I was wondering what would happen if instead of being fed hay cows would be let free and roam freely once they no longer produced milk.
I ask because I have seen pictures of cows in cold climates eat even when there was snow on the ground.
However, I don't think they could really eat anything if there were snow as I don't think they could push the snow away and eat what was beneath it.
Cattle are natural grazers and don't need to be fed hay if there is sufficient grass of the appropriate type growing. Often ranchers do supplement natural grass with minerals.
Similarly, bison are naturally grazers. They thrive on natural resources without any supplementation at all. In the USA, their extreme decrease in numbers was due to over-hunting by the colonials, intentional killing to hurt Native Americans, and the destruction of the bison's natural habitat.
This is the fate of many dairy cows that stop producing milk in India.
What happens is that they usually die some months after they're thrown out -- likely due to eating human waste, such as plastic.
Back before barbed wire, cattle in the USA roamed freely and self fed. They were pretty good at it too.
Other animals that roam in the wild and survive include: Antelope, Bison, Boar, Hippo, Gazelle, Deer, Elk, Moose, Black Bear, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Lions, Tigers, Water Buffalo, Elephants, Caribou, Coyotes, Wildebeest, Hyenas, Wolves, Chimpanzees, Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep, Fox, Horses, and many more.
If these animals can do it, good old American cattle can do it too.
It is true that all animals, (including humans), suffer and eventually die. Is the cows fate any worse than that of a parent who is put in a rest home and never visited?
