Farmers may not be happy about the recent drought that’s plagued much of the US, but it’s been a boon for cows with a sweet tooth — because ranchers who can’t afford the high prices of corn are now feeding the animals candy instead.

“[Candy] has a higher ratio of fat than actually feeding straight corn,” said Joseph Watson, owner of United Livestock Commodities in Mayfield, KY. “It’s hard to believe it [works], but we’ve already seen the results of it.”

He mixes the candy with an ethanol by-product and a mineral nutrient and then feeds it to his 1,400 cows, adding the herd seems healthy and is gaining weight at the expected rates.

And since the sweet stuff comes at a cut-rate from various manufacturers who’ve deemed it unfit for human consumption, Watson says it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

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