Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
With A Little Sweet Encouragement, Calves Prove Cows Can Quickly Be Potty-Trained
Listen
• 3:19
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Many of us might recall the joy of potty training, a lot of a pep talk and celebration. Look at that. You did that. What a good job. Now, how about potty training a cow?
(SOUNDBITE OF MOOING)
SIMON: Lindsay Matthews has done it. He's an honorary academic at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He's figured out how to get the ones that go moo to use the loo.
Support for LAist comes from
LINDSAY MATTHEWS: So I'm a behavioral scientist. And I use psychology, behavioral training techniques in my research and mainly with dairy cattle - or a lot of my work's been with dairy cattle.
SIMON: Mr. Matthews says that cows are often blamed for the damage their waste does to the environment.
MATTHEWS: It doesn't matter whether they're in the barn or an indoor situation or outdoors. Urine mixes with the feces on the barn floor and forms ammonia. And this is not good for the animals, not good for the people working there and not good for the environment. If they're outdoors when they pee onto pasture, it's just this great gush of nutrient-rich juice that goes on a wee spot. And it gets washed away into the waterways and pollutes the water and also gets converted in the soil into nitrous oxide. And that is also a very potent greenhouse gas.
SIMON: Hey. How are you enjoying your cereal this morning?
Lindsay Matthews thought there might be a way to channel nature's bounty of nutritious odoriferousness.
MATTHEWS: Well, if we could capture this urine at source, so to speak (laughter), we could deal with it, extract the nutrients, utilize the nutrients even as a fertilizer and make sure that there was less going into the environment and polluting it.
SIMON: Lindsay Matthews and his team got to work and modeled their methods in how toddlers are potty trained.
Support for LAist comes from
MATTHEWS: One of the ways to do that is to have the toddler sit on a potty, say, maybe in the bathroom and then that - they're rewarded for doing their business.
SIMON: Board books, M&M, Skittles and a throne to call their own. The calves got a special spot, too.
MATTHEWS: So add green walls and a nice green AstroTurf on the floor and a green sign on the door (laughter) - and we waited for them to urinate in there. And when we saw that, we gave them a tasty treat of a sweet solution with molasses in it, which cows love a lot.
SIMON: They like it so much, to Lindsay Matthews' surprise and to the envy of many parents, the calves learned quickly.
MATTHEWS: Within a few urinations, five to 10 for most animals, they had got this strong connection between urinating and the reward. And we could tell that because as soon as they started urinating, they started spinning around and orientating towards where the food would come from and waiting for it to be delivered. And so this was just - you know, (laughter) we couldn't believe this was so wonderful.
SIMON: Lindsay Matthews says there are billions of cows in the world, each producing an average of 14 gallons of urine a day. So any solution that can roll that tide back and thus cut back on pollution should be milked for all it's worth. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars. -
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Best of LAist