Ruminant Digestion
Four Stomachs
Ability to digest Cellulose and lignin
Can improve the quality of the protein in the diet
Can make Vitamin B, when it is not present in the diet
Can lie down and “Ruminate” the feed at leisure after grazing
Some of the energy in the feed is lost as burped gas during the process of digestion (methane)
The animal can die from bloat when fed pastures high in clovers
Takes six or seven hours to harvest the daily feed requirements from good quality pastures
The amount of feed eaten compared to the amount of weight gained is poor, typically a ruminant eats 5kgs of feed to produce 1kg of meat