Ruminating on Microbiomes

In this episode of Cattle HQ, Madison Kovarna sits down with Dr. Ben St. Pierre from South Dakota State University to discuss all thing microbiome and cattle digestive system.

Microbiomes surround us in our daily life from the bacteria, fungi, and other little ‘bugs’ that live on the front porch door handle, to those that exist in the rumen of a mature cow. When developing rations for cattle, we are not just feeding the cow herself but also the billions of microorganisms that live in the rumen that are responsible for digesting feed. Madison and Dr. St Pierre chat about what in the world a microbiome is, the microorganisms that call the rumen home, and cannulated cow’s importance in the research world.