Monday, April 25, 2011

Answer to what is it

I came home to find this contraption laying on the kitchen table, and I said What IS this?

Hubby says "it's my magnet to pick up screws I drop down in engines or when I drop them on the floor I use it to find them.
BUT.... said I  WHAT IS IT? what did you make if from. I can tell it is a magnet on a piece of heavy Wire...

Hubby says "its a Cow Magnet, farmers make the cows swallow them to clean out their insides.
WHAT??? I don't believe you.... Google It was the answer so I DID
Who knew? I did not!
 If you know me at all, you KNOW I had to find a box of screws and TRY that magnet thingy to see if it would pick up the screws... see below
This magnet taped to a 2 foot piece of heavy duty wire, has hung on the side of his red tool box for 26 years and I never saw it before.... lack of commuication????
Congratulations to Leontien at Four Leaf Clovers, she KNEW what it is. She lives on a "Dairy Farm"
Wikpedia says....
A rancher or dairy farmer feeds a magnet to each calf at branding time; the magnet settles in the rumen or reticulum and remains there for the life of the animal. EEWW!

If you want to know more... it is really interesting
go to Cow Magnet Choices  I found this interesting tidbit there.
 While grazing, cows eat everything from grass and dirt to nails, staples and bits of bailing wire (referred to as tramp iron and this causes HARDWARE DISEASE... I kid you not!


If you want one they run 12 to 20 dollars each.... don't have a cow? tape it to a wire and use it to find screws.  I KID YOU NOT...... this is a shocker, right? right?

17 comments:

Scott Law said...

I had heard of them before but I live in a somewhat agrarian community. Very interesting.

Ginny Hartzler said...

O.K. this is almost like something you would see in one of those fake comedy ads!! I never heard of such a thing, so now I don't feel bad for not guessing right. All this time and look what you finally found!! Maybe you should raid Bob's work area!!!

Shanda said...

That is so funny. I looked at the photo for a long time yesterday trying to figure it out!!!

Unknown said...

What an interesting post Sandra, this is all new to me so I really happy that I have learned something new. Thanks Kev

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Never would in a million years have guessed that one....
Hugs,
Betsy

Regina said...

Well I can't keep up with your posts and I have lots of catching up everywhere so I will say I enjoyed your Easter post and photos..so pretty of the orange cross and blurry background..the ocean shot is beautiful too!! Love it! Well I am behind in my e-mails too..anyhow just wanted to wish you a relaxing week my friend (hugs)~

Angela said...

Oh my! I should have shown that to my husband. He might would have known what it was but I sure didn't! lol You know what I thought it could be! lol

Your husband deserves the Tim the Tool Man Taylor Award of the Day!

Have a Great Day!
Angela

Leontien said...

Hi Sandra! Yep but we don't feed them to our baby calves! haha we give them to our grown up girls. and yes you are right they will eat a lot of "hardware" and this way we keep it from puncturing true the rumen or other areas. They cost us 10 dollars but we have a lot of cows!

and if people want to see our girls your more then welcome to www.fourleafcloverdairy.com its our website!

Thanks!
Leontien

p.s. i LOVE the header again!!!

From the Kitchen said...

You need a post editor because, the way you wrote this post, it seems to say that you got a box of screws and swallowed them followed by that cow magnet to see if it worked. I really thought that when I scrolled down, I'd see some part of that happening. I was a little disappointed to say the least!! = )

Best,
Bonnie

Ann said...

well I guess I was way off...lol. I've never heard of such a thing. I mean I've heard of attaching a magnet to a pole so you can retrieve lost screws and things but never knew there was such a thing as a cow magnet.

Chatty Crone said...

Well I am late to reading the blog and I saw your answer - it still amazes me - there is something for everything and your hubby was smart enough to invent it.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Sandra, I have had some unusual What is This? posts, but this one really beats all of them. Never would have guessed its use.

SquirrelQueen said...

Nope, I would never have guessed that was a cow magnet. That such a contraptions was hanging on a guy's tool box, yeah that I would guess. Since my hubs usually make things like this from what he has lying around .... does your guy have a stash of cow magnets?

DawnTreader said...

Never heard of cow magnets, but farm life is not really my 'thing'...

I have a kind of pincer thingy which I got as technical aid and if I turn it upside down there's a magnet in the handle, so if I drop a small metal object like a needle, I can use the magnet to "look for it" and pick it up.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

You do find some very unique things to keep me on the lookout for things. Thanks.

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

You do find some very unique things to keep me on the lookout for things. Thanks.

Tipper said...

My husband has one too : )