A question that we get from children and even some adults when they visit our farm is “Can the cows bite?”. We always smile and assure them that no the cows won’t bite them and then inform them why a cow can’t bite them.
Cows are herbavores which is just a fancy way of saying they eat plants. Before I get too far into this lesson on dairy cattle nutrition I must answer the question of why cows can’t bite. Cows mouths are designed for eating grasses 4″ and up from the ground. As you can see in the picture cows only have teeth on their bottom jaw in the front and what is called a dental pad on the top. An animal with only one row of teeth isn’t going to waste it’s time trying to bite people.Although the cow in the picture which is NOT mine makes me wonder. I couldn’t get any of our cows to show me their teeth so Google pics is as good as we’re getting.
When eating they use their tongue to pull the grass into their mouth then bite down on it pinching the feed between their teeth and dental pad. Next they move their head forward cutting the grass with their bottom teeth. The cow then chews the mouthful of food into a partially chewed wad and swallows it. In the back of their mouth cows have molars on the top and bottom to grind their food up when they are chewing their cud. Chewing cud is when a cow regurgitates one of those food wads and chews it usually around 55 times before swallowing it again. That’s impressive when you figure that they spend 7 to 10 hours chewing cud per day. They do all this regurgitating and chewing to help their stomach digest the hard to break down plant fiber.
Dairy cattle are ruminants meaning they have a four compartment stomach that allows them to digest plant fiber. They
- Diagram of cow’s stomach
are able to digest plants because of the compartment in their stomach called the rumen. The rumen is about the size of a 55 gallon drum in a mature cow and is populated by bacteria, fungi, and protozoa which break the plant fiber down into acids which the cow can then use as energy. The cow also gains nutrients by digesting the microbes that pass out of the rumen with the digested feed. When we are thinking about what and how to feed the cow we are really considering how to best feed the microbes in the cow’s rumen. This relationship between the cow and microbes in her stomach is a great example of the complex biological systems at work everyday on a dairy farm.
- TMR mixer
On our farm we feed our cows what is referred to as TMR or a total mixed ration. The ration is formulated using computer software that helps us figure out the right amounts of each ingredient to feed to meet the cows energy, protein, and mineral needs. Sometimes I wish I had a computer program to tell me what to eat to be healthy! The TMR mixer mixes all the ingredients together. We put the mixed feed in bunks and wagons that the cows have access to all day so they can eat at their leisure. This way every cow has the same chance to get the nutrients they need to stay healthy and produce wholesome milk.
We use three main ingredients in our TMR. The most important ingredient is haylage which is chopped up alfalfa, clovers, and grasses that have been fermented in a giant plastic bag. The next ingredient is corn silage which is the whole corn plant chopped up and fermented. The last ingredient is ground barley with salt, minerals and kelp in it. The haylage is high in protein which complements the corn silage that is high in energy. The barley is used for more energy and as a carrier for the salt and mineral. We also offer salt and mineral for the cows to “free-choice” so they can meet their needs if more is required than is in the TMR.
- Haylage
- Corn Silage
- There is a very long answer to “Can Cows Bite.”
- ~Tim
Gotta keep those protozoa happy!
While I believe in doing unto others as I would have done to me, and I consider all animals as “others”, I am glad you wrote this response to “Do cows bite?”
Never being around animals, my relatively new found connection with the animal world and our planet through compassion has lead me to actually go to a farm and meet some animals.
I was afraid the animals would nip or shoe me away with their heads or even worse, their feet. I have a bunny and she does.
At least I know now that I can let them lick me and kiss me and not fear getting an ear taken off 😉
Does this go for all herbivores?
You sound like a wonderful and lovely family run business. I pray you treat every single soul in your control (including employees) as you would your own baby or grandmother until you find a way to make a living that doesn’t exploit the animals, society and our planet (and you could, if you tried).
Aaron, as with any animal, cattle differ in temperament. Some are very approachable, but not all. You have to remember that they are BIG, and while not meaning to, could still hurt you in a confined space just because of their size. And they can give you a shove with their head.if they feel bothered. While they can’t bite you, I wouldn’t let them wrap their tongue too securely around your hand.
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I would like to clarify about the question of whether “cows can bite?” Well It depends on what you mean by “bite”. Will they come up and bite you like a dog would? No. But if you stick your hand in their mouth, and they bite down, yes, you will definitely feel like you have just been bitten. I have raised many a dairy calf and taught them to drink milk out of a pail by having them suck my fingers and then putting my hand in the pail of milk as they dip their nose into the bucket. While many will simply suck your fingers (and eventually figure out that the milk comes from the pail and not your hands), there are some who like to chomp down. So while they do not have teeth on the top in front, they do have bottom teeth and they can be razor sharp. So I have been “bitten” lots of times. Just like you can cut vegetables on a cutting board with a knife, cows can also cut your hand with their bottom front teeth.
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