Ruminant Nutrition Flashcards
What is the number one goal of ruminant nutrition?
Hint: pH
Keep rumen pH at 6.0 (just a little bit acidic)
-BUT- McCurnin’s says 6.2-7.2 pH
____minutes of cud chewing per pound of feed to result in ____ gallons of saliva per day to buffer rumen ____.
- 15 minutes
- 20 gallons
- Buffer rumen pH
How many pounds of fiber should be fed? What length should they be cut at inches?
- 5 pounds
- 1.5 inches long
No more than ____ pounds of grain per day should be fed to maintain rumen pH
7 pounds
Describe the anatomy of a ruminant GI tract.
List the order of which food will travel (4)
- Multi-chambered forestomach.
- Order:
a. Rumen
b. Reticulum
c. Omasum
d. Abomasum (true stomach)
Then: Small intestine, Cecum, & Large intestine/colon
List three important components to know about a rumen’s multi-chambered forestomach
- It is essentially a fermentation vat
- Microorganisms extract nutrients from high fiber roughage (cellulose & hemicellulose)
- Fermentation is more complete than hindgut fermentation
What are the five nutrient requirements for ruminants?
- Energy
- Protein
- Minerals
- Vitamins
- FIBER!! Quantity, quality, and type are important because this is the substrate of most fermentation
What are two things that can happen if a rumen isn’t given enough fiber?
Remember: Pelleted roughage is not a substitute!
- Poor coat quality
- Decreased milk production
T/F: A rumens diet should be 50%, or greater, of fiber content. Especially for adults!
True! Rumination requires the presence of fiber
Feeding cows: General guidelines
1. Forage fed what % body weight/day?
2. More than what % of fat in their diet?
3. Ca:P ratio
4. Too much ___ can lead to Ca utilization problems.
- Forage fed 2% of cow body weight per day.
a. Av 1200lbs, so a cow would eat 24lbs of hay/day. - No more than 7.5% fat in their diet
- Ca:P ratio 2:1 (or 80g)
- Too much Potassium (K) can lead to Ca utilization problems
T/F: Calves should only be fed mothers milk until they are 7-8 months old
False! On top of mothers milk, they should also be fed:
1. Forage
2. Water
3. Creep feed IF pasture quality is poor
Imperative calves receive ____ during the first 3 days of life!!
Colostrum
Ketosis occurs when…
…Cattle aren’t eating enough calories
Ketosis symptoms (3)
- Gastrointestinal
a. Anorexia
b. Increased rumen motility - Neurological
a. Depressed
b. Behavior change
c. Ataxia - Death
Ketosis occurs when cattle are deficient in calories. What happens to a cow that has this?
Starvation! A negative feedback loop will occur.
- Massive fat mobilization
- Liver will become overwhelmed
- Ketone (the source of emergency energy) body formation
Ketosis is more likely to happen in cattle who…
- Obese
- High parasite load
- Confined due to lack of exercise
- Post partum or lactation
- Certain breeds
In cows: Hypocalcemia (Milk fever) clinic symptoms (4)
- Depressed
- Muscle weakness
- Collapse
- Death
In cows: Hypocalcemia occurs commonly in what breed of diary cow?
It more common in jersey than holstein
T/F: Hypocalcemia (in cows) occurs commonly in late lactation/postpartum or in obese cattle
True! 90% likely to happen within 72hrs of postpartum.
Obese cattle with BCS greater than 4/5
Hypomagnesemia or Grass Tetany occurs…
1. Species
2. Lifestage
3. Time of the year
4. On what diet
- Beef, dairy, sheep, goats
- Older ruminants
- Spring time
- Lush, fast growing pasture
a. Cereal crop- pasture/feed
Name five clinic signs of grass tetany
- Down
- Twitching
- Hyper-aesthesia
- “Neurotic”
- Paralysis
What IS hypomagnesemia/grass tetany?
When the diet contains magnesium but the body is not properly extracting it.
This can be because the diet contains high level of K or Na.
High Na: increases Mg excretion
High K: reduces Mg availability
Ram and Billy means…
Breeding males
Ram: Sheep
Billy: Goats
Ewe and Doe means…
Breeding female
Ewe: Sheep
Doe: Goat
Lamb and Kid mean…
Neonate
Kid: Goat
Lamb: Sheep. In meat production they are lamb until they are 1yr+ but not vet med
Weanling means…
A sheep that has been weaned.
