Doctoral candidate in the “Farm Management” department at the University of Hohenheim

I find this image very redolent of my anatomy lecture in the first semester of my Bachelor’s degree, in which we dissected cow stomachs. This experience was not only lasting (I still remember it ten years later), but above all instructive, as it provided a tangible explanation for previously rather abstract concepts and figures such as feeding rations and pH values. 

What is declared here by the photographer as a “decorative purpose” is, from my perspective, much more of a “learning object”: It illustrates how the digestive tract works, promotes an understanding of the cow’s needs, and can even indirectly contribute to animal welfare. Whether decoration or object of research – that is ultimately in the eye of the beholder.

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Director of the “Feed-Gut Microbiota Interaction” department at the University of Hohenheim

The cow's four forestomachs are an anatomical and physiological miracle of biology. The cow thus creates a perfect habitat in her body for millions and millions of microorganisms which would not survive in the oxygen-rich air outside the cow’s stomach. 

In this way, the cow opens up a unique source of nutrition, as with the help of bacteria it can also utilize parts of the plant that we humans, for example, cannot. It is the perfect adjustment.

We now also know that the microorganisms in the digestive tract have an immense influence on the animal. The interplay between the cow and her microbiome determines what type of feed she utilizes and how well, whether she produces gases such as methane that affect the climate, whether the cow is susceptible to disease, or whether she feels well overall. 

This has opened up a large research area that provides us with answers if we want to promote animal welfare and animal health or, for example, look for alternative, resource-saving feed sources. When it comes to many topics, we are still at the beginning.

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Doctoral candidate at the University of Hohenheim’s Department of Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding

The image shows a model of the complex gastric system of ruminants with rumen, reticulum, pouch stomach, and abomasum. It makes it possible to emphasize the importance of a balanced diet for complex digestion. 

An adequate supply of fiber-rich feed (green fodder such as hay, silage) is essential for healthy rumen function. For example, concentrated feed may only be offered as a supplement. 

The forestomachs enable the cow to break down proteins from grassland growths and thus utilize a food source that is not available to humans. Ruminants thus enable the use of pastureland as a source of protein and make an important contribution to food security.

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