Oh... how come the phrase "corn-fed" is used to describe wholesome things?

[Deja Q]

Corn is a starch vegetable, not good for diabetics or anyone on a reasonable-carb diet... doesn't seem wholesome to me.

And now, a message from the sponsor that has nary a clue as to who (or what!) I am:


The milk industry! The very same one that won't tell you that injecting cows with rBST and rBGH causes the cows greater illness and distributes more pus into the very milk they want you to drink! Mmm, mmm, good! Wholesome corn-fed pus! And the antibiotics pumped in ensure you will be left immune when a gaggle of bacteria enter your system and party!

[Hugin]

1. It's because corn is an essential food...

ADM (Soopermarket to the wold) says so.

It's in everything.

Must be a required food group.

[Deja Q]

5. Essential for a cow, what with a cow having 4 stomachs and all...

Nice memory re: Supermarket to zee world. They seemed to use that phrase for only a brief period...
(can't imagine why... :sarcasm:)

[achtung_circus]

2. As with so many other things, it has an agricultural basis.

I basically relates to beef. Grass-fed beef grows more slowly, hence is older at market weight, hence is somewhat more fibrous and tougher.

Grain-fed, or corn-fed beef grows quicker, dies younger and in addition to the tenderness of youth, has added fat. Fat gives more taste.

[cornfedyank]

7. the flecks of interstitial fat are called marbling.

mmm... juicy burgers with slices of tomato.

[achtung_circus]

11. Interstitial, UUMMMM.

[Lorien]

3. "Corn fed" also means "pumped with antibiotics"

in the cattle industry. Feed lot (corn fed) cattle can't properly digest corn, so they are fed high doses of antibiotics to literally keep them from exploding (the corn causes their stomachs to inflate with gas). Since I have immune system issues, my doctor doesn't want me eating beef or dairy products from anything that isn't free range (i don't eat beef anyway). She says that if I do, antibiotics may not work for me when they're needed. That's reason enough to stay away from "corn fed goodness"!

[Deja Q]

6. O. M. G. A cow can explode?

Can't they just fart?! (that's kinda gross, I apologize...)

That's a good reason to stay away from those products, though. Is your condition curable?

[achtung_circus]

9. I'm sorry to burst your bubble

but you have been fed some misinformation. Feedlot cattle are capable of digesting almost anything. The ruminant is exceptionally good at turning vegetable matter into meat. The limiting factor is the population of microbes in the rumen. It is specific to the diet and change must be made slowly in order to allow microbe populations to adapt.

Feedlot cattle are normally fed a roughage component, typically silage, and a concentrate component, barley in Western Canada, corn (maize) in the US and Eastern Canada. The amount of the concentrate is built up over time.

Antibiotics do nothing to either prevent or treat bloat. Bloat is a condition where the gases of fermentation produced in the rumen do not escape naturally by way of eruction (burps to you and me) As the gas builds up the expanding rumen presses against heart and lungs, eventually causing death if not treated. Not with antibiotics, though. Antibiotics kill bacteria.

The use of antibiotics, at least in this country, is tightly monitored. The tolerance in either milk or meat is zero and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency does the testing.

[Tom Kitten]

4. I think it's all due to the Cramps song

"Corn-fed Dames"

Callin' all cows down on the farm! Hey! Shut the door...you born in a barn?! I ain't no farmer...that's no fun. Run some tractor till the work's all done. Hey milk it bossie I'll buy ya a diamon ring. Now good girls can't play the rent these days. These cornfed dames done found a way. Unzip that zipper...snap that snap. Round up the cattle in the Cadillac. Whip that cream baby 'til the butter comes. Shake it baby shake it baby shake it baby shake it (4 times) Shake that thing I'll buy ya a diamond ring. Now there's more things in Tennessee. Than's a dreamed of in your philosophy. Gimme a barnful of cornfed dames. They wiggle a little I burst into flames. Whip that cream baby til the butter comes. Callin' all you cornfed dames. Lux means bucks...remember the name. Go put on some n'real loud. Let's get up and go get plowed. Shake that thing I might buy you a diamond ring. Go put on the purple one with the plumes at the hip. Put it on upside down baby. You know that really makes me flip. ...I ain't no farmer.

[uncle ray]

15. wow, thought i was the only one with that song in my head

when i read the post title!

[Kali]

8. corn - that is the grain or the vegetable

is a good basic food - ask any indigenous American. The problem is when it is overly processed into starch syrup and oils.

And when it and other "pure" grains are fed to ruminants that are more naturally adapted to eat their grain mixed with abundant roughage in the form of cellulose.

[achtung_circus]

10. Let's get technical.

Cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin are the 3 main types, in decreasing order of digestibility, of vegetable fibre. Monogastric animals like horses, hogs and peoiple can use cellulose and to some extent hemi-cellulose. It is the ruminants like cattle, sheep, goats that shine. They can use effectively all 3 classes of fibre.

[Kali]

13. very well then

:applause:

and by the way, did you mean fibre or fiber?

[achtung_circus]

14. I'm Canadian

I meant fibre.

[Skittles]

12. CARBS ARE NOT BAD FOR YOU

TOO MANY CARBS ARE, JUST LIKE TOO MANY OF *ANYTHING* IS BAD