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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Guessing about the contents of a cow's stomach is a thing of the past for University of Arkansas researchers — all they have to do is reach in and take a sample. The university's Animal Science Department has surgically implanted 4-inch-wide tubes, called cannulas, in the sides of 12 cows.
The cannulas allow the scientists to get a real-time look at a bovine's stomach contents in a study of the effect of grazing on nutrient run off into river watersheds.
On a recent visit, Professor Ken Coffey pulls out the plug of a cannula with an audible pop and reaches a fist into the cow to reveal the stomach contents. The cow stands placidly near a fence.
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