Fertis the steer features a fistula, or hole, that allows people to see inside his first digestive chamber. Courtesy:Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine

DESPITE a wealth of technology, agricultural scientists in Europe are winding back the clock and using a bizarre technique to monitor their livestock — and specifically, what they have been eating.

The process called a cow cannula, involves cutting a hole directly into the cow’s stomach, creating a window, similar to a ship.

The cannula acts like a porthole and gives farmers direct access to the cow’s rumen, allowing them to see exactly what’s going on inside.

Once the cannula is surgically placed in the cow, the animal grazes for a set period of time before being examined.

Farmers can then pull out a plug, reach in and examine what the cow has been eating.

The practice was common in the 1920s and dates even further back to the 1830s.

Even though the cows are anaesthetised and are said to experience no pain, animal rights campaigners have branded the practice as cruel.

On the upside, researchers claim the technique can help the environment by improving the energy efficiency of cows, which in turn reduces the amount of methane gas they release.