Do you eat like a cow? Why do cows eat all day?
Cows are mammals which are unique group of animals that feed their young milk. They are also herbivores which are a group of animals that naturally eat only plant products such as grass. To understand why cows eat all day we need to look at what is in grass and why cows need to eat so much.
Grasses are plants belonging to the group of monocots. These are fast growing herbaceous plants that provide ideal food for cows. Grasses contain high levels of water and food substances in the form of starch, sugars, cellulose and minerals that have been extracted from the soil.
As grass has a very low dry matter content (what is left after all the water is taken out), cows have to consume enormous amounts in order to obtain enough food. Lactating cows will consume approximately 100 kg of fresh grass each day (that is 30 tonnes of grass or approximately 52 spud boxes each per milking season!) and due to the relatively low digestibility of grass, cows or all herbivores need a special digestive system. All plant cells contain cellulose in the cell walls which is indigestible and must be broken down before it can be absorbed along with all the other soluble nutrients contained within these cells.