Rumen health is the key to efficient sheep raising

Sheep are ruminants. The rumen is a unique and important digestive organ. The rumen occupies 80% of the total volume of the four stomachs. The digestibility of dry matter and crude fiber in the rumen is 70-80% and 50%, respectively. The rumen can be temporarily stored. After eating the ration, return the ration to the mouth for chewing again at rest. The rumen is the organ with the strongest ability to degrade fiber. The rumen microorganisms convert the substances that cannot be directly used in the ration into high-quality nutrients, which significantly improves the day. Utilization of food, can synthesize bacterial protein, B vitamins and vitamin K in the rumen. The rumen epithelium can absorb sodium, potassium, chloride ions, and volatile fatty acids such as acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid.

In the process of rumen fermentation, there are also a large amount of nutrients such as starch, high-quality protein, vitamins, glucose, etc. that can be directly used by sheep, which are first used by microorganisms or lost by fermentation. The function of converting directly used substances into high-quality nutrients. At the same time, some nutrients that are easily degraded and damaged by rumen microbes and lost are protected by the rumen to improve the utilization rate of these substances. Eventually, the goal of increasing the utilization rate of rations and the goal of increasing the efficiency of breeding will be achieved.

At present, the ultra-high concentrate and extremely low forage feeding mode in fattening sheep breeding ignores the function of the rumen and raises sheep as monogastric animals. In a short period of time, the sheep seem to grow very fast, but in the current feed materials, The price of sheep fry is running at a high level, and the prices of live sheep and white strips fluctuate greatly. Under the current situation of 4-6 months of feeding cycle, the rumen system will collapse 2 months before the sheep is out of slaughter. , But the feed absorption rate is extremely poor. The sheep are sold or slaughtered, and the weight is not enough, and the profit is not high; continue to feed, the sheep will not grow anymore, even if you feed a large amount of fermentation products that promote digestion, it will not help.

Insufficient feeding grass and too much concentrate will not only cause high feeding costs, but also cause abnormal rumen function, leading to rumen acidosis, rumen food accumulation, high incidence of pica and urinary stones, which seriously affect the efficiency of breeding In fact, the cheapest and most economical input to adjust rumen health is forage grass and baking soda. At present, good sheep farmers are using expensive and uneven quality fermented products to replace forage grass and baking soda. Dietary raw materials.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a nutritionally balanced diet that matches the sheep's breed, weight, growth rate, temperature and other conditions. These nutrients include energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, water, and the most easily overlooked fiber. It is not simply giving the sheep "feed", especially paying attention to the quality of the forage and the amount of feed, in order to promote the health of the rumen and ensure the number and activity of rumen microbes, in order to effectively play the role of the rumen, and to effectively use the concentrate. Increase daily weight gain and slaughter rate.