Rumen health
and animal
performance:
What you need
to know.
For feedlot owners and operators, animal performance and gain are the number-one concerns. The primary driver of energy and performance is the rumen. The healthier the rumen, the healthier the animal, meaning more growth, gain and profit.
Importance of
the rumen.
At the heart of an animal’s overall
health and performance is the
rumen, the second and most
dynamic of the four compartments
of the stomach in cattle.
The healthy rumen
and production
of VFAs.
The rumen’s microbes begin the
fermentation process and produce
volatile fatty acids, which are
absorbed and converted into
energy substrates — the animal’s
primary sources of gain.
What causes
an imbalanced rumen.
The energy-dense, high-starch
grains in a traditional feedlot
increase the amount and types of
VFAs produced. This can produce
too much acid too fast, causing
an imbalance in the rumen and
drop in pH level.
Acidosis and cyclical feeding.
Subacute acidosis happens at a pH
of 5.6, which causes the feedlot
animal to feel unwell and reduce its
feed intake. Once the pH sustains a
level of 5.4, the animal is in full
acidosis and can stop eating
altogether.
Sweet Bran and
RAMP benefits.
RAMP and Sweet Bran replace a
portion of the grains in a typical
diet with a high-energy, high-fiber
source, promoting a balanced
rumen, consistent eating patterns
and greater gain.
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