Cow gut DNA study finds bacteria that could increase milk yields

The discovery of thousands of bacteria in a cow’s rumen – the first of its four stomachs – could improve meat and dairy production. These microbes help cattle to digest and extract energy from their food. Researchers from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and the Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen analysed the rumen contents of hundreds of cows and discovered thousands of bacteria, as well as single-celled organisms cal