Basically,
there are two types of digestive system in farm animal they are:
1.
Digestive System In
Ruminant:
The main characteristics of this group is the possession of complicated stomach
which is divided into four units i.e. Rumen, Reticulum, Omasum and Abomasum
which is the true stomach. Examples of animals in this category are goat, sheep
and cattle which are otherwise called animals that chew cud.
2.
Digestive System Non-ruminant: Animals that are in this
group include birds. They have simple or single stomach which explains why they
feed on low fibre feeds.
THE
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF A RUMINANT ANIMAL
The
physiology of digestion in ruminant animal is directed into four parts i.e.
1.
Rumen
2.
Reticulum
3.
Omasum
4.
Abomasums
The rumen and
reticulum contain several bacteria and other micro organisms i.e. (yeast and
protozoan) which are capable of digesting cellulose and fibrous feed such as
grasses, paper and cotton by the process of fermentation giving sugar and fatty
acid as their bye products.
The grasses are taking in through the
mouth and passes through the oesophagus to enter into the first stomach, rumen
where digestion of cellulose takes place, the animal also store a lot of
undigested grass in this compartment. Consequently the animal lays down and by
anti-peristaltic movement of the stomach the undigested grasses or cud passes
from the rumen to the reticulum from where it re-enters the oestophagus and
finally gets back to the mouth for re-mastication.
This time the
semi-liquid goes into the third chamber (omasum) and then to the last chamber
(Abomasum) where gastric juice is secreted into the semi-digested food or feed
called chime. The chime then passes through the duodenum and it passes into the
intestine where complete digestion and absorption takes place. The undigested
material passes through the anus as dung.

THE
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF A NON-RUMINANT ANIMAL (FOR BIRDS)
Birds are generally referred to as
monogastric animal because they have single or simple, stomach. The food is taken
in by toothless beak and passes through the aesophagus and lowered into a
sackline material that is called the crop which serves as a temporary storage
organ and it enables the animal to feed for a longer period. The digestive
system in birds is characterized by two chambers namely proventiculus which
secrets the gastric juice for adequate moistening of the feed before it is
passed into the second chamber called the Gizzard. The gizzard is heavily
rigged with high muscular feature that enhances a mechanical grinding or
turning of the food or feed consequently the grinded feed is passed into the
duodenum and small intestine where further digestion and absorption of food
takes place. This is later passed into the rectum or large intestine for an
onward transmission or passage to the caecum where absorption of moisture takes
place. The undigested food or feed are removed from the tract as faeces through
the cloaca.
THE
STOMACH
The
stomach of the bird consist of two parts, the first part is the proventiculus
or glandular stomach which is thin walled. It secrets gastric juice to moisten
the food or feed and pass it on to the second chamber known as the gizzard.
THE
GIZZARD
The gizzard is thin walled and heavily
rigged. Inside the gizzard the food undergoes a lot of muscular contraction and
relaxation before it is grinded into a fine pasty mass. This process is aided
by pebbles and stones which are contained in the gizzard.
THE
SMALL INTESTINE
The first of this is
the duodenum which receives the bye-salt produced by the liver, the pancreatic
juice produced by the pancreas.

THE
LARGE INTESTINE
In the large
intestine, watery re-absorption continues
CAECUM
This is between
large intestine and small intestine and they are concerned with the digestion
of fibrous feed or material i.e. cellulose and they are also responsible for
absorption of water.
VENT/CLOACA
This is responsible
for the expulsion of faces material or the waste material
DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF RUMINANT AND NON-RUMINANT
Ruminant
|
Non-ruminant
|
|
1
|
Possession of
complex stomach
|
Possession of
simple stomach
|
2
|
Ability to digest
fibrous feed material
|
Inability to
digest fibrous feed material except simple sugar such as grains, tuber
|
3
|
Ability to
synthesize protein required by the body
|
They are usually
supplied by feed containing protein at required quantity
|
4
|
Digestion is added
by bacteria
|
Digestion is not
added by bacteria
|
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