Due to the nature of cow's eating large portions of food without chewing, it leads to conditions known as Hardware Disease. This condition is caused when cows swallow a relatively heavy and sharp object such as nails, wire fencing, etc., which eventually finds its way to the rumen and the reticulum. The contractions from the reticulum can lead to irritation and inflammation, and this infection can potentially be life threatening to the cow.

To protect the cow's stomach from these harsh conditions, stock farmers insert a cow magnet into its stomach to attract these harmful objects.