The Lovelock American Legion just held its annual "Cow Patty Golf Outing" last week so I thought it might be appropriate to do an article on "Cow-pieology". According to an article written by Benjamin Waldrum, from the University of Arkansas' System Division of Agriculture, Cow dung, or "cow pies", as they're more commonly known, have quite a solid reputation. Dried, they can be used as fuel, thrown competitively like a discus, and, in some circles, cured and used as kitschy accessories (kitschy is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless and/or worthless imitation of art of recognized value., from paperweights to clocks). But cow pies also serve another important purpose: they're an indicator of bovine health and hay quality.
A quick look at a fresh cow pie gives the trained observer a good idea of a cow's diet and general health, said Tom Troxel, professor and associate department head-animal science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. "Cow-pieology" is the study of cow pies, but it's certainly not a science; it's an art that beef cattle producers have practiced for many years," he said. "Many beef producers observe cow pies to determine when to start supplemental feeding or when to rotate the cattle to a different pasture. "By observing the cow pie, one can get an indication of the quality of the animal's diet," said Troxel.
Veteran cow producers, through years of observation, are able to tell whether cows are getting the proper nutritional requirements for their diet. All they have to do is look a pie in the face. The shape, size, color and texture [of a cow pie] can tell a story.
HEALTHY -- Flat, dark round cow pie indicates a healthy diet.
For example, take a cow pie that is flat, round and dark in color. The even distribution and composition suggest that the cow's nutritional requirements are met, and the hay easily digested.
A cow pie that is hard, stacked and showing grooves or waves-think of how lava folds into layers as it cools-suggests a poorer diet. This is usually an indication of a high fiber and low digestibility diet. Low digestibility means less protein, which means the healthy microorganisms cattle need to aid digestion are not as plentiful in the diet.
Like all animals, cattle derive energy from food to acquire nutrients and stay healthy. But poorer-quality hay leads to a less-nutritious and lower-energy diet. Even if a cow's diet has sufficient protein for digestion, there still may be an excess of fiber. That results in the cow deriving less energy from its diet and, therefore, a decrease in body condition or body weight. "By observing cow pies, we can change a cow's diet quality before its condition decreases," Troxel said.
Judging cow pies on face value is an art, but forage testing is a science. Forage tests provide the nutrient content of hay-understood as percentages of protein, energy (known as TDN, or total digestible nutrients) and fiber. Once the forage quality is determined, it can be compared to the nutrient requirements of cattle. If the animal's needs are greater than what's provided in the hay, feed supplements are needed.
These supplements, also known as "least-cost supplemental feeding," generally involve grouping animals based on their nutritional requirements, forage test results and cost of feed grains. Grouping cattle with different requirements - such as non-lactating cows and lactating cows - can cause either overfeeding and a waste of costly supplements, or underfeeding and poor cattle performance.
Combining the "art" of cow-pieology with the "science" of forage testing and least-cost rations is essential to successful cattle management. "The art of beef production must be mastered before the science can be applied, because the art identifies when science should be used, changed or adapted," he said. "But one cannot exist without the other: both are needed to make wise management decisions."
Source: Benjamin Waldrum, University of Arkansas, http://www.uaex.edu/news/january2012/0120CowPie.html
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