Beef producers in the U.S. face the Sisyphean challenge of producing more protein using less land requiring fewer of their limited resources. Improving cattle feed efficiency is an important way to maximize profitability and sustainability, and taste is an important driver in increasing feed intake. The sense of taste plays a crucial role in mammals’ food choices and eating habits. With around 25,000 taste buds, cattle have significantly more receptors than humans, making them more sensitive to taste. Taste receptors, located in specific tongue areas, correlate to sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami tastes, helping cattle avoid harmful food sources. The present study analyzed the type and number of cattle taste buds on the tongue along with cattle feed intake data to identify potential drivers of feed intake, aiming to optimize feed strategies while also improving cattle health and productivity. The abundance of taste buds allows cattle to select and sample forages and feedstuffs, optimizing their dietary choices.This study addressed three objectives. The first goal was to compare feed intake data from Angus influenced steers and correlated with taste bud counts and types. Specific focus was placed on examining both circumvallate and fungiform taste buds to identify significant relationships their populations with animal performance metrics. The second objective was to quantify the types of taste bud cells in the apex, intermediate region, and lingual area of the bovine tongue to understand distribution and density. The final objective of this study was to determine volatile fatty acid concentrations in cattle saliva to determine if it could be used as a proxy for ruminal volatile fatty acid content or if the VFA concentrations could be correlated with taste bud type and geographic distribution. This study provided further insight into the measurements and concentrations of Volatile Fatty Acid (VFA) found in cattle saliva to understand the role in digestion and energy production. Saliva sampling offers a potential noninvasive method to assess digestion kinetics and end products. By analyzing VFA concentrations in cattle saliva, this study aims to enhance understanding of diet’s impact on animal welfare and feed efficiency. The findings could significantly advance knowledge of ruminal microbial ecology and its implications for animal nutrition and welfare.