The poultry digestive system is very different from both the ruminant and non-ruminant digestive systems. It consists of several organs that neither the ruminant nor the non-ruminant have. These organs include the beak, crop, gizzard, proventriculus, cloaca, vent, and ceca. Even though the other two digestive systems each include a cecum, the poultry has two which is why it has what's called ceca. Unlike the other two digestive systems, this system doesn't chew its food. This is due to the fact that the beak has no lips or teeth. Instead, the food is ground in the gizzard. The gizzard may also contain some grit which is added to aid in digestion. Whereas the other two systems take their time in digesting food, the poultry digestive system moves food very rapidly. Because of this, they need food that is very high in nutrients.
Differences between the poultry digestive system and the ruminant and non-ruminant digestive systems4/27/2015
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The ruminant and the non-ruminant digestive systems are very different. The one major difference between the two are their structure and function of the stomach. The non-ruminant, also called the monogastric, has a very simple digestive system. That is also where it gets the name monogastric from; their single compartment! On the other hand, the ruminant digestive system has four compartments. They consist of the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. While the monogastric digestive system works very simply, the ruminant has a very complex process. Animals with the ruminant digestive system use most of their time chewing their food, swallowing it, and regurgitating it. They repeat this process until the food is ready for digesting. Animals with the monogastric digestive system have enzymes in their saliva that help break down food for them. Ruminants don't have this enzyme and that's the reason why they have to go through this long process to digest their food.
Even though the ruminant and non-ruminant digestive systems are very different in some ways, they are also similar in many other ways. Both systems of course help the host digest their food. Both digestive systems also consist of some of the same organs. These organs include the mouth, esophagus, liver, pancreas, small intestine, and large intestine. These organs work the same way in both systems. Even though the ruminant digestive system has four compartments and the monogastric only has one, the ruminant has a specific organ that is like an organ in the monogastric digestive system. It's the true stomach of the ruminant digestive system and it works similarly to the stomach of monogastric animals. This organ is the abomasum. Both systems also use teeth to break down their food. The ruminant digestive system just uses a bit more time to chew..
It's very important knowing which digestive tract your livestock has. This factor determines how your animal behaves and what it eats. Why cattle take so long to chew food. Why chickens need food that has added grit to it. Why swine can't digest large amounts of roughage. It all depends on their digestive systems! As an owner of livestock, this information should be known and should be followed. That way it's easier to see if your livestock is behaving differently than the other animals in the herd. It also lets you keep your animal healthy and properly digestive. Do you know which digestive tract your animal has? These are the possible choices: Non-ruminant (monogastric), ruminant, and poultry.
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