Alimentary - ruminant metabolism and energy imbalance Flashcards
How long does digestion take?
Roughly 2 days to not shock the biome
What are the three phases of digestion?
- Complex sugars to simple sugars with extracellular microbial enzymes
- Simple sugars to pyruvate by intracellular microbial enzymes
- Pyruvate to VFAs and gases (CO2, and methane)
What are the VFAs and their proportions?
Acetate - 60-70%
Propionate - 15-20%
Butyrate - 10-15%
How do the VFAs provide energy?
Acetate and butyrate can produce acetyl CoA
Propionate can produce OAA and glucose-6-phosphate
Both go into the krebs cycle
Where does this all occur?
In the liver
What is it like in an intensive production system?
Animal has a larger glucose demand, which can lead to hypoglycaemia
What are the signs of hypoglycaemia?
Slower and lethargic a leading to ketosis
Do ruminants make their own amino acids?
Yes, they can make their own essential amino acids and can thrive on low protein/poor quality diets.
Why is heat treated soy protein used?
It passes through the rumen and is not digested by the microbes so can increase protein useage
What happens to protein digested in the rumen?
The microbes use it or it is deaminated to VFAs and ammonia.
Where does the rumen sit?
Left hand side, within the sublumbar fossa
Bordered by last rib and subcoxa caudally.
What are the three stages of movement in the rumen?
Primary mixing cycle
Secondary burping cycle
Regurgitation
What is the primary mixing cycle?
Cranioventral contraction
Starting in the reticulum, moving to dorsal and ventral sac of the rumen
What is the secondary burping cycle?
A caudal-cranial wave dorsally leads to burping out of gas.
How much is burped out?
1 ltr/min
