this is an informative post, which gives me more of an incentive to agree with you. The CAFOs that animals are being put in could increase contamination of cows and humans alike in the long run.
ReplyDeleteHere's some evidence that I have found:
http://www.freep.com/article/20120923/NEWS06/309230153/Toxic-aftermath
http://www.wnd.com/2004/10/26829/
http://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2011/01/cows-eat-grass-not-corn-or-soy/
The first website is an article about the aftermath of a 1973 contamination in Michigan. many of the victims still have medical issues today. This connects back to what I have said earlier about people having medical problems for a long time. The second website reiterates what I have said earlier.
The second website talks about the detrimental effects that feeding corn has on cows.
I have a question for you:
What are the ethical issues that are being raised in the United States of the abuse of cows?
Shannon comment score: 20/20
DeleteI agree with you. Cows should not be fed corn because they can not digest it properly. Did you know that the E-coli can also affect the people who consume that animals. According to a movie Food Inc a little 2 year old boy died from eating meat that was called back. There should never be a reason that meat has to get call backed if the animals was treated the way they was supposed.
ReplyDeleteShatavia
Shatavia comment: 19/20
DeleteKaylin,
ReplyDeleteSolid evidence and overall good post. My question is, is it the government's responsibility to supply food for the cows? Isn't this the job of the companies that are taking care of them? Wouldn't it make more sense for the government to regulate how these companies operate?
Just a thought.
Post score: 28/30
73,480 E. Coli cases are reported each year!? You'd think the government would try to stick a fork in it before this worsens. This post is very enlightening and I do agree wholly. I do believe that the government knows what's going on, they just don't really care.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html
On this site, they give you general information about E. Coli. You are not told specifically how you can get E. Coli or anything of the sorts. All you are told is that it "can be transmitted through contaminated water or food, or through contact with animals or persons."
But of course, they'd never tell us about feeding animals corn in order to make money faster.
Kaylin, do you think if the demand for meat was lower, cows would hardly be given corn?
-Cheyenne
Comment Score: 19/20
DeleteKaylin did you know that the grass-fed cow, which eats from a pasture and is not on a diet of grains and supplements so they get really fat, is said to be better for Planet (less energy goes into growing grass than grain); better for the beef eater (less overall fat, and more omega-3s and other "good" fats); and better for the cow. Not only is grass better for cows there is less of the E.Coli bacteria threat. In the past cows were on farms being lead to watering holes by cowboys. We should be aware of the damage we do to our planet! If we even fed humans half of the corn they feed the animals we wouldn't need as much meat as we eat now! All the Government money going to grow extra corn can also be put into the economy. An industry that man made....that can't be fixed? That's wrong on so many levels.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/29/grass.grain.beef.cookinglight/index.html
-DeVaughn
Comment Score: 18/20
DeleteThis is a big issue! It's okay for us humans to eat corn but not our cows. It isn't properly digested. This is huge because their feces are everywhere on the farm they live on. When it rains their feces runs onto the healthy foods so this makes me feel unsafe with healthy foods too. My question is: Do you know at what degrees i can cook my food at for it to be safe for me to consume? I think farmers need to stop feeding cows corn because they know the outcome. I also feel the farms need to be even more separated than they are.
ReplyDelete-Quante