Eli5: How is it that Cows can consume the same fibrous grass that makes every other herbivores scat into tight balls, somehow manage to produce turds of such low density as to be called “cow patties”? ?

Question

Eli5: How is it that Cows can consume the same fibrous grass that makes every other herbivores scat into tight balls, somehow manage to produce turds of such low density as to be called “cow patties”? ?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Cows have a digestive system heavily optimized for grazing on low-nutritional-value grass.

Your small intestine is 5m, theirs is 40m. Your stomach is a small bag, theirs is a giant 4-chambered complex organ that they use like a fermentation vat.

Plant matter that passes through this system is thoroughly destroyed and fermented by bacteria into nutrition for the cow.

“Non-ruminant” herbivores that don’t use this layout tend to leave more undigested fiber in their poo.