What About Cow Burps ?
Beef cattle , dairy cattle , and sheep are ruminants , which means they have a specialized digestive tract . Deer , elk , and bison are also ruminants . Their stomachs have four compartments . The largest compartment is the rumen . The rumen contains microbes that allow these animals to digest carbohydrates from their feed and break them down into glucose . Glucose is fermented into several compounds , one of which is enteric methane , a greenhouse gas . This methane is produced in the rumen through the digestive processed and then expelled through the animal ’ s mouth . BURP ! large intestine
Cow Digestive Tract
small intestine omasum esophagus
teeth
Farmers and ranchers are concerned about methane production and have been working to reduce emissions . In fact , enteric methane emissions from cattle have decreased 34 % since 1975 . Changing the animal ’ s diet , by adding corn and a small amount of fat to the feed , can lower enteric methane . Certain supplements given to animals in very small amounts can also change the fermentation process and reduce methane .
Beef and Dairy cattle produce only 2 % of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U . S .
Livestock , especially ruminants like beef , dairy , and sheep , play a key role in the food ecosystem . The four compartments of their stomach give them the ability to consume and gain nutritional value from feeds that other animals or humans cannot consume . Ruminant animals can upcycle human-inedible byproduct feeds like corn stalks , leftover grains from biofuel production , and unattractive or unused fruits and vegetables . They convert these by-product feeds into high-quality , high-protein products in the form of beef , lamb , milk , milk products like cheese , and other items we use in our daily lives . These byproduct feeds might otherwise go into landfills .
Sources : BeefResearch . org and AgClassroom . org
rumen abomasum reticulum
Fill in the blank with the correct part of the cow digestive tract . 1 . Tear and chop food :_________________________________ teeth
2 . Muscle contractions force food through this tube and into the stomach :_________________________________________
3 . Good bacteria help the cow digest food and provide protein and energy :__________________________________________
4 . Brings the undigested feed back up the esophagus in the form of cud , to be re-chewed :___________________________
5 . Folds regulate flow of partially digested food to the fourth chamber :____________________________________________
6 . Prepares the nutrients that are present for absorption in the small intestine :_______________________________________
7 . A tube-like structure that absorbs nutrients into the bloodstream :________________________________________
8 . Removes water and minerals from the undigested matter and forms solid waste that can be excreted :________________
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