The important role of protein feeds in the growth of ruminants

Ruminants are regastric animals. The volume of the rumen is relatively large, accounting for almost 80% of the entire stomach. There are a large number of ciliates and bacteria that survive in the rumen, containing 2-20 million ciliates per milliliter of rumen gastric juice, and 500-1000 billion bacteria per gram of rumen content. They play an important role in protein digestion.

Ruminants digest protein from the rumen. After the proteins and amides in the feed enter the rumen, about 70% of the proteins and peptides, amines and amino acids are degraded by the enzymes secreted by the bacteria. The bacteria then use these three substances to synthesize the bacterial proteins. Ciliates cannot use amides. They can only use the peptides and amino acids of the decomposition products of plant proteins and convert them into their own body proteins. They can then be used by carcasses and have the effect of improving feed protein quality.

The microbial protein synthesized in the rumen, along with the undegraded crude protein in the feed, enters the stomach, and the subsequent digestion and metabolism are basically the same as in monogastric animals.

In short, protein digestion characteristics of ruminants are: The main site of protein digestion is the rumen, which is carried out by the action of bacteria. Followed by the role of enzymes in the small intestine. Therefore, it can not only make great use of the protein in the feed, but also make good use of the amide.