Ruminants - Fermentation - Proteins

4 important questions on Ruminants - Fermentation - Proteins

Why is it not important to feed ruminants high quality proteins?

Rumen microbes digest dietary protein and convert it into their own high-quality microbial protein; the ruminant then digests these microbes, so diet protein quality matters less.

How are proteins digested in the ruminant?

Amino acids are fermented into VFAs: most of them will make the main VFAs, but branched-chain AAs (valine, leucine, isoleucine) will make branched-chain VFAs (isobutyrate, isovalerate, methylbutyrate)

Why are the three branched chain animo acids important?

They become branched chain VFAs that are growth factors for cellulose-digesting rumen microbes
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What else does protein digestion in ruminants produce?

Ammonia, which can be reused by microbes or converted to urea by the animal.

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