UA Fayetteville Scientists Have 'Window' On Cows' Insides
FAYETTEVILLE - University of Arkansas researchers are asking the simple question _ "how now brown cow" _ to get what they hope will help answer an ecology issue.
4 June 2007
2 minute read
| A cow fitted with cannulas |
The university's Animal Science Department has surgically implanted 4-inch-wide tubes, called cannulas, in the sides of 12 cows.
The cannulas allow the scientists to get a real-time look at a bovine's stomach contents in a study of the effect of grazing on nutrient run off into river watersheds.
On a recent visit, Professor Ken Coffey pulls out the plug of a cannula with an audible pop and reaches a fist into the cow to reveal the stomach contents. The cow stands placid near a fence.
"See, this is what this cow's been eating just now," says Coffey, his hand filled with a green mulch that was once grass on the ground.
Coffey says he is accustomed to the public's curiosity and doesn't mind questions about the cows.
"Part of our role is to educate, and answering questions is part of that role," he says. "We've had kids come in from Rogers schools. Some put on a plastic sleeve and put their hands inside the cows."
The cannula lets researchers study how the cows use food during digestion. The stomach contents can be pulled out and examined, giving researchers clues as to how efficiently the cows are processing different types of feed, Coffey says.
The animals are anesthetized and the operation is typically performed by a veterinarian, says Shane Gadberry, an assistant professor of beef cattle nutrition with the University's Cooperative Extension Program in Little Rock.
"You're going to see (cannula) utilized in a lot of university settings _ Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University, University of Nebraska," he says.
