Cow dung
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2008-07-02T06:05:12Z
Yamakiri
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/ScuberSteve|ScuberSteve]] to last version by Katanada (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Unreferenced|date=January 2007}}
[[Image:CowPie-JeffVanuga.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Fresh cow dung]]
[[Image:Drying cow dung.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cow dung being dried for fuel in India.]]
'''Cow Dung''' is a term used for the [[feces]] of the [[Bovinae|bovine]] species. The species includes the [[cow]], [[American Bison|buffalo]], [[ox]] and [[bullock]]. Cow dung is basically the digested residue of [[herbivorous]] matter which is acted upon by [[symbiotic]] [[bacteria]] residing within the animal's [[rumen]]. The resultant faecal matter is rich in [[mineral]]s. Colour ranges from greenish to blackish. In due course, the resulting matter turns yellow due to chemical changes caused by sunlight.
== Uses ==
In many parts of the developing world, cow dung is used as a [[fertilizer]] and [[fuel]]. Caked and dried cow dung is used as a fuel to cook food in many parts of Asia and Africa. Especially in [[India]] where it is known as '''gobar''', cow dung is also used as [[manure]].
In recent times, the dung is collected and used to produce [[biogas]] to generate [[electricity]] and heat. The gas is a rich source of [[methane]] and is used in rural areas of India to provide a renewable and stable source of electricity.
Cow dung is also used to line the floor and walls of buildings owing to its [[insect repellent]] properties. In cold places, cow dung is used to line the walls of rustic houses as a cheap [[thermal insulation|thermal insulator]].
It was also used extensively on Indian Railways to seal smokeboxes on steam [[locomotive]]s. {{Fact|date=May 2008}}
Cow dung is also an optional ingredient in the manufacture of [[adobe]] [[mud brick]] housing depending on the availability of materials at hand.<ref>[http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs34d.htm Your Home Technical Manual - 3.4d Construction Systems - Mud Brick (Adobe)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Variants==
A ''buffalo chip'', also called a ''meadow muffin'', is the name for a large, flat, dried piece of [[Manure|dung]] deposited by the [[American Bison|buffalo]] from the large amount of [[grass]] that it eats. Well dried buffalo chips were among the few things that could be collected and burned on the [[prairie]], and so were used by the [[Plains Indians]], [[Emigrant Trail|settlers and pioneers]], and [[Homestead Act|homesteaders]], as a source of heat for cooking and warmth.
Buffalo dung is sometimes referred to by the name ''nik-nik''. This word is a borrowing from the Sioux language (which probably originally borrowed it from a northern source). In modern Sioux, ''nik-nik'' can refer to the feces of any bovine, including domestic cattle. It has also come to be used, especially in [[Lakota]], to refer to lies or broken promises (especially by the U.S. government). It probably attained this sense by association with the English "BS".
== See also ==
* [[Manure]]
* [[Biofuel]]
* [[Feces]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.iscowp.org/Nuggets/101%20Uses%20for%20Cow%20Dung.htm 101 uses of CowDung]
* [http://www.nps.gov/home/buffalo_store.html National Park Service] - about buffaloes, including information on chips.
[[Category:Animal physiology]]
[[Category:Cattle]]
[[Category:Fuels]]
[[Category:Materials involved in Hinduism]]
[[Category:Cows]]
[[Category:Feces]]
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[[de:Kuhdung]]
[[eo:Bova flano]]
[[fr:Bouse]]
[[nds-nl:Kouvlodde]]
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[[pl:Kał krowi]]