tagged w/ mattresses
-
The Internets are weird, but partly because they expose elements of our world and culture that are odd and otherwise go unseen. For example, take any fetish that exists in well kept secrecy in the real world and expose it to the anonymity of the web, suddenly people with shared interests start connecting with one another in a way they never could before.
So, when tiny nuggets like this story about comfy cows in Norway upping their milk production by 5-6 percent just from lying around on mattresses for approximately half of a given day, it actually makes me reflect. Which is more odd, finding quality returns when providing more comfortable environments for food producing animals, or taking extreme measures to maximize production and output?
You're likely already familiar with the reputation Argentina has when it comes to their high quality, free range beef.
Beef is, indeed, bueno! -- A look at the Argentine beef industry
The secret to the savory flavor of Argentine beef lies in the grass-fed technique. It takes longer, but the finished product is renown. What you might not be privy to is that Argentinean beef has slipped on the international market. Once dominant, the Argentine cattle business is following in the footsteps of other cattle producing countries by switching from grass-fed rearing to feedlot pens. This comes after reports that Argentine beef consumption must lower by 2011 due to cattle shortages.
The method in which I arrived at my personal outlook may not be scientific, but hearing that more comfortable environments helped increase milk production doesn't really surprise me. It also doesn't surprise me that grass-fed cattle produce a higher quality beef product. After all, if I were facing the inevitable (in this case, a trip to the slaughterhouse), I would feel much more relaxed spending my days grazing grasslands. But in fairness, to take that scenario one step further and suppose that I discovered my fate I would more than likely try everything in my power to end up like Maxine the fugitive cow. Not only did she escape from a slaughterhouse, but she also managed to earn her way into a slaughter-free living on a farm. Pretty nice outcome.
A Cow's Dash for Freedom
I'm just saying.The Internets are weird, but partly because they expose elements of our world and... more
-
