Cattle Digestion Explained: A Deep Dive into the Cattle Digestive Process

Acetic acid (2 carbons in length) and butyric acid (4 carbons in length) are used for milk fat synthesis in the mammary gland of the lactating cow, while propionic acid (3 carbons in length) is primarily used for glucose. Glucose is the primary precursor of the disaccharide lactose which is the major osmol-regulator of milk. An increase in the concentration of lactose results in an influx of water into the mammary gland resulting in increased milk yield.

This groove forms causing milk to bypass the forestomach to the abomasum for digestion. It provides concise information on the basics of livestock manure management, including handling, storage, composting, use, and ways to reduce negative … This publication describes trends in cattle prices and explains the use of seasonal price indices to estimate future cattle prices. The indices allow producers to estimate prices for potential sale months, which can be helpful in budget planning. Recent research indicates vaccine efficacy is at risk due to improper handling and storage by retailers and livestock producers.

New technology has developed where calves are allowed to suckle essentially at will. Besides increasing immunity, there are other components in colostrum that positively affect gut health resulting in increased health and overall performance. An additional reason for the removal of cows from the herd is selling cows to other dairy producers. Dairy producers planning to increase herd size often increase cow numbers by retaining larger numbers of heifers within the herd.

Rumen microbes can incorporate fatty acids into their cell membrane and modify the typical even number of carbon fatty acids into odd C chain fatty acids. Unsaturated fats have double bonds whereas saturated fats are fully hydrogenated. Most plant fats are unsaturated whereas most terrestrial animal fats contain varying amounts of saturated fat. Fat comprises the most energy dense nutrient with 2.25 times as energy than carbohydrates or protein. Fat is not appreciably fermented in the rumen resulting in little heat of fermentation and can help maintain caloric intake especially when cattle are experiencing heat-stress. NE is typically calculated and can be partitioned to NE of maintenance, growth, lactation, etc.

The value 6.25 is derived from the fact that feed proteins contain approximately 16% N. However, crude protein contains not only true protein, but other N containing compounds such as amino acids, dipeptides, nucleic acids, NH3
—N, and other non-protein nitrogen (NPN) compounds. It also needs to be realized early on that cattle as with all animals do not have a protein requirement, they have an amino acid requirement and true proteins are defined as chains of amino acids. Cattle can use amino acids for the production of enzymes, milk proteins, immunoglobulins, muscle and various organs and tissues in the body.

Feed additives are typically added to dairy cattle diets to improve performance such as growth, milk yield, milk component yield, feed efficiency, and health. Their use should be based on unbiased research and their return on investment. This section will describe some common feed additives and their potential response. Potassium is the third most abundant mineral in the body, It is highly regulated with excess lost in the urine. Like Ca, K is high in green crops and also those following K fertilization.

The production of fermented grain (high-moisture corn), is the process where corn grain is harvested at 75% DM and packed in a silo. The process of packing will expose the internal contents Check this for Omnivorous animals of the seed to microbial fermentation. Resulting in the production of lactic acid to prevent deterioration. The energy of the grain will be released due to the fermentation of the grain.