Fred is a fistulated steer, which means he has an opening in his stomach. He is a crossbreed of Holstein and Angus and weighs about 1,600 pounds. Fred is the third steer to be fistulated at the University. Professor of Animal Science Glenn Wehner inserted a similar hole into Coco the Steer in 1988. When lightning struck Coco in 1992, Fred had just reached maturity and was a perfect candidate for fistulation.
Cattle have four-chamber stomachs, which makes the fistulation process possible.
Fred received a shot of anesthesia and stood on all fours during the operation. A small slit was made in the skin on his left side, exposing a layer of muscle. His muscles were gently pulled apart to expose his upper stomach chamber, the rumen. The rumen was pulled through the opening and sewn to his outer epithelial layer of skin. Finally, a rubber tube and stopper were inserted, making Fred ready for research.