Why do cows eat 24 hours a day?

This is common misconception that you have started to believe. Cows and Cattle do not eat 24 hours a day. They only eat around 16 to 18 hours per day, and spend the rest of the time resting to chew their cud, socializing with other cattle, getting milked (only if they're dairy cows), traveling back and forth to watering holes, etc. Cattle can only eat so much before they're stomachs get full.