Chapter 6- Ruminants Flashcards
What are cattle called?
Bos Taurus
Bos Indicus
what is a Giraffe
They are ruminants, they are interesting in what they eat, they eat the leaves (least amount of structural carbohydrates) off the top of the tree instead of the grass (structure)
What are ruminants characterised by?
4 compartments of their stomach and also their cud chewing behaviour.
How many species of ruminants?
15 species
-Cows, goats, deer, buffalo, bison, moose,
elk
Name the 3 major classes of herbivores?
-concentrate selectors (deer, giraffes)
-intermediate feeders (Sheep Moose, Goats)
-roughage grazers (buffalo, cattle, camels)
List advantages of ruminants (pre-gastric fermenters)
-Can eat the worlds most abundant organic molecule (cellulose)
-Escape predators (eat, run, masticate later)
-Detoxification of secondary plant substances (Allows greater latitude in dietary choice and adaption)
-Relieved the animal of requiring external source of B-Vitamins and amino acids. (Rumen microbes synthesis B-vitamins and high quality protein.
What’s the real differences of the ruminants and monogastrics?
pre gastric fermenters compartments.
What’s the rate of passage in ruminants and what % of cellulose is utilised ?
-80 hours
-60% cellulose utilisation
How much saliva is produced by the cow every day?
200 litres of saliva
(55 gallons) produced by the cow
What is in saliva? and what’s its purpose?
Rich in :
Na+, K+, HPO4-, acts as an important buffer against rumen acids
Production of hydrogen does what to pH?
more hydrogen= pH goes down
What is the function of saliva?
-Provides 70% of water in the rumen
-Source of salivary lipase that acts on short chain fatty acids (no amylase)
-Contains urea for N recycling
Bicarbonate and phosphate buffering
-Bloat presentation
Why will you never get wine more than 14%?
The bugs are making ethanol, now the ethanol content of the wine will kills the bugs so that’s why its never more than 14%
Why would people burn alcohol in the olden days ?
because it would burn if it was concentrated
if you have a cow how do they keep the pH correct?
They have buffers in their saliva
if you have whiskey how do they ferment it?
% of alcohol is high= its distilled
What’s the reflex of a ruminant?
“Chewing its cud”
-postprandial regurgitation of
partly digested feed from the
reticulorumen.
-Allows leisurely physical breakdown
of fibrous feeds long after initial, hasty
consumption.
How many hours a day do cows chew?
How many chews a day?
- 9/10-11 hours a day
-30,000 chews a day
it reduces the particle length and increases the surface area , it stimulates saliva production
What does ruminant chewing do?
-reduces particle size, only small particles pass from the rumen.
-Chewing= saliva production
-Increase surface area for microbial
production.
-Breaks down waxes and other compounds on the plant surface that cant be digested
-Stimulate saliva production.
Whats the pH inside the rumen?
5.5-7
Whats the temp of the rumen?
39 degrees Celsius
What’s the % of DM in the rumen?
10-15%
(Hydrogen producing reactions that happen in the rumen)
What does 1 glucose convert into?
2 pyruvate + 4H
(Hydrogen producing reactions that happen in the rumen)
What does 1 pyruvate convert into?
2 acetate + CO2 + 2H
What are included in the rumen fibre mat?
-Entry = oesophagus
-gasses in
-fibrous mat
-liquid phase
-reticuolo-omoasal orifice (exit)
Whats the scientific name for burping?
eruacatition
What is erucatation?
Removal of fermentation gasses from the rumen (CH4, CO2, NH4, N2)
Stimulates by distension of the reticulum and rumen
Failure to eructate results in bloat (High pressure build-up of gasses)
What % of the total tract capacity is fermentative? in -Cows
-Humans
-Dogs
-83%
-17%
-14%
What function do calves use ?
- Oesophageal groove
Whats the function of the rumen?
Have pippli to increase surface area and for absorption.
-Fermentation, storage, physical mixing and breaking down.
-Contains obligate anaerobic microbes
-Absorption of VFA’s (acetate. protonate. butyrate) - passive diffusion
What is an obligate anaerobiate ?
Cannot have air
How much bacteria is in the rumen?
25-50 billion bacteria/ml (highly specialised)
Things to know about rumen::::
Fermentation takes cellulose converts it into glucose and uses 4 atp and now it is conserved into one of the 3 vfas that the animal conserves