A cow is a very valuable and common animal in the household and on farms. It is grown to produce milk and meat. For high productivity, the cow should be properly and nourished. In order not to have problems with the digestive system, it is important to know the structure of the cow’s stomach and the reasons for it stopping its work, which often happens. Read about it in the article.
Digestive system
A cow is a herbivore animal, the stomach of which, in the process of evolution, has adapted to digest food with a high content of plant fibers. Along with the organs, bacteria also evolved, the habitat of which is the digestive tract.
Microorganisms have their own ecosystem of protozoa, fungi and bacteria that coexist perfectly with their host. For example, various types of bacteria and protozoa live in large numbers in the initial section of the cow’s stomach (rumen). The former consists of 60 items, the latter - 30. The cow's digestive system includes the oral cavity, esophagus, intestines and stomach.
How does the stomach work?
Many people are interested in how many stomachs a cow has. Some believe that four. But this is not so. The organ is one, as in other animals, but it has a complex structure. Cow's stomach according to the anatomical structure, it has four sections, but the gastric juice is only in the latter. The first three chambers are intermediate points where the preparation and fermentation of food that the cow chewed takes place. Do not be surprised about the number of sections of the stomach. All of them are very important, and each performs its function, because the animal secretes 100-200 liters of saliva in one day, which should have a place for storage.
Digestion is a slow process. A cow can chew food for six to eight hours before it is in the stomach. Here, the food eaten is several hours or more than two days, it depends on how much cellulose is contained in the food.
Scar
This is the first, or initial, section of the stomach of the cow, it is the largest in size. Everything that she ate, and this is practically un-junk food, gets here. The initial section of the cow’s stomach holds 80% of the total amount of food eaten. In general, it holds 150 kg of feed.
The walls of the initial section of the cow’s stomach are quite thick, so they are not affected by hard pieces of plant food, which the cow chewed poorly. With a frequency of once per minute, the walls contract, mixing grass to evenly distribute the enzymes. At the same time, hard stems are rubbed, become softer.
The main condition for keeping a cow is its grazing. Eaten grass at this time is in the initial section of the cow’s stomach. But after grazing, food begins to burp in small portions and is again chewed by the animal. This mass is called chewing gum. Softened under the influence of enzymes, it is thoroughly rubbed by the teeth and again swallowed by the cow. But it gets into another part of the stomach, in the book.
The walls of the scar are covered with small growths. Their task is to absorb from food as many useful substances as possible, which are the product of the fermentation process, which is carried out with the participation of saliva and a huge number of bacteria that are beneficial for the body. Their number is 150 billion.
Grid
Among the departments of the stomach of a cow, the second is a grid consisting of many cells. This is one of the smallest departments (up to 10 liters in volume), connected to the scar. Processes such as digestion and fermentation continue here. The walls of this department have strong muscles, which are able to mix the contents of the stomach, facilitating another process - the fermentation of nutrients. The grid, like a lattice, does not allow large stems to go further to the location of the more tender parts of the stomach, which can be injured by rough food.
The first time the chewed food, located in the rumen, burps, again enters the oral cavity for further grinding with teeth. This happens when coarse, difficult to digest bacteria bacteria cellulose fibers in a certain amount accumulate in the stomach. But if there are large particles in food, the grid holds them for 20-48 hours. During storage in this section of the stomach its contents are completely modified. The food becomes suitable for further grinding before it enters the next section.
Book
In this department, which is considered the third in the stomach, chewed food enters. This is where water, fatty acids, and other substances necessary for nutrition are absorbed. This department is small, it contains 5% of the feed eaten, which is 20 liters in volume. Here, chewed chewing gum is processed further thanks to the potent bacteria and aggressive enzymes that are in this section.
Abomasum
One of the departments of the cow’s stomach is abomasum. It is designed to perform a large number of functions. Its capacity is 15 liters of food, which is finally prepared for digestion. This department performs the function of a regular stomach. Here, food that has undergone a fermentation process in the first three sections is digested due to the action of the acid and enzymes of the animal itself.
How many stomachs does a cow have? An animal has one organ, but its structure is complex. The last section receives the dried food, which is mainly absorbed while in the book. The abomasum of a cow’s stomach is similar in structure to a human organ. Its walls have glands in large numbers, secreting juice, which is called gastric. Here is the largest acidity compared to other departments.
In the abomasum, food is completely broken down. After the prepared mass enters the intestine, all the substances necessary for nutrition are absorbed into the body from small particles. In the intestine, the absorption process is much more intense. From the moment food enters the stomach until it is completely digested, two to three days pass.
The cow’s digestive system is complex. Burenka must constantly eat. Breaks between feedings must not be allowed, otherwise the animal’s health is at risk.
Why does a cow stop stomach?
The most common reasons why the stomach refuses to work are the following:
- Feeding poor-quality food, which is strictly unacceptable. The feed must be fresh and well chopped, otherwise the cow feels discomfort when it enters the esophagus, stagnation occurs in the intestines. If the animal is given vegetables, they need to be grated or chopped with a knife. When feeding corn, it should be cleaned. With regular malnutrition, the cow swallows food quickly and in large portions during feeding, resulting in a stomach stop.
- The reason for the organ to stop may be a sudden fright, during which the esophagus narrows. It can also happen if a cow has leukemia, tuberculosis or suffers from neurological disorders.
- The stomach can stop if the cow swallows an object of solid consistency, such as a stone, a nail.
The cow’s stomach stopped - how to start?
If the cause is a foreign object entering the esophagus, you can handle it yourself without the help of a veterinarian. To do this, the cow should be tied to a tree and a wedge inserted between the teeth so that the jaws do not close. Then wrap a towel around your hand and remove the item.
This can be done using a probe that is inserted into the animal’s esophagus. A swallowed item is easily pushed by it. In order for the probe to pass freely, any vegetable oil must be poured into the throat. At the same time, water can be infused. If the probe was not at hand, you can use a rubber hose with a diameter of not more than 3.5 cm, the main thing is that its edges are round. You can not use a stick, it can cause injury to the esophagus.
At home keeping, you can force the animal to stretch out its tongue. When this happens, irritate him, causing vomiting. Perhaps the swallowed object the animal spits out. If the cow does not have a stomach due to the use of unprocessed feed, this indicates a stoppage of the pancreas. In this case, contact your veterinarian.
Running the stomach folk remedies
If it was not possible to push through the swallowed object or eliminate the cause of the stomach stopping due to the consumption of poor-quality cow food, due to the lack of medicine in the medicine cabinet, resort to folk remedies. Recipes of some of them:
- Yeast in the amount of 100 grams should be dissolved in a glass of warm water, let it brew for 30 minutes. Add vodka and sugar in an amount of 200 ml and 100 grams. The cow should drink the received volume of liquid twice a day. Tincture to water the animal for several days.
- Prepare a decoction of yarrow, St. John's wort, flaxseed and water a cow twice a day. The stomach will work again.
- Buy a cherry tincture in the pharmacy, dilute it with 0.5 liters of water and pour the cow into the mouth.
- Important! Many cow health problems can be avoided if properly cared for and fed.
What to feed?
So that the consumed cow food is well absorbed and does not harm the stomach, the animal must be properly fed. A diet is considered balanced if it consists of the following ingredients daily:
- Cellulose fiber, which is rich in fresh grass, hay, silage.
- Grains of corn, oats, barley, soybeans, the use of which energizes the body of the cow.
- By-products produced by the food industry: pulp of oranges and beets, molasses.