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Ingestive behaviour and related activities in ruminants

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Digestive Physiology and Metabolism in Ruminants

Abstract

Ruminants, like other species, try to adjust their food intake to their nutritional requirements, especially those of energy. The ingestive behaviour is characterized by a long eating time (4–12 hours per day) and a related activity of chewing the cud. After its ingestion, food stays in the reticulo-rumen and undigested materials can only escape through the reticulo-omasal orifice after being reduced into fine particles by microbial digestion combined with a mechanical breakdown between molars during rumination.

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Dulphy, J.P., Remond, B., Theriez, M. (1980). Ingestive behaviour and related activities in ruminants. In: Ruckebusch, Y., Thivend, P. (eds) Digestive Physiology and Metabolism in Ruminants. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8067-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-8067-2_5

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