Here's One Thing That is NOT on my To Do List

This weekend I read an article that made me laugh, although the author is very serious.  You can read it by clicking the following link:  The Moo Loo

The headline states, "Scientists Are Potty Training Cows with the New 'MooLoo' to Protect the Environment."  Oh my.  

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German scientists have taught cows to urinate in a designated area in order to save the environment.  In only 15 training classes, 11 of 16 cows were successful in walking down a hallway, pushing open a door and doing #1.  (They didn't mention their success rate with #2 in this article.)  They gave the cows treats when they controlled their bladders, using positive reinforcement as you do with toddlers.

"Normally, it is assumed that cattle are not able to control their defecation or urination," Dr. Jan Langbein, an FBN scientist, said in a release. "Cattle, like many other animals or farm animals, are quite intelligent and capable of learning. Why shouldn't they also be able to learn how to use a toilet?"

Cow urine is very strong. We try to get out of the way when they arch their backs and lift their tails. It contains nitrate which can contaminate rivers or pollute the soil if not managed, scientists say. By toilet training cows, scientists believe that they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a significant amount.

I am in favor of protecting the environment as much as the next guy.  We compost most everything.  We re-use containers and generate very little trash.  We want to be good stewards of the land that God created.  Not doing so would be not honoring to God or His Creation.  However, we are drawing the line at potty-training our livestock.  This practice will not be implemented at Our Maker's Acres Family Farm.

We don't have a feedlot.  Our cows and goats and chickens roam free.  There is plenty of space and no over-crowding exists.  The animals all urinate and defecate in the pasture.  That waste does not run off into waterways.  It goes into the soil, breaks down and becomes fertilizer to build the soil and aid in new grass growth in the next growing season.  That is the beautiful cycle that's been going on since the Garden of Eden.  We'll continue to use that time-honored tradition here.  In other words, the construction of the "Moo Loo" will be shelved.