Decoding rumination data

Wearable technology has made monitoring rumination easier. However, there can be some confusion around the optimal rates to aim for.

Dairy cows typically ruminate for around eight or nine hours daily, with steady periods of chewing throughout the day and night.

Stable rumination is important for healthy rumen function and supports optimal digestion and nutrient absorption.

The amount of time a cow spends ruminating can be highly variable and influenced by individual differences and a range of factors, including weather, amount and type of feed, stage of lactation and overall health and wellbeing. And there aren’t necessarily specific targets or ranges.

Studies of housed cows have shown a noticeable drop in rumination time could indicate the onset of metabolic or infectious diseases, but there is less data available for grazing cows in pasture-based systems like New Zealand’s.

A change in rumination time relative to a cow’s own baseline may offer more valuable insights than comparing daily rumination times across the herd.

Adding straw or hay to the diet to meet a rumination target is generally not advisable, especially during the transition period when cows are more vulnerable to health challenges and need high-quality feed.

Dietary fibre recommendations for healthy rumen function depend on the base diet, but fibre levels are usually sufficient when good-quality pasture forms the majority of the diet.

Try to resist the urge to adjust the herd’s diet just to hit rumination rate targets. Whether or not you use wearable technology, sticking to the basics of good transition cow management, like reaching pre-calving body condition targets, providing quality feed, and supplementing with magnesium and calcium, will help reduce transition cow disorders, set cows up for a successful lactation, and support herd reproduction.

Wearables can provide valuable insights into your cows’ wellbeing, but they work best alongside visual monitoring and physical examinations.

If changes in rumination are detected, combining these tools can help identify the underlying cause and guide appropriate interventions or management adjustments.