The twenty-first century is the time when the latest technologies are introduced in all areas of life and science. The farm was also not without "updates." So, recently, more and more often you can see on the street or in the photo of cows with holes in their sides. This is not a mockery of animals, not the wonders of computer photo editors, but a special technology that simplifies livestock and farmers. This will be discussed in this article.
Cow stomach
So, why does the cow have a hole in its side? The appearance of such holes is due to the fact that the animal has a very complex digestive system. The stomach is a multilevel mechanism that is designed to digest large amounts of fiber. This body can be compared with a real factory. Due to the content of various microorganisms in the cow's stomach, a substance such as cellulose can be digested. That is why cattle can feed on hay and at the same time not feel discomfort.
Digestion problems
Although the cow’s stomach is such a complex system, it may malfunction. Most often, they are associated with the fact that the microflora of the organ is very sensitive, so it can be disturbed due to unbalanced nutrition. There are times when the diet of an animal changes dramatically. For example, a cow was fed hay for a long time, and then suddenly she was given young clover, silage, beets or other plants.
In such situations, the microorganisms that are in the stomach of the cows cannot quickly react and immediately adapt to the digestion of food of another kind. Because of this, an excess of deposits is formed in the rumen, that is, in a certain section of the stomach. The cow suffers from this. If assistance was not provided to her on time, she may die. To prevent such situations from happening, they make holes in the cows on their sides.
Old solutions
Before the new technology for creating holes in the side of the animal appeared, farmers and veterinarians had a different way of dealing with the digestive problems of cows. For this, the belly of the cows was simply pierced in a special place. This allowed the release of excess gases from the body. However, this procedure was urgent and very painful for the animal. Moreover, such operations were carried out, as a rule, too late. The fact is that farmers until the last hoped for a wonderful recovery of cattle and were in no hurry to call a veterinarian.
Benefits
Why do cows have a hole in their side? The use of valves instead of piercing the abdomen is due to several reasons that are simultaneously advantages of this technology.
- Instantness. You can open the valve at any time as soon as necessary.
- The ability to remove excess gases from the body.
- Cleansing the stomach. Poorly digested food can be removed through the valve, and this will prevent the growth of pathogens.
- Control the number of bacteria and other unicellular organisms that live in the cow’s stomach.
- Diet planning. According to the state of the body, you can understand what products the burenka can digest at the moment best.
As you can see, there are many answers to the question of why cows have holes in their sides. The main disadvantage is unattractiveness. However, there are no other minuses.
Painlessness
Protecting the body of an animal - that's why a cow has a hole in its side. There is a myth that the valve gives the burenka a lot of inconvenience. However, veterinarians who carry out operations to install them, assure that it is absolutely safe for the cow. This does not prevent her from conducting life activities, eating, sleeping and walking. Moreover, there is a feeling that animals do not even feel the valve in their body.
Disputes
On the one hand, implantation of the valve prevents various problems associated with the digestion of the cow. That is why many farmers set them in advance when the animal feels quite well. This is done even if the scar did not bother the cow before. However, not all animal advocates support the view that implantation of valves is advisable. Some are sure that it is better to avoid this procedure. Needless to say, cows with holes in their sides do not look very attractive (photo is presented in this article). We can say that this spectacle is not for the faint of heart.
Farms
There are special farms where specialists study why a cow has a hole in its side. There, work is underway to study the relationship of feed and microflora of the stomach. A special valve is inserted into the scar, which makes it easy to take samples and take analyzes. Moreover, various excursions are organized at such farms. Even children can look at the work process. Those who wish can independently extract from the stomach incompletely digested food. Animal advocates are confident that this behavior is unacceptable. By participating in such an excursion, people can find out what the hole in the side is actually called. There is the term "fistula" which designates this concept. Thanks to the fistula, you can understand which foods are best given to a particular cow.
Product synthesis
Animal advocates are still unhappy with the practice of implanting valves, despite the fact that they know why there is a hole in the side of the cows. An interesting fact is that scientists are trying to explore the principle by which microorganisms work in the gastric tract of animals. And if these works are successful, then it will be possible to find a way to synthesize new products. They will be very useful for humans, but at the same time they are considered vegetarian.