Cows are herbivores and ruminants. Their special digestive system allows them to process plant-based food with particular efficiency. Their diet mainly consists of fresh grass, hay and silage.
Cows are true gourmets with a hearty appetite: In the summer, a cow eats up to 80 kilograms of fresh grass per day, and in the winter, around 20 kilograms of hay. Of course, eating a lot makes them thirsty. A cow drinks between 50 and 100 liters of water per day, depending on its diet, the temperature and its milk production.
The quality of the feed plays a decisive role in this, both for the well-being of the animals and for the quality of the milk. Whereas many dairy farms use grass silage in the winter, its use is not permitted in the production of Appenzeller® cheese. The reason for this stems from the cheese-making process itself: silage may contain fermentation bacteria that could interfere with the ripening process. For this reason, dairy farmers strictly adhere to a silage-free feeding practice.
