Ruminant Digestion

What makes ruminants different from monogastric animals?

Ruminants have four distinct compartments in their digestive tract.

Which is the largest of the four compartments?

The Rumen in Adults, the abomasum in calves

Do newborn calves ruminate?

Newborn cows are pre-ruminants- they’re more monogastric than ruminant, but as they eat hay and grains, they develop a large rumen.

What is the role of rumen microbes? Where does the ruminant animal get its protein?

Bacteria, protozoa, and fungi feed on forages ingested by the animal. Though fermentation it produces end products that are utilized.

-fiber digestion

-fermentation

-products of protein- cows “eat” the microbes which are protein source

-production of VFAs

-Breakdown nutrients

-methane production

What is the rumen? What is its function? What are the end products of fermentation in
the rumen?

The rumen is the largest compartment and the fermentation vat

where microbes digest forages and roughages

synthesize volatile acids  

What is the reticulum? Why is it called the “hardware stomach?”

Contains small “honeycomb” compartments that collects small particles and funnels them to the omasum

extra area for fermentation

collects things that shouldn’t be in the stomach -nails and screws

cows swallow magnets to help with this

How does a reticulum magnet function?

A magnet is placed/swallowed by cows to sit in the reticulum to attract metal to keep it in the stomach, so it doesn’t affect the cow coming out

What is the omasum? What is its function?

Has many folds, produces a grinding action on feed 

removes H2O from food and aids in digestion

What is the abomasum? What is its function?

It’s the “true” stomach- simple monogastric

breaks down nutrients, has digestive juices, absorbs nutrients.

How does food travel through the ruminant digestive system?

The four steps of feed utilization

1. digestion- mechanical, mastication, chemical, enzymatic

2.Absorption- monogastric- small intestine- ruminants rumen wall and small intestine

3.circulation- delivery of nutrients via circulatory system

4.metabolism- cellular (Co2, H2O) by products

Major end products

VFAs- products of fermentation- animals major energy source

ammonia- manufacture microbial proteins-60% protein- bacteria

gases- wasted energy

What structure transports milk to the abomasum?

the Esophageal Groove