Differing Digestive tracts

1. Proper nutrition of animals requires knowledge of the digestive system, basic nutrients, and the ways in which foods are formulated and marketed. –Proper feeding and nutrition can prevent many health problems and diseases. -Good nutrition is especially important for pregnant animals and animals recovering from surgery or illness. - Understanding the different types of systems helps you understand how to properly take care of the different animals (what to feed them, how much, how often, ect) Differing Digestive tracts

2. Ruminants have four compartments to their stomach. 1. Rumen – “The Fermentation Vat” a. Largest compartment b. Makes up approximately 80% of the stomach’s capacity c. Contains millions of bacteria and microorganisms that partially break down food d. Bacteria and microorganisms transform low- quality protein and nitrogen compounds into essential amino acids. e. Food is regurgitated from the rumen, rechewed in the form of a cud, and reswallowed for further digestion. 2. Reticulum - “ The Honeycomb” a. Inner walls are lined with membranes that are divided into honeycomb-like compartments. b. Foreign matter such as nails and wires is filtered by the reticulum.- collects metal Types of Tracts- Rumen

3. 3. Omasum – “Manyplies” a. Contains many folds of tissue that line the interior. b. Absorbs water and decreases the size of food particles. 4. Abomasum – “True Stomach” a. Secretes digestive enzymes. b. Functions similar to the stomach of a non- ruminant. c. Functions as digestive unit of calves until several months old when rumination begins. The other two parts…

4. Nonruminants 1. Food is passed from the mouth to the esophagus to a single compartment stomach. 2. The stomach breaks down food by muscular movement and digestive juices. 3. Digestive juices break down proteins and fats. 4. The primary site for digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins is the small intestine. 5. Undigested food passes from the small intestine to the large intestine where water is absorbed and lubricating mucus is added to aid the passage of material through the large intestine.

5. 1. Horses, guinea pigs and rabbits are examples of cecalfermenters. They have a large cecum allowing them to consume moderate levels of roughages. 2. Bacteria are present in the cecum to digest roughages. 3. ALL other animals have a cecum but don’t use them The Digestive Process: 1. Digestion is the process by which food particles are broken down into nutrients. The five processes involved in digestion are: a) Mechanical digestion begins in the mouth where food is chewed and broken down into smaller pieces. Poultry have no teeth but use a gizzard to grind and break down food. A gizzard is a muscular structure of the esophagus that contains grit. b) Peristalsis is a muscular contraction of the digestive system that causes food to move through the digestive tract. Peristalsis occurs as a wavelike movement. CecalFermenters

6. Digestive Process 1. Digestion is the process by which food particles are broken down into nutrients. The five processes involved in digestion are: 1. Mechanical digestion begins in the mouth where food is chewed and broken down into smaller pieces. Poultry have no teeth but use a gizzard to grind and break down food. A gizzard is a muscular structure of the esophagus that contains grit. 2. Peristalsis is a muscular contraction of the digestive system that causes food to move through the digestive tract. Peristalsis occurs as a wavelike movement. 3. Chemical digestion involves enzymes and acids to reduce food particle size and change food particles into forms that the animal can use. Some chemical digestion occurs in the mouth with saliva, but most chemical digestion take place in the stomach and small intestines.

7. 4. Absorption is the process by which nutrients move from the digestive tract into the bloodstream. It takes place mainly in small intestine through villi (microscopic structures that line the walls of the SI). In ruminants,some absorption takes place in the rumen. Absorption occurs through the processes of diffusion and osmosis. Nutrients diffuse (or move) from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration – IE from the digestive tract to the bloodstream. 5. Metabolism is the process that removes nutrients from the bloodstream and allows different organs of the body to use nutrients. Metabolism is responsible for growth of bone, muscle, fat, skin and hair. It maintains body temperature and proper functioning of organs. It also aids in repair of body tissue, production of milk and young, and performance (work, sexual). The process….

8. Nutrition: Nutrition is receiving a proper and balanced food and water ration so that the animal can grow, maintain its body, reproduce, and produce. Nutrients Nutrients are substances or ingredients that are part of the diet of an animal that help maintain good health and promote growth. a. Proteins b. Carbohydrates c. Fats d. Minerals e. Vitamins f. Water

9. The Feed Label: • The label on a bag of animal feed is packed with useful • and often misleading information. The trick is to be • able to read between the lines. To do that you must • know what to look for on any feed label. • The AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control • Officials) is an agency that develops and maintains • standards of uniformity for all aspects of animal feed • production and sales. They dictate what information • must be provided on the feed label. • Parts of the Feed Label • 1. Manufacturer’s name • 2. The name of the product • 3. Phone number/address where manufacturer can • be contacted • 4. Net weight of the product • 5. Guaranteed analysis • Must contain the minimum percentage of • crude protein and crude fat, and the maximum • percentage of crude fiber and moisture. • 6. Ingredient panel • Ingredients are listed in order from the • ingredient that is most abundant by weight to • the least abundant by weight. • 7. Nutritional claim • 8. Feeding guidelines and directions • 9. Expiration date • 10. Special features • Marketing Concepts • Most animal feeds are not marketed on the basis of • nutritional content, but rather on product marketing • concepts. The product marketing concepts used are: • 1. Nutritional value • • This is a valid tool if the information is based • on scientific fact. • 2. All purpose • • This is one of the most common advertising • concepts

10. • It is based on the idea that one food is • adequate for all stages of the animal’s life • • Scientific evidence shows that an animal’s • nutritional needs change during various • stages of life; therefore it is likely that the • nutritional claims are false. Foods could be • exceeding the required amounts of some • nutrients according to the AAFCO • (Association of American Feed Control • Officials) standards. • 3. Price • • Can be very misleading. • • The best way to evaluate the cost is to • conduct a cost per feeding analysis. • • You get what you pay for! Low price • usually equals low quality! • 4. Palatability • • Palatability is the primary characteristic by • which most animal owners judge a food. • • It does not relate to nutritional value. • • Gimmicks like “let the pet decide” are used • to induce a consumer to purchase a particular • food. • • Palatability Factors • a. Odor • b. People food • c. Salt • d. Temperature • e. Texture • Analyzing Feed Labels • There are several ways to analyze and compare feeds • to determine cost, nutritional value, and energy • requirements. Using these methods will enable you to • make an educated decision on which food is best for • your animal. • 1. Cost Per Feeding Analysis • • Determines cost per day and per year • • Compares feeds for economical value • • The most economical feed may be the • more expensive one!

11. 2. Calculating Dry Matter of a Feed • Animal feeds can be dry, semi-moist, or moist. • Base your comparison of nutritional content of two or more foods on dry matter content. • %Dry Matter = (%Nutrient) / (100% Moisture) x 100 • Obtain a dry matter analysis from the manufacturer since this information is not required to be printed on the label. • Converting nutrients to dry matter allows for a more accurate comparison of feeds. 3. Maintenance EnergyRequirements (MER) • Knowing how much to feed an animal is just as important as knowing what foods are available and their quality. • Nutrient requirements vary with age, activity, production, reproduction and environmental conditions. • Maintenance energy is determined in kilocalories per day (Kcal/day). A kilocalorie is the caloric measurement used for metabolic studies. It is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius. This is what people refer to as a “calorie” when they discuss diet and exercise. • Maintenance energy requirements can easily be calculated, but may need to be adjusted based on the individual animal’s lifestyle and body condition.