How do cows use feed through their digestive system ?
For the purposes of feeding and management farm animals can be divided into two main categories according to the type of digestive system that they have. The two types are known as RUMINANTS or POLYGASTRICS (these animals store large quantities of feed in their rumen, and can later on bring it back for re-chewing; when this happens the animal starts to rummage eaten forage ) and NON RUMINANTS or MONOGASTRICS ( for example pigs and young suckling calf). A simplified diagram of the stomach cow is shown in figure 18. There is a very important difference between these two types of digestive systems in practice and is related to the type of feed that animals can eat and digest. The ruminant’s stomach or abomasum, small intestines and colon or large intestines are all sections of the digestive system that are similar to those found in non-ruminants. The most significant distinctive feature of the digestive system of ruminants, when compared to monogastrics, is the presence of three additiona
