Ruminant Animals b.stev

THE RUMEN EACH millilitre of rumen digestive juice: 10 – 50 billion MICROBES 1 million PROTOZOA variable YEASTS & FUNGI environmen t of the rumen is ANAEROBIC fermentation process of digestion: helped by these MICROBES (Bowen, 2006)

EACH millilitre of rumen digestive juice:

10 – 50 billion MICROBES

1 million PROTOZOA

variable YEASTS & FUNGI

The interaction between the different species of microbes aid each in their metabolic processes WASTES that are produced from one species is the nutrient to the metabolism of another A complex FOOD web oseopgeus gases today’s hay grain & yesterday’s hay THE RUMEN (Bowen, 2006)

CELLULOLYTIC – DIGEST cellulose HEMICELLULOLYTIC – hemicellulose AMYLOLYTIC – starch PROTEOLYTIC – proteins SUGAR utilizers – simple saccharides AMMONIA producers VITAMIN synthesisers METHANE producers LIST of the MICROBES within: (Bowen, 2006)

CELLULOLYTIC – DIGEST cellulose

HEMICELLULOLYTIC – hemicellulose

AMYLOLYTIC – starch

PROTEOLYTIC – proteins

SUGAR utilizers – simple saccharides

AMMONIA producers

VITAMIN synthesisers

METHANE producers

THE RUMEN is acidic : ‘ BICARBONATE ’ - is produced in saliva helps to maintain equilibrium A COW produces 100 – 150 L per day chewed feed - periodically returned from the rumen mouth where it is chewed again

AN EXAMPLE: COWS fed with grains have considerably lower concentrations cellulolytic species (Wikipedia, 2008)

THE RUMEN pH is most favourable at : 6 – 7 severe pH fluctuations alter: microbe population INTRODUCTION : new feed must be done: – little and often ALLOW normal / gorge FEEDING DEPLETE A MICROBE TO EXTINCTION & SERIOUS HEALTH EFFECTS CAN OCCUR CARE is required : feeding the animal

Bibliography Wikipedia. (2008). Rumen – wikipedia, the free enclyclopedia . Retrieved September 28, 2008, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Rumen - 35k - Bowen. R. (2006). Digestive physiology of herbivores . Retrieved September 28, 2008, from http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion /herbivores/index.html