Have you ever thought about what “cud” is and why cows chew it?
Mary Beth de Ondarza, a dairy cow specialist, explains that when a cow chews her cud, it is a positive indication. It suggests she’s comfortable, calm, and eating a well-balanced diet rich in long fiber.
What Is Cud?
Cud is like a special bite of food that comes back up from a cow’s tummy to its mouth for a second chewing. It’s like a lump of partially digested food that the cow takes up from its first stomach. This occurs when the cow chews the meal again to aid the digestive process.
Which Animals Chew Cud?
In simple terms, animals like cows, giraffes, goats, sheep, alpacas, and antelope can’t digest parts of plants called cellulose and hemicellulose on their own.
How Do Cattle Chew Their Cud?
It all comes down to the fact that dairy cows have a special stomach called the rumen, which acts like a big fermentation tank. This rumen has tiny bacteria that break down what the cow eats into energy and protein.
Here’s how it works: When a cow consumes stiff material like hay, it must be softened so that the bacteria in its rumen can digest it. So, when the cow initially eats, it just chews enough to ingest the meal. Then, microorganisms in the rumen begin to soften the meal. The softened meal, known as cud, returns to the cow’s mouth. The cow chews it again and swallows it to ensure appropriate digestion. Chewing the cud also produces saliva, which helps the rumen function properly. Cows like chewing cud when they are comfortable, and they will frequently lie down for extended periods of time to do so.
How Many Hours Do They Chew Cud? What Are the Health Benefits?
Dairy cows in India spend almost 8 hours a day chewing their food for a total of almost 30,000 chews daily. A happy cow is often seen chewing its food contentedly. This is because when cows chew, they produce saliva which helps in digestion by calming their stomach. This helps them eat more and produce more milk.
What makes a cow chew its food? When a cow chews, it’s bringing food back up from its stomach, chewing it again, and swallowing. To keep cows healthy and productive, it’s important to feed them long forages. Around 15-20% of the forage should be longer than 2 inches to ensure proper chewing.
Cows that chew cud are usually healthier. When their rumen works well, they digest more food and make more milk. That’s why farmers watch closely to see if their cows are chewing cud, some even use special monitors to keep track of it.
