ruminant

Usually, ruminant’s animal known as primary herbivores which consist of many type of different species such as cattle, camels, sheep, goats, deer and buffalo. Yeat (2009) reported that these animals are herbivores that feed on plants which have a high percentage of cellulose, a polysaccharides which is very insoluble. Thus, most of the energy in ruminant’s diet is stored in this complex carbohydrate and their get all the energy from the breakdown of cellulose by enzyme cellulase. Even though ruminants does not produce cellulase but their digestive system can undergoes the process of cellulose digestion. The digestive system of these animals is uniquely different from other type of animal. According to the article in the BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (n.d.), instead of one compartment of stomach, the stomach of ruminants has four chambers. This specialty enables ruminants to carry out rumination which is the process of regurgitating food and re-chewing it.

Ruminant consists of four chambers of stomach which is rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. Yeat also stated that the first two chambers which are rumen and reticulum are specialized compartments which contain a lot of bacteria and protozoa. The function of these symbiotic microorganisms is to secrete cellulase to digest cellulose. Most of the cases reported that the microorganism also synthesized certain nutrients which are needed for the ruminants by using the sugars and other products of cellulose digestion along with minerals (2009).

During in the largest compartment of the stomach which is rumen, the cow first chews and swallow a mouthful of grass, boluses enter the rumen (Reece et al., 2011). At this time, the functions of microorganisms take place. Rumen is ...

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...ve into the last compartment which is true stomach of the cow, abomasum which no absorption of nutrient take place. To complete the digestion of proteins and other food substances, abomasum consists of gastric juices containing digestive enzymes. The foods then go through the small intestine to be digested and absorbed in the normal way by the cow’s own enzymes (Yeat, 2009).

Ruminant food digestion had more benefit as primary herbivores can obtain energy from cellulose that useful to other animals. They also can use non- protein nitrogen (NPN) and microbes inside the stomach can synthesize vitamin B complex as supplement. According to Rounds and Herd, non-protein nitrogen can act as plant nitrogen that needed in synthesis protein. Thus, ruminant food digestion efficient as pH 6.8 is maintained by control level of food intake, frequency of intake and diet (2012).