What are Ruminants?

Multi-compartment stomach.
Specialized digestive system
capable of digesting
cellulose.

Ruminant Facts
(Bovine)
Chews cud
No upper incisors - dental pad
Does not bite grass - wraps tongue
Uses fermentation to digest plants
Symbiotic relationship with bacteria
Produces 13 gallons of gas/hour
Produces 40 liters of saliva/day
Does not sleep!
?
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
Deer
Elk
Parts and functions of the
ruminant digestive system
Ruminants are
characterized by
having a stomach
with four
compartments
1. Anus 7. Reticulum
2. Rectum 8. Esophagus
3. Cecum 9. Abomasum
4. Colon 10. Omasum
5. Duodenum 11. Small Intestine
6. Rumen

Parts and functions of the
ruminant digestive system
Small Intestine
-enzymatic digestion and absorption
-Functions of the small intestine: digestion of
proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; absorption of the
end products of digestion.

1.duodenum
2.jejunum
3.ileum


Mouth
-contains dental pad, teeth, tongue and saliva
-saliva contains no salivary amylase

Esophagus
-tube from mouth to stomach
-tube from stomach to mouth

Large Intestine
-water absorption
-waste storage

Ruminant
stomach
Four compartments or chambers

1) Reticulum
2) Rumen
3) Omasum
4) Abomasum

Compartment
Capacity
Reticulum 5% of capacity
Rumen 80% of capacity
Omasum 7% of capacity
Abomasum 8% of capacity
Reticulum
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Honeycomb lining
Smallest compartment
Lies close to the heart




Functions of
Reticulum
Holding area for feed after it passes down esophagus.
Provides additional area for fermentation.
Contains microorganisms, like rumen
Collection compartment for foreign objects.
Helps open and close rumen.
Minimal separation with rumen.
Can contract to a fraction of its resting size.
Omasu
m
Third compartment
Globe-shaped
Lining called many plies
Butchers Bible

many piles
Functions of
Omasum
Reduces feed particle size
Absorbs some water, nutrients and dries out
ingeta .
Absorbs volatile fatty acids




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Abomasum
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Final Compartment
True Stomach
Glandular Stomach
-Monogastric
Tubular Design


Secretes enzymes & hydrochloric acid
-Chemical digestion
Dissolves minerals
Breaks down proteins
Passes ingesta to small intestine
Reduces pH to 2.5
- Dissolves minerals
- Kills rumen bacteria
- Breaks down proteins

Functions of
Abomasum
Rumen
Largest of the four components.
On the left side of the animal.
Storage site and fermentation vat.
Houses millions of microorganisms.
Lined with millions of finger-like projections (papillae) that
are needed for absorption.
paunch
Storage and Soaking
Physical mixing
Breaks down fibrous feeds
Fermentation
Synthesizes:
-Some vitamins
-Amino Acids & Proteins
Breaks down fibrous feeds into VFAs
Functions of
Rumen
Rumination (cud
chewing)
Rumination - the regurgitation,
rechewing and reswallowing
of
ingested food

Cud - mass of regurgitated
ingesta; bolus

Process of rumination
1. regurgitate bolus from
rumen
2. rechew and reinsalivate
3. reswallow
4. repeat with another bolus
Functions of Microorganisms
-digest roughages to make Volatile Fatty Acids
-make protein
-make vitamins K and B complex

(Very similar to cecum of rabbit and horse)

The function of the rumen is to house microorganisms.
Rumen Environment
rumen contents in mature beef cattle
ranges from 68 litres to 86 litres with
increasing levels of forage in the diet
rumen microorganisms may account for
7 to 14% of the total rumen weight
Ruminal fermentation requires strictly
anaerobic
rumen microorganisms produce volatile
fatty acids (i.e., acetate, propionate,
butyrate)
rumen fluid pH is high (6.0 -7.2)
rumen is a dynamic system, in which all
resident species are required to adapt to a
continuously changing environment.
Changes in Rumen
Environment
ruminant's diet is the major influence on
the nature of the rumen environment.
Factors such as composition of the feed,
the degree of physical processing and
the presence of feed additives all affect
the numbers, proportions and digestive
activity of rumen microorganisms.

occurs during the transition from a forage to
a grain based diet
the principal substrates for microbial
fermentation change from the components of
plant cell walls (ie. cellulose, hemicellulose,
pectin) to cereal starch
The development of a stable microbial
population upon transition from a forage to a
grain diet is not an immediate process
the numbers of bacteria which produce lactic
acid (the acid involved in lactic acidosis)
increase with the introduction of grain into
the diet
the transition from a forage to a grain diet is
too abrupt or if the particle size of the grain is
too small, the microbial population may
become unstable
pH of the rumen drops below 5.0 and the
ruminant suffers from lactic acidosis.
the rumen contents may become viscous
with the formation of a stable foam in the
rumen
The inherently stable nature of rumen
populations makes it extremely difficult to
alter the rumen environment through the use
of feed additives
some of these additives may cause short
term changes in the rumen environment,
microbial adaptation often results in the
rumen environment reverting back to
pretreatment conditions

Fermentation
Symbiotic relationship between animal and microorganisms
1) Fermentation of structural
carbohydrates into readily
absorbable and utilizable
sources of energy.

