“Everybody that comes out here wants to know about the steers with the windows,” according to Skip Hampton, manager of product research for Novus International.

Skip is also the manager of Novus’ new research facility Green Acres Farm in Montgomery County, Missouri. He says the Holstein steers are used for research trials to study rumen bypass – how an ingredient is degraded or protected in the rumen. To do so, they surgically implant a window into the rumen. “The port doesn’t hurt them and we can pop the center out of there and put products in that we want to test,” he said.

“Their feed consumption is just about the same as a lactating dairy cow,” Skip explains. “So, the idea is to use those as a model for a lactating dairy cow and we can look at a lot of different product concepts through the steers.”

Skip says the steers are much easier to handle and are really just like big dogs. “These guys are probably about 1300 pounds right now and they’re like a bunch of big German Shepherds.”

Skip talks about the steers in this video.