1.6 Livestock Digestion Flashcards
(27 cards)
Describe what a Ruminant is and give examples of animals
An animal with four chambers in the stomach
e.g.
Cows, Deer, Goats and Sheep
What type of digestive system does a pig have
Monogastric or non-ruminant
What type of digestion does a Ruminant animal have?
Microbial and Chemical digestion
What is the order of the chambers in a ruminant animal
- Rumen
- Reticulum
- Omasum
- Abomasum
What is the function of the Rumen
To act as food storage and microbial digestion
What is the function of the Reticulum
It acts as a pump and grinds food down
What is the function of the Omasum
It absorbs water
What is the function of the Abomasum
It is the true stomach and has chemical digestion
What is Microbial Digestion?
Where bacteria break down plant cell walls by fermentation
What is chemical digestion
Where stomach acid and enzymes break food down
What is protein for
For muscle growth and repairing damaged tissue
What are carbohydrates and what do they supply
Starch and sugars, they provide energy for the animal
Why are vitamins and minerals important
They help with animal health and immunity
What are the three types of animal food?
Roughages, Succulents and Concentrates
What are concentrates and what are some properties of it.
Oats, Barley, Peas, Nuts.
High in Protien, Low Fibre, Low digestibility, Low moisture
What are some examples of roughage and what are some properties of them
Hay and Straw
High in fiber, low digestibility, low protein, low moisture
What are some succulents and properties of them
Swedes, Kale, Silage, Pasture
Low Fiber, High digestibility, low protein, high moisture
What is fiber important for?
Fiber helps the Rumen function by giving microbes and supplies carbohydrates
What does Digestibility mean
It refers to the nutritional value of the feed
What is the Esophageal Groove
A structure in pre-ruminant animals that bypasses the Rumen and Reticulum
What should you feed young ruminant animals to help the Rumen devlop?
Grain and milk
What is the Caecum?
A structure between the small intestines and large intestines where bacteria help break down cellulose (plant material)
What is water important for
Maintaining body temperature
Flushing
Feeding nuts to ewes to build body weight prior to mating
