A mistake by a farm worker in Hokkaido last week resulted in a mind boggling 500 tonnes of cow urine overflowing from a reservoir. Although this is a piddling amount considering that it was only being moved because a 3,000 tonne capacity tank was already full to the brim with the unpleasant liquid.
Due to this unfeasibly large amount of discharge, the unfortunate farm hand was transferring the waste product to another reservoir when he went home and forgot to switch off the pump. Returning to work at 4 a.m. the next day, the man found that his blunder had caused 500 tonnes of urine to run into an irrigation channel. This itself would have been bad enough, but part of the channel runs into a river branch, which to add to the worker’s woe has two spawning points for trout and salmon.
Now unfortunately my farming and urine collection knowledge is minimal at best, and subsequently there are a few parts of this story that I find difficult to comprehend. For starters, what use does the urine have? I’m presuming it does have some purpose, as surely there would be no need to stockpile it otherwise. And secondly, whilst I’m probably better off not knowing, having never seen a cow toilet, how on earth does one go about collecting cow urine?
Erik says
I suspect that cow urine might be used as a nitrogen source for fertilizer. As far as how it’s collected…perhaps the cows are in some sort of pens?
Nic says
I’ve got a feeling it’s collected to prevent it from polluting the environment. Cows produce an unbeliievable amount of waste and it has to be dealt with safely. As for collecting it, I’m thinking concrete floors and drainage channels, maybe.
http://www.dairybusiness.com/midwest/Apr2000/vrebahoff.htm
This sorta talks about one farm’s system.
Nigel M. says
According to this website, cow’s urine is used for medicinal purposes in India by both Hindus and Buddhists & has been for quite some time. There’s also some link on there that claims that it’s been patented in the US as a “bio enhancer.” I’d rather not know what this is all about. If I start reading, I know I’ll find that it’s in everything I eat. It’s a bit like perfume. You’re better off not knowing the ingredients.
David S. says
My grandfather used to use cow dung in his garden. Now urine? Lord have mercy, I have no idea…
dzogo says
well, back in the old country, everything was collected.
The solid stuff (lizier) and the liquid stuff (purin).
Both were used to fertilize, at different time of the year.
The purin stinks more awful than the lizier.
By the way, these are probably slang terms
Brett says
I have a feeling it is used to dye the wigs that those ladies are wearing in the story below.
Lee says
It’s nice to see there are a few cow urine experts out there!
Your slang term for it is quite amusing dzogo, as プリン (purin) is the japanese word for pudding.
On second thoughts that’s not so amsuing. As going by what you said Nigel M, there could be a connection. I cetainly hope not!
Minime says
I remember reading a while back about these type of prescription hormones some women take. It was actually a derivative of the urine from pregnant horses.
As for the cows, they probably are just trying to keep it from getting into the milk. Except for butter milk, then it gets added in.