“Cow pieology 101 – The study of cow pies” is the work of Professor Tom R. Troxel [pictured here]. Professor Troxel is Associate Department Head of the Department of Animal Science at the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.
The Drovers Cattle Network published “Cow pieology 101“. Here is the beginning:
Cow pieology is the study of cow pies, but it’s certainly not a science. It’s an art that beef cattle producers have practiced for many years. Many beef producers observe cow pies to determine when to start supplemental feeding or when to rotate the cattle to a different pasture. The shape, size, color and texture can tell a story about the cow’s diet quality.
By observing the cow pie, one can get an indication of the quality of the animal’s diet. This is not a science but rather an art that can be used as an indicator. Figure 1 is a cow pie from a pregnant cow eating hay that tested 14.8 percent protein, 28.2 percent fiber and 57.3 percent TDN or energy. This hay met the cow’s requirements for protein (7.8 percent) and TDN (53.2 percent). This cow pie was flat, round and dark in color. The fiber content in the hay was low (28.2 percent); therefore, the hay was easily digested.
The cow pie in Figure 2 shows a remarkably different shape. It was not flat and round but rather the cow pie is hard, stacked and showed grooves or waves. When this cow pie landed on the ground, it stacked one on top of the other. This cow was eating hay that tested 5.1 percent protein, 31.5 percent fiber and 53.7 percent TDN. A cow pie with this shape usually is a sign of high fiber and low digestibility….
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BONUS: “Effects of Water on the Decomposition and Release of Nutrients from Cow Pats,” C.H. Dickinson and G. Craig, New Phytologist, Vol. 115, No. 1 (May, 1990), pp. 139-147. The authors are at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
