Ruminant Animals

b.stev

THE RUMEN

EACH millilitre of rumenrumen digestive juice:

10 – 50 billionbillion MICROBES

1 millionmillion PROTOZOA

variable YEASTS & FUNGI

environmenenvironment of the rumen is ANAEROBIC

fermentation process of digestion: helped by these MICROBESMICROBES

(Bowen, 2006)

The interaction between the different speciesspecies of microbesmicrobes aid each in their metabolic

processes

WASTES that are produced from one species is the nutrient to the metabolism of another

A complex FOOD web

oseopgeusgases

today’s hay

grain &yesterday’s hay

THE RUMEN

(Bowen, 2006)

CELLULOLYTIC – DIGESTDIGEST cellulose

HEMICELLULOLYTIC – hemicellulose

AMYLOLYTIC – starch

PROTEOLYTIC – proteins

SUGAR utilizers – simple saccharides

AMMONIA producers

VITAMIN synthesisers

METHANE producers

LIST of the MICROBES MICROBES within:

(Bowen, 2006)

THE RUMEN is acidic: ‘BICARBONATE’ - is produced in saliva helps to maintain equilibrium

A COW produces 100 – 150 L per day

chewed feed - periodically returned from the rumen mouth where it is chewedchewed again

AN EXAMPLE:

COWS fed with grainsgrains have considerably lower concentrations cellulolytic species

(Wikipedia, 2008)

THE RUMEN pH is most favourable at : 6 – 7 severe pH fluctuations alter: microbe population

INTRODUCTION : new feed must be done:

– little and often

ALLOW normal/ gorge FEEDING DEPLETE A MICROBE TO EXTINCTION &

SERIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS CAN OCCUR

CARE is required : feeding the animal

Bibliography

Wikipedia. (2008). Rumen – wikipedia, the free enclyclopedia. Retrieved September 28, 2008, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumen - 35k -

Bowen. R. (2006). Digestive physiology of herbivores. Retrieved September 28, 2008, from http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion /herbivores/index.html