1. Lamb 2. Weanling 3. Yearling
Yearling means…
A sheep who is 1yr or older
1. Lamb 2. Weanling 3. Yearling
Lamb/Kids require ___% of body weight in ___ within ___ hours of birth.
- 10-20%
- Colostrum
- 12hrs
How much milk should lambs and kids consume per day?
10-20% of their body weight should be consumed in milk each day.
Ex: 20lbs lamb needs 1/4-1/2 gallon of milk between 4-6 feeding per day
Creep feeding is…
For neonates who are not yet weaned. It’s like the transition from milk to solid food!
T/F: Creep feeding should be started by 3-4 months of age and consume 10% of their body weight per day
False! They should start by 3-4 WEEKS and consume 0.5LBS daily until weaning
What is the BCS breeding males should have before the breeding season begins?
BCS of 3-4/9, they will lose weight during breeding season!
T/F: Breeding adult males should be fed 1-2lbs of energy and protein concentrate year round.
False! This should only be done 4-6 weeks before the breeding season. Maintenance feed the rest of the year.
What is “flushing” in breeding females?
Flushing is an increase of nutrition before and during early breeding that will increase the ovulation rate
Lush pasture or supplement with 0.33-1lbs of 10-20% ____ grain/head/day should be provided to breeding females
Crude protein
70% of growth of the fetus occurs in the last 6 weeks of gestation. In late gestation for breeding females, what will the nutritional needs look like?
- BCs of 2.5-3 should be maintained
- Substance, nutrition, and adequate energy needs will increase
a. Ewes: 2.2lbs daily in final 4w
b. Does: 1-2lbs daily in final 4-6w
Lactation in females peaks then decreases when?
Peaks at 2-3w post birth and decreases RAPIDLY 8-10w after birth.
Hypocalcemia in diary goats:
Signs (5)
- Stiff gait
- tremors
- Tetany
- Constipation
- Decreased rumen contractions
Hypocalcemia in goats: How and why does it affect Ewes?
Ewes are susceptible in late gestation and early lactation.
Deficiency of Ca and Ph 3-4 prior to birth and first few post birth can lead to this as this is a time with a higher demand for Ca
Hypocalcemia diagnosis
History & signalment or Serum Ca < 4-5mg/dl
Copper toxicosis (common in sheep) results from chronic…
…Chronic accumulation of excess copper in the liver from their diet.
This is in relation to molybdenum or sulfate.
Clinical signs of copper toxicosis will show when it has reached a severe stage. Those signs are:
- Acute disease
- Off feed
- Lethargy
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Weakness
- Hemolysis, jaundice, & port-wine colored urine
White Muscle disease commonly occurs in young growing animals.
This is caused by a deficiency of ___
And affects ____ and ___
- Se &/or vita E
- Skeletal & heart muscle
Clinical signs of white muscle disease:
Remember, this is a nutritional disease that causes muscular dystrophy
- Heart form:
Down, respiratory, distress, & death - Muscle form: Most common
Stiff gait, tremors, firm muscles, painful asf
Grain overload’s 6 step downward spiral BAHAHAHHHHHH
- Fermentation of carbs
- Decrease in rumen pH
- Lactic acidosis
- Death of ruminal protozoa
- Fluid from circulatory system drawn into the rumen
- Dehydration and shock
Grain overload clinical symptoms (3)
- Anorexia, depression
- Severe dehydration, toxemia
- Colic, distended abdomen, diarrhea
Grain overload diagnosis
- Rumen pH <5.5
- Few protozoa
- Large G+ rods
Frothy bloat
1. Ability to treat
2. Diet
3. Imagery
- Very difficult to treat
- Occurs on a diet with eating rich and lush cereal grain pasture
- Dish soap bubbles in the rumen
Free gas bloat
1. Ability to treat
2. Diet
3. Imagery
- Easier than frothy!
- Occurs when high grain diets are given to animals not used to them, making them gassy
- Large free gas pocket
T/F: Free gas and frothy bloat are both emergencies
TRUE TRUE TRUE
They may die within hours of this!!!
