The results showed that calves performed at a similar level to children when learning to potty-train, and did better than very young children.
If you can potty-train a child, you can potty-train a cow. At least, that was the theory a group of researchers in Germany decided to test, in a bid to find a solution to the environmental damage caused by livestock waste.
“It’s usually assumed that cattle are not capable of controlling defecation or urination,” said Jan Langbein, co-author of a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
Farmed cattle produce roughly 66–88 pounds of feces and 8 gallons of urine each day and are free to relieve themselves where they please. However, the spread of their waste into the soil can have negative effects on the environment.