Question

Please note that this is an ANIMAL SCIENCE QUESTION. do not answer if unsure.

Please read question carefully and answer it thoroughly. All answers must be typed and brevity is appreciated. (be detailed)

1. How are feed intake, ruminal rate of passage, ruminal pH regulation and body weight gain related to each other?

Answer 1

Feed intake is the amount of feed that is consumed by the animals out of which some of them are digested in the stomach and the waste is excreted out. Depending on the size and breed of the animal, the feed intake differs. The consumption or intake of the feed is basically the total amount of dry matter intake which excludes the moisture. There are many factors which helps in determining the volume of feed intake. The nutritional requirement of the animal is a determining factor of the feed. Ruminal rate of passage of the feed intake depends and inter-related to each other as it depends on the metabolism capacity of the animal along with the total concentration of microbiota that is present in the rumen. When there is excess feed intake, there is increase in the ruminal rate of passage where the feed is broken by the microbial population and the pH. The normal ruminal pH is around 7.0 and it can vary from 5.5 to 6.5 as well. The feed intake and ruminal passage is related to the pH because when there is normal pH maintained, it helps in maintaining the microbiota of the rumen which helps in digesting the feed into simpler parts and provide nutrition. The undigested part is excreted out in form of waste. However, it is connected to body weight gain because when the nutrition provided in excess, it is stored in form of fat and hence it tends to increase the body mass. When the body has a decline in the metabolic activity due to improper pH, it will reduce ruminal passage of the food and hence lead to increase in body weight.