Diseño de la imagen: @ amestyj 2020
Cattle are herbivores that correspond to a group of ruminant mammals, they usually feed on grasses and forages such as fabaceae, the digestive system of these animals consists of two stages and the stomach is divided into four stomach compartments. The process begins when the animal ingests the food, since when it reaches the first compartment digestion begins, then that portion of food is regurgitated and chewed again then the animal ingests the food again to culminate with digestion, said process is defined below:
Rumination:it is a process that consists of regurgitating the food (returning the food from the stomach to the mouth) to chew it again reducing the particle size of the forage and mixing it with saliva, this process seeks to reduce the particle size of the forage and apply some enzymes to it with the intention of exposing the carbohydrates present in the fiber for a fermentation carried out by the rumen microorganisms and thus achieve a ruminal balance between protein and carbohydrates.
Digestive system of cattle
A digestive system is made up of a set of organs that share the same function, but their physiological composition is different. The digestive system of cattle has the function of transforming food and extracting from it the necessary elements for the functioning and conservation of the animal's organism.
In cattle the digestive system comprises all the organs with which the ingested food has contact, from the moment it enters the body to the point at which it is expelled. In essence, the bovine digestive system is a long duct that goes from the animal's mouth and runs through the entire body, while presenting dilatations between one area and another, it folds back on itself in some parts of the route and has contact with adjacent organs, ending with a hole through which waste is expelled.
Image 2. Structure of the digestive system of a bovine
Image design: @amestyj 2020
Each of the parts that make up the digestive system of cattle are described below:
Mouth and teeth: the bovine oral apparatus is usually composed of 32 teeth, in the upper jaw it does not have incisor teeth, it has a dental pad, they also have a movable tongue that has enough strength so it has the ability to grab the grass and pull it out to take it inside the mouth. A bovine uses the saliva produced during its chewing to facilitate the breaking and shredding of the grass consumed, according to Van Soest (1994), the daily saliva production is between 20 and 35 liters and it contains a certain amount of sodium carbonate which allows to maintain a balance of the pH level in the rumen, which allows a normal development of the microorganisms that are responsible for the fermentation of grasses.
Pharynx and esophagus: The pharynx is a membranous muscle in the form of a tube that connects the bovine's mouth with the respiratory tract and with the esophagus, which is a long tube through which food circulates after being ingested to reach the stomach.
Rumen: It is the first compartment of the bovine stomach, it is commonly known as belly, in this compartment there are microorganisms that perform the function of extracting and digesting the fiber present in the grass and release fatty acids that the animal can use as energy. This is the largest compartment of the stomach can hold approximately between 100 and 120 kg of fodder in an adult bovine and its contents remain there for a period of about 20 to 48 hours, as it is known that bacterial fermentation is a relatively slow process, depending on the quality of the fodder consumed.
Image 3 . Rumen the compartment of the digestive tract of the bovine
Image design: @amestyj 2020
Reticulum: this compartment is the smallest of all the pre-stomachs and is linked to the rumen since it shares its contents with the rumen including microorganisms, it is common to observe how the rumen and the reticulum are mentioned as a single element known as reticulum-rumen, the function of the reticulum is to filter elements to avoid the passage of forage particles larger than 2 mm to the third compartment.
Image 4. Reticulum the compartment of the digestive tract of the bovine
Image design: @amestyj 2020
Omaso: is a small organ, it has a capacity to store up to 10 kilos of food, this third compartment is the intermediate organ between the rumen and the abomasum establishing a transition of food between the aforementioned organs, on the other hand it has a high absorption capacity that allows elements such as water and some minerals to be recycled which return to the rumen in the form of saliva.
Image 5. Omaso compartment of the bovine digestive tract
Image design: @amestyj 2020
Abomasum: the abomasum is similar to the stomach of monogastric non-ruminant animals that have a single stomach without compartments, acids and enzymes are produced in it to break down proteins and absorb nutrients, these secretions help prepare proteins for absorption in the small intestine
Image 6 . Abomasum the compartment of the digestive tract of the bovine
Image design: @amestyj 2020
Small intestine: nutrient absorption occurs throughout the small intestine, the wall of the intestine has villi that help the absorption of nutrients.
Large intestine: The large intestine absorbs water from the materials that pass through it and then excretes the excess in the form of feces through the rectum.
Image 7. Intestines of the bovine
Image design: @amestyj 2020
Dear farmers, it is of the utmost importance to know the characteristics of the bovine digestive system, as this will allow us to implement an adequate feeding program in order to achieve maximum results in livestock production. By studying the fundamental role of fiber in depth, it can be concluded that forages are irreplaceable in the bovine diet since they provide the necessary fiber to activate the fibrolitic bacterial flora of the rumen and thus achieve a balance in ruminal pH.
Bibliographic References
-Van soest, p. 1994.Ecological nutrition of the rumen (2nd ed). Cornell University prees.
-Calsamiglia, S. 1997. New bases for the use of fiber in ruminant diets. Madrid, Spain: XIII FEDNA specialization course. Autonomous University of Barcelona.
-León, M., Martínez, S., Pedraza, R., y González, C. 2012. Indicators of the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of 14 tropical forages. Journal of Animal Production, XXIV(1), 1-5.
