Cow magnets are popular with dairy farmers and veterinarians to help prevent Hardware Disease in their cattle. While grazing, cows eat everything from grass and dirt to nails, staples and bits of bailing wire (referred to as tramp iron). Tramp iron tends to lodge in the honeycombed walls of the recticulum, threatening the surrounding vital organs and causing irritation and inflammation, known as Hardware Disease. The cow loses her appetite and decreases her milk output (dairy cows), or her ability to gain weight (feeder stock). Cow magnets help prevent this disease by attracting stray metal from the folds and crevices of the rumen and recticulum. One magnet works for the life of the cow!
Types
There are two types of cow magnets that are widely used:
- Alnico Cow Magnets
Alnico cow magnets are made primarily from Aluminum, Nickel and Cobalt. They may also contain copper, iron and sometimes titanium. - Ceramic Cow Magnets
The ceramic cow magnets have special magnetization pattern which cause nails and other sharp metal objects to line up along the length of the magnet thereby preventing the cow from the danger.
Applications
- Used by dairy farmers for treating and preventing hardware disease in cows.
- The cow magnets are popular among students for various experiments.
- They also have many industrial applications.
