Ruminant stomachs have four compartments: the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum and the abomasum. Rumen microbes ferment feed and produce volatile fatty acids, which is the cow's main energy source. Rumen microbes also produce B vitamins, vitamin K and amino acids.
2. RUMINANT DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
•The ruminant digestive system has a large
stomach divided into four compartments—
•The Rumen,
• The Reticulum,
•The Omasum, and
• The Abomasum.
4. Rumen
•The first and largest section of the stomach is the
rumen.
•In the rumen, solid feed is mixed and partially broken
down.
•The rumen contains millions of bacteria and other
microbes that promote fermentation, which breaks
down roughages.
5. Rumen
•10-20% live weight of cow
•cows spend 8hrs grazing/8hrs ruminating -
food returned to mouth, where liquid is
rapidly re-swallowed, but coarse material re-
chewed.
6. Reticulum
•The reticulum is the second segment of the stomach.
•The reticulum is a small pouch on the side of the rumen
that traps foreign materials, such as wire, nails, and so
forth.
7. Omasum
•The omasum is the third compartment of the
stomach.
• The omasum produces a grinding action on the feed
and removes some of the water from the feed.
Hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes are mixed
with feed in the omasum.
8. Abomasum
•The abomasum is the fourth compartment of the
stomach.
•The abomasum is also referred to as the true stomach
because it is similar to the stomach in monogastric
animals.
9. Chewing Cud
•The cud that returns to animal’s mouth has been
partially digested by bacteria in the rumen, with the
digested bits passing along her digestive system.
•The undigested cud must be broken down by her
teeth some more and swallowed again for further
processing.
•The cycle repeats until the entire cud is broken
down and digested.
•The cow will spend approximately eight hours per
day chewing her cud if she is healthy and receiving
proper nutrition.
17. Non ruminant animals
•The non-ruminant digestive system only has
one stomach where food is broken down into
needed nutrients.
18. Digestion in non ruminants animals
•Feed passes from the mouth to the stomach
through the esophagus
•To reduce the size of the feed particles
•From the stomach it passes through the
• duodenum (first part of the small intestine)
•Bile and pancreatic secretions enter here
• jejunum (second part of the small intestine)
•Absorption of nutrients
• ileum (third part of the small intestine)
•To split food molecules and absorb nutrients
26. Pseudo-ruminants
•Horses are not ruminants. They have an enlarged
cecum that allows them to digest fibrous materials.
Animals of this type are called "hind-gut fermenters."
Rats and rabbit have similar digestive systems.
27. Parts of a Pseudo-Ruminant
•They have similar digestive processes as ruminants
but do not have the four-compartment stomach.
There is a large Cecum, and a large intestine.
