Close Menu
    What's Hot

    After the Divorce, She Lived Hidden in a Storage Unit – Until One Night, She Heard Knocking from the Wall and Got a Ch!lling Message: ‘Don’t Open the Wall Again’… But When the Police Finally Checked, They Said Something That Made Her Collapse: ‘There Was Never Any Hole Here

    August 1, 2025

    My Husband Secretly Transferred the Car to His Mother to Avoid the Divorce Settlement — But in Court, the Judge Said: ‘If the Car’s in Your Name, So Are the 127,000 Rubles in Fines’… And That Was Just the Beginning of the Downfall That Left Them Both Speechless

    August 1, 2025

    I Worked Extra Shifts And Paid For My Husband’s “Medical Treatments” With My Own Hands For Six Months—Until I Caught Him With His M!stress In A Furniture Store, Picking Out Pieces For Their “Cozy Love Nest,” And Heard Him Whisper: “Once This Place Is Done, I’ll Finally Leave Her”—I Didn’t Cry. I Made Him Lose His Job, His Reputation, And The Very House He Built On L!es, All Because Of A Quiet Plan I Executed In Silence.

    August 1, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Saturday, August 2
    KAYLESTORE
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • Home
    • TV & Drama

      My father had an aff.air with my fiancée the night before our wedding. I found out—but stayed silent. At the altar, just as she said “I do,” my actions stunned everyone

      July 24, 2025

      The Unexpected Scenes That Gave Audience ‘Lifelong Phobia’

      January 16, 2021

      Travel Demand Fuels a Boom in Asia Pacific — Hotel Rooms

      January 14, 2021

      Paris Fashion Week Opens With Drama And Dashes Of Humor

      January 14, 2021

      15 Details You May Have Missed In The Netflix Series

      January 14, 2021
    • Typography
    • TV & Drama
      1. Lifestyle
      2. Technology
      3. Health
      4. View All

      My Husband Secretly Transferred the Car to His Mother to Avoid the Divorce Settlement — But in Court, the Judge Said: ‘If the Car’s in Your Name, So Are the 127,000 Rubles in Fines’… And That Was Just the Beginning of the Downfall That Left Them Both Speechless

      August 1, 2025

      I Worked Extra Shifts And Paid For My Husband’s “Medical Treatments” With My Own Hands For Six Months—Until I Caught Him With His M!stress In A Furniture Store, Picking Out Pieces For Their “Cozy Love Nest,” And Heard Him Whisper: “Once This Place Is Done, I’ll Finally Leave Her”—I Didn’t Cry. I Made Him Lose His Job, His Reputation, And The Very House He Built On L!es, All Because Of A Quiet Plan I Executed In Silence.

      August 1, 2025

      After Finding a Baby Aband0ned in Business Class with a Note Saying “Please Don’t Search for Me… Love Him as Your Own,” I Helped R3scue His Mother from a Danger0us Relationship—And Made a Decision That Would Change My Life Forever

      August 1, 2025

      She Kept Driving Over My Flowerbed—“Oh, Sweetheart, Flowers Grow Back. I’m Just Running Late,” She Smirked. When Chicken Wire and Legal Paperwork Failed, I Finally Realized: This Wasn’t About the Lawn. It Was About Me. That’s When I Decided It Was Time for Something Stronger. What I Did Next Made Sure She Never Came Back.

