Ruminant Overview Flashcards
How many species of ruminants?
200
What are the 3 major digestive systems?
Carnivores
Omnivore
Herbivore
Are camels ruminants?
They are pseudo-ruminants, so they chew cud have no omasum
What are 3 major defining characteristics of the ruminant GI tract?
- Pregastric retention
- Pregastric fermentation
- Symbiotic fermentation
Symbiotic relationships
Symbiosis: two organisms live in close association
1. Mutualism (both benefit)
2. Communalism (1 benefit)
3. Parasitism (host harmed)
Is the rumen aerobic or anaerobic?
anaerobic
What are the 3 major types of microbes found in the rumen?
- Bacteria
- Protozoa
- Fungi
How are microbial interactions beneficial?
- interspecies hydrogen transfer
- release of sugar by cellulolytic bacteria
- Release of AA by proteolytic bacteria
- Synthesis of vitamins
How are microbial interactions competitive?
- Production of lactic acid (by streptococcus bovis)
- Production of bacteriocins (kill other bacteria)
- Negative associate effect
Why can bacteria digest cellulose and hemicellulose and non-ruminants cannot?
We cannot break beta-1,4 linkage.
What is the major dietary energy substrate absorbed into the blood stream for ruminants?
simple sugars
How is it that bacteria provide protein for the ruminant animal?
Bacteria use simple sugars, amino acids, and NPN for growth and maintenance. Bacterial cells die and are hydrolyzed
Do high forage diets produce a low or high pH? Grain diets?
High forage = 6.2-6.8
Grain diets = 5.4-6.0 (not as much saliva from cud chewing)
Do high forage diets produce more acetate, butyrate, or propionate? Grain diets?
high forage = acetate
grain = propionate then lactic acid
Where are VFA’s absorbed?
from any section of the GI tract
What is RDP, RUP, and BCP? What has a better amino acid profile?
Rumen degradable: degraded by bacteria
Rumen undegradable: escapes rumen bacterial digestion
Bacterial CP: incorporated into cell
BCP has ideal amino acid profile
What are 5 major advantages ruminants have over non-ruminants?
- Digestion of cellulose
- Use of NPN
- Nitrogen recycling (reuse urea)
- Microbial detoxification of plant compounds
- effective absorption of microbial end-products
What are 4 major disadvantages ruminants have over non-ruminants?
- May be more protein destroyed than synthesized by rumen bacteria
- susceptible to ketosis
- susceptible to toxins produced
- greater energy losses from fermentation
