Chapter 105 (continued)

After calming the cow down, the two men placed the milk bucket under the cow and gently milked her.

There was a problem with the milk, but the cows' milk production remained unchanged.

Milk was sprayed into the milk bucket, and a faint milky aroma wafted out.

Fu Meng noticed the change the moment he smelled the milky aroma. "The milky smell seems different; it's not as strong anymore."

Chang Qingqing leaned closer to the milk bucket, took a deep sniff, and her eyes lit up. "It doesn't seem to have any strange smell anymore. Could it really be a problem with the feed?"

Fu Meng: "It's possible. I'll squeeze out a little more. You can take it back and cook it, then we can try it."

The two quickly milked half a bucket, which Chang Qingqing then carried to the kitchen to cook.

Then, the two of them took a sip and found that although the milk still had a slightly strange taste, it was generally normal and at least drinkable, unlike the milk that made them feel nauseous as they had before.

Chang Qingqing frowned, staring at the cup. "I didn't expect it to really be a problem with the feed."

Fu Meng: "I don't know where things went wrong. Maybe something bad was mixed in with the feed?"

Chang Qingqing: "I'll go get checked out later and see if I can find anything."

In the afternoon, when Fu Meng went to Shi Wen's ranch to cut hay, he told him the good news, "It really is a problem with the hay. With our hay from your ranch, our milk production is much better."

Shi Wen, "Didn't you change your hay?"

Fu Meng: "Yes, that's why we don't know what it was that caused such strange behavior. Let's go back and investigate further."

Shi Wen, "Then let's eat it for a few more days; maybe it will help you recover."

Shi Wen about their own pasture.

His pasture was fertilized with special fertilizer, which was very beneficial to the livestock.

Shi Wen had a very good impression of Fu Meng's family, and insisted that he cut hay for a few more days, saying that he wanted to take good care of them.

Fu Meng said that after his cows ate the pasture from Shi Wen's farm, their condition improved day by day, and their milk production has now returned to normal.

Shi Wen went to Fu Meng's house to see the dairy cows.

During this period, the cows may have been eating well, and their weight has increased. They all look very healthy, and their milk production is obviously quite good.

Chang Qingqing Shi Wen to Shi Wen, who was standing in the livestock shed, "Thanks to your hay, my milk production has basically returned to normal. I'll go and milk a bucket for you to try."

Shi Wen, "Didn't you say there was still a slightly off-taste?"

"He might not be fully recovered yet." Chang Qingqing's brows relaxed. "After being sick, it always takes time to recover."

Shi Wen, "Then I'll try it."

Chang Qingqing and Fu Meng went to milk the cows and brought them back, then cooked the milk for Shi Wen to taste.

Shi Wen held up her cup and took a small sip.

Chang Qingqing and Fu Meng watched from the side, awaiting his feedback.

Shi Wen's expression was subtle. He took a tissue, spat out the milk, and shook his head slightly under the couple's gaze.

Fu Meng sighed, "This milk still isn't working?"

Shi Wen carefully chose his words and said, "I feel like the strange taste inside has become milder, but it hasn't diminished at all; it's still the same strange taste I had before."

Fu Meng: "How could this be?"

Shi Wen and said, "I suspect it's not entirely a problem with the hay. Don't deal with your hay yet. It's possible that my hay is so good that it's masking the strange thing about your cow."

Fu Meng said resentfully, "This damned illness is really torturous."

Shi Wen patted him on the shoulder. "You'll get better. Bring me back another bottle of milk, I'll let Yan Kexing try it."

The Fu Meng family now has mostly milk.

So much bad milk can't be left unsqueezed, otherwise it will cause inflammation in the cows' udders. And once squeezed out, it's not very useful except for making casein.

He filled a large bottle for Shi Wen: "Thank you so much for your help this time."

Shi Wen, "No need to be so polite. I'd like to learn how to handle this kind of problem."

Fu Meng: "I'll see you out."

Shi Wen would bring the milk back for Yan Kexing to taste.

After trying Yan Kexing shook his head. "It's still not quite right."

Shi Wen, "Really? I also think it's not going to work. Although the strange taste has lessened, it's still the same overall flavor. I reckon if we switch back to regular hay, the milk will go back to being unpalatable."

Yan Kexing: "The problem of pasture has now been basically ruled out."

Shi Wen, "Yes. I told Brother Fu and the others not to rush into dealing with the pasture. The problem still lies with the cows themselves; we need to start there to solve it."

Yan Kexing pulled out a stack of printed papers from the folder, flipped through them, and handed one of them to Shi Wen: "I think it might be a problem with the gut microbiota in the cows' stomachs, with too many unwanted bacteria, which is affecting the flavor."

Shi Wen's eyes widened. "Huh? Let me see."

This is a research paper on the influence of the gastric flora of dairy cows on the flavor of milk.

Unlike humans, cows have a complex stomach.

They have a rumen, reticulum, abomasum, and omasum, with the rumen accounting for 78% to 85% of the total stomach. It does not secrete digestive juices but has a very complex microbial community, including ciliates and bacteria.

If a dairy cow has a problem with its gut flora, it can indeed affect the quality of the milk without impacting the cow's physical health.

Shi Wen was carefully reading the paper.

The paper states that microorganisms in the rumen of dairy cows produce many gases during the fermentation of feed. These gases may be transferred from the throat to the lungs during belching, and eventually be inhaled into the bloodstream and then into the milk.

The gas in a cow's rumen is not right, which has a significant impact on the flavor of milk.

After all, cows burp an average of ten to twenty times per hour, and each time a little air enters their lungs. Over a long period of time, the amount accumulated is not negligible.

Shi Wen reading the paper, Shi Wen said, "I understand now. Milk doesn't contain bacteria, only bacterial byproducts, which is why it tastes so strange."

Yan Kexing: "They might have eaten something wrong one time, which disrupted their gut microbiota, and they've been acting strangely ever since. They themselves are fine, so no problems can be found in their digestive systems."