Goat Digestion |
Written by Administrator-GL | ||||
Sunday, 03 June 2007 | ||||
Page 2 of 2
A Few Facts1. Goats eat vegetable matter, they use their lips in selecting food unlike cows who use their tongues. When baby kids eat, the milk goes directly into the abomasum or True Stomach until they have developed the rumen which happens in about 3-4 weeks and continues to develop for months thereafter. (This is important to remember because if you have a sick kid, giving it a probiotic or other rumen stimulating medication will not help it as it is not using the rumen to digest it's food.) 2. The bottom jaw is slightly wider than the top and the goat will chew slightly in a lateral direction. In this way the inner edge of the sharp lower molars and the outer edge of the sharp upper molars is what chews the food. A goat can only chew on one side at a time. Simply put, saliva from different portions of the inside of the jaw and mouth contains water, electrolytes, mucus and enzymes, all of which aid in the beginning of the digestive process. The feed is chewed only enough to make a small bolus, small enough to swallow. Saliva functions primarily as an aid to digestion and in a goat is produced in fairly large quantities.. A goat will produce approximately 10 liters or more a day! 3. Gastric secretion called rennin in a young kids digestive system, coagulates milk protein into solids for digestion and absorption. This is the same source as "rennet" used in cheese making. By Products of Fermentation Methane (30-40% of rumen gas) Carbon Dioxide (60-70% of rumen gas) Gases mostly eliminated by belching Volatile Fatty Acids Protozoa Bacteria This is a copyrighted article: |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 06 January 2008 ) |
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