Feeds and Ruminants

Question 1

What is acetate a precursor for?

Answer 1

Fat

Question 2

What is proprionate a precursor for?

Answer 2

Glucose and Lactose

Question 3

How can cows survive on such a low protein diet?

Answer 3

Microbes build proteins from substrates in the rumen which can be utilized as a source of protein for the cow, and also recycle urea to build more protein

Question 4

What is butyrate a precursor for?

Answer 4

Ketone bodies
-it mainly feeds the rumen and colonic mucosa

Question 5

What is the first limiting AA in the diet?

Answer 5

Lysine

Question 6

What is the best source of lysine to make meat and milk?

Answer 6

Rumen bacteria

Question 7

What happens when there is too much fat in the diet of ruminants? (>6%)

Answer 7

Soap is created (mix of ash and fat)

Question 8

What happens to fats in the rumen?

Answer 8

They get saturated

Question 9

What is mainly fed to feedyard cattle and lambs?

Answer 9

High energy feeds with protein supplement
-corn, milo, corn silage, soybean meal
-70-80% grain with minimal forage

Question 10

What is the difference between forages and rangeland?

Answer 10

Forages were introduced by humans and rangelands were introduced by mother nature

Question 11

What do cattle prefer to graze?

Answer 11

Tall grasses in low flat areas

Question 12

What do sheep prefer to graze?

Answer 12

Clovers and grasses close to the ground in high and dry areas

Question 13

What do goats prefer to graze?

Answer 13

They don’t, they are browsers and opportunistic grazers
- they like to graze in higher and dryer areas and have a high tolerance for tannins and bitter compounds

Question 14

What time of day do cattle prefer to graze? what should they be doing when they aren’t grazing?

Answer 14

Dawn and dusk primarily
-when not grazing they should be ruminating

Question 15

How does eating behavior change with heat stress?

Answer 15

They will graze a lot more during dawn and dusk to avoid being in the sun during the hottest portion of the day

Question 16

How much forage does a 1000 lb mature cow require per month? Per day?

Answer 16

750 lb a month, 25 lbs per day

Question 17

What is the main factors that determine how much pasture is required per cow?

Answer 17

The type and amount of grasses available

Question 18

When is the best time for plants to be harvested to preserve the root?

Answer 18

Halfway to maturity where quality and yield intersect

Question 19

Where do most of the grasses we grow on the east coast originate?

Answer 19

In the fertile crescent in europe

Question 20

Describe the differences between cool season and warm season grasses

Answer 20

Cool season: grasses grow well in the spring and the fall. These contain more protein than warm season grasses
-ex: fescue, bluegrass, rye

Warm season: these like the heat and tend to be more efficient with water, but they die at the first frost
-Ex: corn, crabgrass, bermuda

Question 21

T/F: Energy estimations are a good way to determine the calorie content of hays

Answer 21

False- these are very much an estimation compared to other values on nutrient analysis

Question 22

What are some of the harmful or beneficial secondary metabolites present in plants?

Answer 22

Harmful: nitrates, cyanogenic glycosides in toxic plants. Phytates bind phosphorus (but rumen bugs can free)

Beneficial: tannins can aid in parasite control, essential oils can protect against pathogenic bacteria

Harmful/Beneficial: saponins- reduce methane but enhance bloat

Question 23

Why is it so important that feed is stored properly?

Answer 23

To ensure that it is protected from the elements, other animals and microbes