A viral video from Old Crow Ranch has sparked frustration and concern after a farmer made a shocking discovery while feeding his cattle.
In the Instagram Reel, the farmer pulls a mangled soda can out of a haylage bale — an item that should never have been there in the first place. "This could end up in a cow's stomach," he says, holding up the crumpled metal.
The caption reminds the viewers about the dangers of littering: "You never know where your trash might end up. You could inadvertently be killing animals."
This highlights a serious but often overlooked issue: littering and its impact on livestock and food production. Many farmers grow hay fields along roadways, and despite regular cleanup efforts, trash still makes its way into feed. The ranchers at Old Crow Ranch, located in Maine, note that they conduct trash pickup walks yearly but would have to do them daily to keep up with the amount of waste thrown out.
Beyond being frustrating, this kind of contamination is dangerous. When cows ingest sharp metal objects, they can develop hardware disease, a painful and potentially fatal condition caused by foreign materials puncturing their stomachs. Farmers often use magnets to help catch metal fragments before they can cause internal damage, but preventing litter in the first place is the real solution.
The video has sparked an outpouring of support from commenters who understand the struggles. "We have found so much junk in hay in the past. Lazy, ignorant people," one commenter noted. Old Crow Ranch further added: "Hardware disease is no joke. Please don't litter."
While the frustration is understandable, the message is clear: Small, mindful actions — like properly disposing of trash — can have a big impact. Keeping roadsides clean doesn't just help the environment; it also protects the farmers and animals that sustain our communities.
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