ASC34 Midterms Module 3-4

• Mouth is the beginning of the digestive system
• Tounge - useful in drawing food to the mouth
• Esophagus is a long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.
• Esophagus has a bidirectional

  function, meaning it can move feed from the mouth to the stomach or from the stomach to the mouth
• Stomach - serves as a temporary receptacle for the storage and mechanical distribution of food before it is passed into the intestine.
• ruminant’s stomach is divided into four compartments
• Rumen - the first and largest compartment which comprises almost 80% of the total stomach capacity and has a non-glandular mucus membrane lining
• Reticulum - flask-shaped with a mucus membrane lining having a honeycombed appearance.
• Omasum - globe-shaped structure containing leaves of tissue like pages in a book
• The main function of the abomasum is to digest protein from both feed and ruminal microbes
• Abomasum is the site of the secretion of pepsin and hydrochloric acid as well as the site of the initial stages of protein digestion in the animal.
• Intestinal villi help in mixing the intestinal contents.
• Large intestine - last section of the tract that undigested feedstuffs pass through
• Cecum - Microbial digestion and synthesis of various compounds take place but are not as significant as in the reticulo-rumen
• Colon - extracts water and mineral salts from undigested food and stores waste material
• Rectum - stores the feces until defecation
• Eructation - (the act of belching) is due to a wave of contraction passing forward over the dorsal sac of the rumen
• Saliva - plays an important role in maintaining the neutral pH inside the rumen, where acids are constantly produced.
• Lamella - increases the surface area for absorption of water, VFA, and bicarbonate.
• Bacteria - can also synthesize water-soluble vitamins and can utilize non-protein nitrogen from plants into microbial protein.
• Water is essential in the transport of metabolic products and wastes and most chemical reactions in the body
• The most common sources of energy for ruminants are carbohydrates, namely soluble (starch and sugars) and structural (cellulose and hemicellulose) carbohydrates.
• Volatile fatty acids serve as the major source of energy for the animal’s physiological requirements
• Deficiency in P results in low feed intake, low production levels, and in severe cases osteoporosis
• Salt is likewise deficient in the normal diet of ruminants and is best-provided ad libitum in the form of blocks or loose forms
• Calcium, magnesium, and potassium are normally sufficient in grasses to satisfy the requirements of the animals.
• Vitamin E is found in most feeds, while Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin when the animals are exposed to sunlight.
• The water buffaloes are the least selective feeder among ruminant animals. They could consume large quantities of poor-quality forages and still be able to perform well.
• Cattle are better than buffaloes in utilization of leguminous plants and young grasses which are a better-quality fiber.
• Sheep prefer grass but they browse to maintain a quality diet.
• Goat is the most selective feeder. They graze when the grasses are of high quality and browse when grasses are of low quality.
• Cellulose and hemicellulose have greater feeding values for ruminants while lignin is largely indigestible.
• Molasses - the most abundant and excessively used sugarcane by-product. It is an excellent source of carbohydrates.
• Peanut meal - good source of protein for ruminants.
• Tallow - this feedstuff is animal fat from beef cattle, carabao, and sheep obtained by rendering. This type of feed is an energy source.
• Bone meal - this is a good source of calcium and phosphorus. It is frequently used as a mineral supplement for grazing ruminants
• Mineral supplements - These are needed for the skeletal development of the animals and regulatory processes in the body
• To become suitable feeds, the limestone must contain 33-39% calcium and less than 5% magnesium
• Fat soluble vitamins - These are generally stored in the body and do not need daily replenishments.
• Antibiotics - These are chemical products produced by microorganisms that inhibit or destroy other organisms or microorganisms which are added in the mixed feed at a subtherapeutic level