Cows Like M&M;'s, Too

Image source: Getty Images

Well, we don't know if they like them, but they will eat them. And as the cost of grains and corn has gone up because of the interest in ethanol, feeding cattle strictly corn is too expensive, reports the Wall Street Journal. So farmers are now moving to alternatives such as m&m;'s and potato chips mixed in with their corn, frankly because its cheaper. Compared to some of the other things that ranchers can and do feed cattle, maybe its not such a bad thing.

Grass-fed cattle make up only 10% of the beef market, according to the report. The farmers have to charge 30% more for the beef because its more costly to raise the cattle, and they can't pack as many cattle onto the property because of resource limitations when cattle just roam and graze. Americans are used to the high-fat taste of corn-fed beef, which is another concern for grass-fed cattle farmers when they take their beef to market. More on Grass-fed CattleUSDA Grass-Fed Beef Label in the WorksAll On The Table: Cows, Corn, Gasoline, Spinach, E. Coli, and GrassThe Carbon Footprint of a BurgerMove to Ethanol Expected to Fuel Trend to More Vegetarianism