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Cow diet can hurt soil, groundwater – research

April 8, 2013, Merced, CA – When it comes to a cow’s diet, many dairy farmers err on the side of caution, often feeding their cows more salts and other minerals than are necessary, according to a report in the Journal of Dairy Science.

While ingesting unnecessary minerals may have little direct effect on cows, the practice of overfeeding salts and other minerals to cows can negatively affect soil and groundwater quality, according to the research. Cow manure with high mineral and salt content can seep into the ground, degrade the quality of soil and over time make the land unsuitable for farming. READ MORE