[taejavu]

The vast majority of cattle are raised in a pasture and eat grass, even those labeled “grain fed”. Grain fed just means they spend some time (e.g. 30 days) in a feed lot.

I hadn’t heard about cows eating alfalfa though, where is that happening? Wouldn’t it be more valuable to sell it to people instead of using it as feed?

[YetAnotherNick]

Grass takes lots of water to grow.

[taejavu]

That water is free. It’s called rain.

[YetAnotherNick]

So when there is no rain you let the cattle die? Feed on other people's land? By that logic even server's water can come from rain.

> Around 14 percent of the 3 670 km3 of freshwater withdrawn each year for the irrigation of crops and pasture is allocated to produce feed items for livestock

[1]: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a7f...

[taejavu]

Yes, drought often results in the death of livestock.

[velvetfoxtrot]

Sort of. It has the opportunity cost of the forests we cleared for it.