• Question: Why do cows have four stomachs and we only have one?

    Asked by syra kate to Chris, Hayley, Jimi, Omur on 16 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Jimi Wills

      Jimi Wills answered on 16 Mar 2016:

      Cows are ruminant animals… they have one true stomach, but 3 extra ones where they can ferment the grasses they eat.

      Grass has a lot of what we call dietary fibre… it means it has no nutritional value to humans. But cows ferment the fibre in their extra stomachs, using special bacteria, so they can unlock the nutrient value of the fibre. The fibre is called cellulose, btw.

    • Photo: Hayley Moulding

      Hayley Moulding answered on 17 Mar 2016:

      Cows have to ruminate their food. This means they aren’t like us, they can;’t just go eating food and digest it easy peasy. Cows have to use these extra stomachs to break the food down, again and again and then be able to use it.

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