- Title: ARGENTINA: Semi-retired dentist saves semi-retired cows from the slaughterhouse
- Date: 16th May 2010
- Summary: LAPRIDA , ARGENTINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COWS EATING IN FIELD VARIOUS OF RANCH WORKERS CHECKING SEVEN-YEAR-OLD COW WITH WORN TEETH COWS WALKING THROUGH YARD COW TEETH PROSTHESIS INVENTOR OSVALDO ERROBIDART AND RANCH MANAGER ALEJANDRO QUINTEROS LOOKING OVER HERD COW TEETH PROSTHESIS LYING ON TABLE VARIOUS OF OSVALDO SOLDERING PROSTHESIS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COW TEETH PROSTHESIS INVENTOR OSVALDO ERROBIDART , SAYING: "Sometimes we have cases where we check cows that are quite young because the ranchers worry that their [teeth] have worn down before they should. The ranchers now know they have to check the teeth of each animal every year , and they are learning new things , before they hardly ever opened the mouth of the animal and now they are starting to realize that their profits pass through there. Because the cow can eat if it has its teeth; it is main capital of a productive animal." RANCHER ON HORSE MOVING COW IN CORRAL COWS MOVING DOWN CORRAL VARIOUS OF QUINTEROS AND HELPER PUTTING PROSTHESIS ON COW WITH CLAMP VARIOUS OF COWS WITH PROSTHESIS IN FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RANCH MANAGER ALEJANDRO QUINTEROS , SAYING: "After doing this over the last three years we believe in it and we are going to keep it up. (Journalist asking: And it doesn't hurt the cow?) No , no at all. Absolutely not." BUENOS AIRES , ARGENTINA (RECENT) (REUTERS) BUENOS AIRES UNIVERSITY VETERINARY FACULTY SIGN FACULTY COWS LEAVING CORRAL VARIOUS OF BUENOS AIRES UNIVERSITY VET MARCELO ZURITA AND TEAM LOOKING AT FIVE-YEAR-OLD COW'S TEETH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BUENOS AIRES UNIVERSITY VET MARCELO ZURITA , SAYING: "The objective of the dental prostheses is to try and maintain proven fertile cattle , which for a farmer or anyone is a very good cow , but unfortunately because the teeth wear out they can't continue [in the production] because they can't eat. So the objective is to try to extend the life of these animals. It would be ideal for them to provide more calves and to increase the productive life of these animals because it is spectacular animal , a grown animal that already knows the farm -- and when I say they know they farm I mean they have built up immunity there and will respond perfectly to any infection that comes from outside." VARIOUS OF COWS EATING HAY
- Embargoed: 31st May 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: Science / Technology,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA76INUZZIO0MJ11UFAAADJJ7DV
- Story Text: Millions of cows around the world suffer from a common problem. When they reach eight years of age, their teeth have been worn down to the point where they can no longer eat properly. They are then deemed unproductive and are sent to the slaughterhouse.
On average a cow bites down 15 times per minute and spends a whopping 15 hours a day chewing.
First they feed on pasture, then they masticate the food a second time in a process call rumination , where the pre-chewed food comes back out of their stomach so they can gnaw it again for better digestion.
A dentist in Argentina, the world's biggest per capita consumer of beef , has invented a cost-effective way of helping their cows chew long: they have given them new teeth.
Osvaldo Errobidart, a semi-retired dentist, started welding cow teeth prostheses 20 years ago, but only in recent years he convinced some farmers in the Buenos Aires province area of Laprida to try out his invention on a large scale.
So far they have had animals that would have been sent to market live for three years past their expiry date.
"Sometimes we have cases where we check cows that are quite young because the ranchers worry that their [teeth] have worn down before they should. The ranchers now know they have to check the teeth of each animal every year , and they are learning new things , before they hardly ever opened the mouth of the animal and now they are starting to realize that their profits pass through there. Because the cow can eat if it has its teeth; it is main capital of a productive animal.", Errobidart said.
Argentina is famous for its grass-fed beef cattle raised on the legendary Pampas plains, but as more land is turned over to crops as soy prices around the world boom, some industry analysts say the country could soon be forced to import beef for the first time.
Interest in the prostheses has taken off as Argentine farmers look to bump production.
Made from stainless steel and fixed into place with a pair of household pliers in just 30 seconds , the teeth prosthesis are a handy and cheap solution.
Without them cows start losing weight and have problems providing enough milk for their calves.
"After doing this over the last three years we believe in it and we are going to keep it up. (Journalist asking: And it doesn't hurt the cow?) No , no at all. Absolutely not.", said ranch manager Alejandro Quinteros.
Veterinarians have warned that prostheses could introduce bacteria and infections into the animals mouth , and say they should be monitored by experts to ensure the animal remains healthy.
However , they also agree that it makes sense to keep a mature cow in the herd than replace her with a new heifer if possible.
"The objective of the dental prostheses is to try and maintain proven fertile cattle , which for a farmer or anyone is a very good cow , but unfortunately because the teeth wear out they can't continue [in the production] because they can't eat. So the objective is to try to extend the life of these animals. It would be ideal for them to provide more calves and to increase the productive life of these animals because it is spectacular animal , a grown animal that already knows the farm -- and when I say they know they farm I mean they have built up immunity there and will respond perfectly to any infection that comes from outside , " said Buenos Aires University vet Marcelo Zurita.
Other prostheses are available on the market , but they are made out of plastics and are individually-molded so tend to be a lot more expensive.
This Argentine solution seems to combine cost-effectiveness and common sense in a way that could keep farming animals out to pasture until...well, the cows come home. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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