Ruminants Flashcards
Define a ruminant
Animals capable of digesting plant material (cellulose)
List ruminant animals
Cattle, sheep, goats, bison, deer, moose, elk
What is a pseudoruminant
Efficient grazer and digestive tract similar to ruminants
Example of pseudo ruminant
Camelids (camels, llamas, alpacas)
Why these animals of prey developed this overtime
Develope ability to eat almost constantly, then when relaxed and safe they begin to digest
Order of compartments in stomach that the cud travels
After regurgitation
Rumen
Reticulum
Omasum
Abomasum
Stomach compartment that contracts to mix food w fluid and regurgitate food
Rumen
Stomach compartment that co gains Protozoa and bacteria that ferment cellulose (fibers)
Rumen
Rumen bacteria synthesize what vitamin
B vitamins
Stomach compartment that continues fermentation of rumen
Honey comb lining
Reticulum
Stomach compartment where foreign object end up
What disease is this called
Reticulum
“Hardware disease”
Stomach compartment that is hard and round, inner lining full of folds/leaves, water absorbed here
Omasum
Stomach compartment most similar to “simple stomachs”
Enzymes and acids digest foods
Abomasum
Largest stomach compartment in new borns
Abomasum
Abomasum fills with gas and rises to the top of abdomen
Displaced abomasum
Overall advantages of ruminant digestive tracts
Make use of poorer quality forage (plant materials made of cellulose)
Make own proteins and B vitamins
Define eructation
When byproducts arise from fermentation in rumen (methane gas and CO2) must belch (eructate) to expel gas.
What happens if a ruminant cannot eructate?
Bloating. Builds up in rumen and can suffocate heart or lungs
What are the teeth of ruminants like
No upper incisors (front teeth)
Have lower incisors and an upper dental pad (hard cartilage plate bottom teeth press against)
What kind of hooves
Ruminants are ungulates (have hooves) cloven hooves more specifically (2 toes)
Cattle are properly known as
Bovine
Cattle genus
Bos
European species and tropical species
European=Taurus
Tropical =indicus
Adult female term
Cow
Young female term
Heifer
Adult male term
Bull
Castrated male term
Steer
Young term
Calf/ calves
Term for giving birth
They calve or freshen
Physical difference between dairy and beef cattle
Same genius species, beef are more muscular
Mammary system of cattle
Udder, 4 quarters, 4 teets
Do male or female cattle have horns
Both
Do cattle horns shed and regrow seasonally
No
Inherited trait resulting in lack of horns; seen in some beef cattle
Polled cattle
What it means to ruminate
After ruminants swallow food without chewing, they regurgitate the undigested cue floating top of rumen, rechew and reswallow
Ab how much does an adult cows rumen hold
40 gallons
Where in stomach enzymes and acids digest food
Abomasum
Example of Bos Indicus
Zebu. Cattle from India and surrounding areas