      August 1, 2025

      The Volume Buttons on Your iPhone Have Countless Hidden Features

      November 2, 2024
      8.9

      Review: Our Memories of COVID-19 are Biased — and Why it Matters

      January 15, 2021

      US Gives Go-Ahead for Orsted’s New Jersey Offshore Wind Farm

      January 14, 2021

      You Can Now Call An Uber For Hot Air Balloon Rides In Turkey

      January 14, 2021

      10 Simple Remedies to Help Relieve Gum Disease At Home

      May 31, 2025

      Easy and Fast Home Remedies to Remove Skin Tags Overnight

      May 30, 2025

      10 Cancer-Linked Foods You Should Never Put in Your Mouth Again

      May 27, 2025

      Healthy and Delicious Banana, Avocado & Carrot Smoothie Recipe 🥑🍌🥕

      May 26, 2025

      My father had an aff.air with my fiancée the night before our wedding. I found out—but stayed silent. At the altar, just as she said “I do,” my actions stunned everyone

      July 24, 2025

      The Unexpected Scenes That Gave Audience ‘Lifelong Phobia’

      January 16, 2021

      Travel Demand Fuels a Boom in Asia Pacific — Hotel Rooms

      January 14, 2021

      Paris Fashion Week Opens With Drama And Dashes Of Humor

      January 14, 2021
    • Privacy Policy
    Latest Articles Hot Articles
    KAYLESTORE
    Home » What Are Portholes, and Why Are They Used On Cows?
    Health

    What Are Portholes, and Why Are They Used On Cows?

    kaylestoreBy kaylestoreOctober 4, 20244 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook WhatsApp Telegram Copy Link

    When you hear the word “portholes,” you likely imagine small windows on a ship or airplane, but they’re also used in a very different context—on cows. Yes, you read that right. Farmers and scientists have been using portholes on cows to access their stomachs for decades. This controversial practice, while largely unknown to the general public, plays a key role in livestock research and agriculture. Here’s everything you need to know about the use of portholes on cows, their purpose, and why this practice is both praised and criticized.

    What Is a Cow Porthole?

    The practice of creating portholes into cows is said to date back as early as the 1920s.

    Cow portholes, also known as cannulas or fistulas, are surgically installed openings that provide direct access to a cow’s stomach. These openings are typically sealed with a plastic ring that keeps the hole accessible for research purposes. The procedure allows scientists to insert or remove material from the cow’s rumen (the largest of its four stomachs) without having to repeatedly sedate or operate on the animal.

    A Practice Dating Back to the 1920s

    Animal rights group L214 has called for the practice to end

    The practice of fistulating cows began as early as the 1920s. Originally, researchers wanted a better way to study a cow’s digestive process. By creating an opening in the cow’s side, researchers could take samples of partially digested food, microbes, and gases directly from the stomach. This method has since become a common practice in agricultural research, particularly for improving digestion and studying how cows process feed.

    Why Are Portholes Used on Cows?

    A fistulated cow

    Portholes offer easy access to a cow’s stomach for research on digestion and feeding efficiency. Farmers and scientists use them to monitor how cows digest food, aiming to improve feed formulations that optimize growth, milk production, and even minimize harmful emissions like methane and nitrates.2 The ultimate goal is to create a more sustainable and productive agricultural system while reducing the environmental impact of livestock farming.

    The Impact on the Cow’s Health

    cows facing forward

    Surprisingly, researchers claim that cows fitted with portholes often live longer than their counterparts. After an initial recovery period of four to six weeks, the cows are said to live relatively normal lives. Studies suggest that these cows do not suffer long-term pain and can even live up to 12–15 years. However, the initial surgery does involve some discomfort and risk for the animals.

    Maximizing Milk Production and Reducing Emissions

    Bottles of milk on a factory line

    The primary reason behind this procedure is to maximize food production and reduce environmental harm. By understanding how cows digest different types of feed, researchers can help farmers develop diets that improve milk production and reduce the need for antibiotics. Furthermore, minimizing methane emissions from cows—one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases in agriculture—has become a major focus of this research.

    Criticism and Ethical Concerns

    An ethical sign

    Despite the benefits to research, the use of portholes has drawn significant criticism, especially from animal rights groups. Some argue that the practice is invasive and cruel, describing it as an unnecessary exploitation of animals. In France, where the procedure has been used extensively, organizations like L214 have condemned it as an “unfair system” and have launched petitions to end the practice.

