The feeding of dairy cows during the stable period is often accomplished within a rather short time, compared with the duration of eating and rumination among cows on pasture. In dairy cows restricted feeding may lead to significant increases in behavioural disturbances, such as stereotyped oral behaviours, compared with giving feed ad libitum. The aim of the present experiment was to test the hypothesis that oral manipulation of feed is a behavioural need in cattle, irrespective of actual rumen load. Twelve rumen fistulated cows were used and subjected to four different treatments: low rumen content+long duration of eating (A), high rumen content+short duration of eating (B), high rumen content+long duration of eating (=positive control) (C) and low rumen content+short duration of eating (=negative control) (D). To obtain treatment A and B, rumen content was transferred by hand from cow A to B through the rumen fistulaes. Each treatment lasted for 3 days with 2 weeks of recovery between each new treatment. This experiment was repeated twice during two consecutive years. All cows were fed the same mixture of silage, concentrate and hay. The cows were videotaped under normal conditions (24h), and on the third day of the experiment. From these videotapes, the behaviours (frequency and duration per 24 h) were analysed.Time spent eating differed significantly between the four treatments, with shortest eating-times in B and D. The cows with low rumen content (A and D) spent shorter time ruminating than the cows with filled rumen (B and C). The B and D cows (short duration of eating) spent longer time with behaviours related to feed-searching that the cows with long duration of eating (A and C). The C cows had fewer bouts of behaviours related to feed-searching than A, B and D cows. The time spent with stereotypies (tongue-rolling) was longer in D than in the other treatments. In conclusion, these results support the hypothesis that oral manipulation of feed is a behavioural need in cattle irrespective of rumen load. A low duration of feeding behaviours combined with a low rumen load, which is a common practice in certain categories of growing cattle or dry dairy cows, seriously impairs the welfare in cattle.