You've got a bit of spinach on your teeth

(I've been reading the farming newspapers that our local supermarket stockpiles beside the door for the likes of local farmers and me to uplift, skim through then light the fire with.)

Cows are messy eaters - where does the mess go?

By Janette Bush

"If you watch a cow eating you will notice that there is always some of each mouthful that falls to the ground uneaten - cows are messy eaters."

This 'lost' material is called 'litter-fall'

"Dr Pal found that the litter-fall rates ranged from 53 to 72 kgs of dry matter per hectare in a single grazing event, which meant that 4-5 per cent was wasted in the form off the expected total consumption  of the animals."

The purpose of the article is to answer the question, "Where does the mess go?"

"The 'mess' contributes to the nitrous oxide emissions from New Zealand agriculture."

My suggestion?

More appropriate pasture grasses, better grazing regimes. That would do it.