If you notice very few cows lying down during a farm call, it may be time to discuss the importance of sternal recumbency and recumbent rumination. Rick Grant says in a cow’s perfect world over 80 percent of rumination should occur when the cow is lying down. Resting with the sternum, or breastbone, on the ground and a slight left-side preference is the cow’s optimal resting and ruminating posture.
There is a positive relationship between rumen pH, de novo fatty acids and milkfat yield.” – Rick Grant
Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, December 12, 2022. Link.