Digestive System of Cattle

Cows have similar digestive systems to other animals except for their stomachs. While everything travels through the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, the cow's stomach is a complicated organ as it is divided into four separate compartments. These are the rumen, the reticulum, the omesum and the abomasum which all serve different functions.

  1. Rumen

    • The rumen is the largest of the four stomach compartments in a cow. This part of the stomach can hold up to 25 gallons worth of food depending on the size of the cow. The rumen is on the left side of the cow and it is divided into multiple sacs. This is where the fatty acids in food are absorbed by the cow's stomach.

    Reticulum

    • This part of the stomach is similar to a pouch. It is toward the front of the stomach. In reality, this section is not entirely separate from the rumen. This is where all the heavy or dense food drops and the nutrients are absorbed. It is also where any foreign objects eaten by the cow will be absorbed into its body, potentially causing fatal infections.

    Omesum

    • This part of the stomach is called the omesum or "manyplies." It contains a multitude of thin, leaf-like structures. This part of the stomach acts to absorb the water from digested material, called ingesta, and dries out the food using the leaves. It also absorbs any other useful nutrients from the ingesta.

    Abomasum

    • This is often referred to as the "true stomach" of the cow. This is because it is the only one with a glandular lining. This makes it closest to the average mammal's stomach. This is the part of the stomach that uses various chemicals to break down the food for easier passing.

    Intestines

    • Aside from the stomach, the digested food is also passed through the intestines. This works similar to the intestines of a non-ruminant animal. The small intestines absorb any nutrients that might be helpful to the cow which the stomach did not previously absorb. The small intestines then connect to the large intestines through the cecum, which breaks down any food that is still too big to pass.