2) Conversion of non-protein
nitrogen into utilizable
protein sources.

3) Synthesis of vitamin K
and B vitamins.
Volatile fatty acids
(VFAs)
Main end products of
microbial fermentation.

Provides up to 80% of
the energy needs of
the animal.
Absorbed by rumen.

Proportion of VFAs
greatly influenced by
diet.
Volatile fatty acids
95% of VFAs
Propionic acid
Usually 18 to 20%
Provides energy for
conversion to glucose.
Used in lactose
synthesis.
Some metabolized to
lactic acid.
Favored in a high-
concentrate diet.
Increased by adding
ionophores to diet

Propionic acid
Milk production

Acetic acid
Usually 50 to 60%
Most abundant VFA in
general circulation.
Prime metabolic substrate
Used in fat synthesis
Predominates in high
forage diet.
Mammary gland is most
important user of acetate.

Acetic acid
Milk fat
Butyric acid
Usually 12 to 18%
Metabolized and
oxidized to
ketones.
Provides energy to
rumen wall.
Increased in high
grain rations.
Protein
Degradable intake
protein (DIP)
Broken down by rumen
microbes into ammonia,
amino acids, and
peptides.
Microbe growth and
reproduction
Absorbed as ammonia

Undegradable intake
protein (UIP)
Not degraded in rumen

Overfed with, or abrupt shift
to grain
or other readily-fermented carbohydrate
Lactic acid
accumulation in rumen
(and blood).

Ruminal pH drops.
Drastic shift in microbial
population from normal
rumen microbes to more
acid-tolerant lactobacilli.

can be fatal!

Gas production
Gases are the primary
by-product of rumen-
reticular fermentation.
1) Carbon dioxide (60%)
2) Methane (35%)
3) Others (5%)

These gases must be
eliminated from the
body to maintain the
health and even life of
the ruminant.
1) Eructation (belching)
2) Respiration
Eructation reflex -
belching-
Quiet, almost inaudible,
well-developed reflex
mechanism.

Ruminal contractions
Increased intra-esophageal
pressure
Closure of nasopharyneal
sphincter.

Failure to expel gas can
results in bloat and death.


Bloat






Gas cant escape
Animal dies from suffocation because of distended
rumen
Humans, swine, rabbits, chickens and horses all
have a simple stomach, which is also known as a
monogastric digestive system.


Known as a modified
monogastric system
Mouth/Beak - gather and break down feed

Esophagus - tube from mouth to stomach that is open at the
mouth end

Crop - feed storage and moistening

Proventriculus - glandular stomach (HCI and gastric
juices); enzymatic

Gizzard - muscular stomach; mechanical breakdown

Parts and functions of the monogastric avian
digestive system
Parts and functions of the monogastric avian
digestive system
Small Intestine - enzymatic digestion and absorption

-Functions of the small intestine: digestion of
proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; absorption of
the end products of digestion

-Enzymes in the small intestine

Ceca - essentially non functioning in monogastrics


Parts and functions of the monogastric avian
digestive system
Large Intestine
-bacterial activity
-water absorption
-waste storage

Cloaca - common chamber for GI and urinary tracts

Vent - common exit for GI and urinary tracts

Parts and functions of the monogastric mammal
digestive system
Mouth
-gather and chew feed using tongue and teeth
-salivary glands moisten feed to aid in swallowing
-saliva begins the carbohydrate breakdown with salivary amylase

Esophagus
-tube from mouth to stomach that is open at the mouth end
-separated from stomach by the esophageal sphincter

Parts and functions of the monogastric mammal digestive
system
Stomach
-muscular gland lined sac that receives ingesta from the
esophagus and conducts both physical and chemical digestion
-primary secretions:
pepsin - enzyme that digests protein;
hydrochlorides - acids that aid in protein digestion
Small Intestine
-enzymatic digestion and absorption

-Functions of the small intestine: digestion of proteins, carbohydrates,
and fats; absorption of the end products of digestion

1. duodenum - most digestion occurs here
2. jejunum - some digestion and some absorption occur
3. ileum - mostly absorption
-Bile - made in liver, stored in gall bladder, active in the small intestine, emulsifies
fat to aid in digestion


Parts and functions of the monogastric mammal digestive
system
Parts and functions of the monogastric mammal
digestive system
Enzymes in the small intestine
Parts and functions of the monogastric mammal
digestive system
Cecum
essentially non functioning in many monogastrics.
Rabbits and horses have an enlarged cecum that acts like a rumen and is
involved with microbial digestion (fermentation)

Large Intestine
-bacterial activity
-water absorption
-waste storage

Simple stomach, but very large and
complex large intestine.



evolved to eat a herbivorous diet
hindgut fermenters hold a symbiotic
relationship with these microbes
have anatomical adaptations to allow for
an expanded microbial population

Advantage
Soluble carbohydrates, such as glycogen,
are available to the animal before they are
available to the microbes
Disadvantage
Microbial protein is not available to hindgut
fermenters
Microbes in the hindgut dont synthezise
vitamins, which are also available to the
animal further on in the digestive tract