Introduction

Humans tend to carefully select the materials we read, watch, and listen to based on whether the material agrees with what we already believe. Those that present alternative positions do not receive the same effort from us to try to understand and to thoughtfully consider the point the author is trying to make. The nutrients provided by these by-products, along with nutrients coming from hay, silage, and grain, allow cows to provide about 17% of the protein consumed in America today. They have also made milk a major economic force in the USA. The number one agriculture commodity in California, the USA’s largest ag economy, is milk. In many other states milk production is critical to the state’s economy as a major provider of employment. The commitment to food animals is not, however, one of longevity. Food animals go to market at various ages based on market preferences, carcass yields, and cultural influences.