    Are There Alternatives to Portholes?

    Veterinary treatment of cattle. Outdoor back view of brown and white cow with a rumen fistula hole on the side due to indigestion issue.

    As technology advances, alternative methods for studying digestion are being developed. For example, laboratory models that simulate the fermentation process in a cow’s stomach are becoming more popular. These plastic models mimic the conditions within the rumen, reducing the need for fistulated cows. However, many researchers still believe that direct access to a live animal offers insights that cannot yet be replicated in a lab setting.

    Portholes on Display at Agricultural Events

    an agricultural event

    In some countries, cows fitted with portholes are even showcased at agricultural fairs and events. Visitors are sometimes invited to reach into the cow’s stomach to see how its digestive system works firsthand. While these demonstrations aim to educate, they have sparked controversy and protests, with many calling it an unnecessary spectacle.

    The Debate Over Animal Welfare

    cow facing the camera

    The debate surrounding portholes on cows raises larger ethical questions about the treatment of animals in agriculture. While proponents argue that this research helps improve animal health and sustainability, critics maintain that it prioritizes industrial gains over animal welfare. It’s clear that the practice will continue to be controversial, even as scientists search for less invasive methods.3

    A Controversial but Useful Practice

    Cows with cannulas which act as porthole-like devices that allow access to the rumen of a cow, to perform research and analysis of the digestive system

    The use of portholes on cows highlights the complex intersection of science, agriculture, and ethics. While this practice has contributed to advancements in livestock management, it remains a source of significant debate. As more people become aware of the procedure, the conversation around animal welfare and sustainable farming practices is likely to evolve further.

     

    Related posts:

    1. Can Food Balance Hormones? 5 Hormone Diet Tips, Per Dietitians
    2. The new plastic bottle lids are driving us mad for a good reason
    3. Firefighters warn of the 10 things you should never plug into a power strip
    4. If You See These Painful Red Bumps, You May Have Dyshidrotic Eczema
    Share. Facebook WhatsApp Telegram Copy Link

    Related Posts

    10 Simple Remedies to Help Relieve Gum Disease At Home

    May 31, 2025

    Easy and Fast Home Remedies to Remove Skin Tags Overnight

    May 30, 2025

    10 Cancer-Linked Foods You Should Never Put in Your Mouth Again

    May 27, 2025
    Don't Miss
    Moral

    After the Divorce, She Lived Hidden in a Storage Unit – Until One Night, She Heard Knocking from the Wall and Got a Ch!lling Message: ‘Don’t Open the Wall Again’… But When the Police Finally Checked, They Said Something That Made Her Collapse: ‘There Was Never Any Hole Here

    By SophiaAugust 1, 2025

    After the divorce, she lived in a storage unit. One night, she heard a knock…

    My Husband Secretly Transferred the Car to His Mother to Avoid the Divorce Settlement — But in Court, the Judge Said: ‘If the Car’s in Your Name, So Are the 127,000 Rubles in Fines’… And That Was Just the Beginning of the Downfall That Left Them Both Speechless

    August 1, 2025

    I Worked Extra Shifts And Paid For My Husband’s “Medical Treatments” With My Own Hands For Six Months—Until I Caught Him With His M!stress In A Furniture Store, Picking Out Pieces For Their “Cozy Love Nest,” And Heard Him Whisper: “Once This Place Is Done, I’ll Finally Leave Her”—I Didn’t Cry. I Made Him Lose His Job, His Reputation, And The Very House He Built On L!es, All Because Of A Quiet Plan I Executed In Silence.

    August 1, 2025

    After Finding a Baby Aband0ned in Business Class with a Note Saying “Please Don’t Search for Me… Love Him as Your Own,” I Helped R3scue His Mother from a Danger0us Relationship—And Made a Decision That Would Change My Life Forever

    August 1, 2025
    • Home
    • Lifestyle
    • Technology
    • TV & Drama
    • Privacy Policy
    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.