The potential of ruminants for the utilization of fibrous low-quality diets

Engelhardt, W; Dellow, D. W.; Hoeller, H.

doi:10.1079/pns19850008

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…It was no coincidence that humans domesticated primarily ruminant species able to easily digest fibrous feedstuffs (i.e. grass) due to their evolutionary adaptation, and that for this reason were never in competition with humans for food sources . Without ruminants as food providers, the successful settlement of large areas of the temperate climate zones, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on pasture versus indoor feeding of dairy cows

Knaus

2015

J Sci Food Agric

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The dairy industry in many regions of the world has moved towards a high-input/high-output system maximising annual milk production per cow, primarily through increasing concentrate-based total mixed rations fed indoors year round, as opposed to allowing cows to feed on pasture. Pasture-based dairy systems in regions like New Zealand and Ireland are oriented towards maximum milk yield per unit of pasture, which has led to Holstein strains that are 50 to 100 kg lighter, exhibit a higher body condition score, and produce roughly half the annual amount of milk as compared to their Holstein counterparts kept in confinement in North America and Europe. Freedom from hunger might not be guaranteed when high-yielding dairy cows are kept on pasture without any supplemental feed, but at the same time no access to pasture can be considered an animal welfare concern, because pasturing is generally beneficial to the animals' health. On pasture, lighter-weight dairy cows with a medium milk production potential have proven to be superior with regard to feed efficiency and fertility. The year-round indoor feeding of high-yielding dairy cows with total mixed rations containing substantial amounts of human-edible crops from arable land puts global food security at risk and fails to utilise the evolutionary advantages of ruminants.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on pasture versus indoor feeding of dairy cows

Knaus

2015

J Sci Food Agric

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“…This feeding regimen and the metabolic processes that resulted were appropriate to the evolutionary development of cattle, which are intended by nature to be able to digest and utilize fiber‐rich plant material (grass) as a feed source. It was, of course, no accident that humans domesticated primarily such ruminant species that are able to produce high‐quality food by utilizing fiber‐rich nutrient sources that are useless to humans 28…”

Section: Adaptability Of Dairy Cattlementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The production of extremely large amounts of milk in a short period of time (lactation performance levels of 10 000 kg and above), as is demanded of modern dairy cows, requires a maximum nutrient density in the ration in the first half of the lactation period, which can only be achieved through extensive concentrate feeding. This means that the composition and structure of the rations being fed to dairy cows are diametrically opposed to the diet that cattle have evolved to be able to consume by means of an exacting selection process over millions of years 12, 28, 29…”

Section: Adaptability Of Dairy Cattlementioning

confidence: 99%

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Dodeka(ethylene)octamine

Bühl

2011

Chemistry A European J

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“…Prehistoric nomadic hunters perhaps recognized that the photosynthetic potential of grasslands could be exploited by domesticating ruminants to increase their food supply, which would allow them to form stable social communities (Russell and Rychlik, 2001). Humans had, thus, domesticated mostly such ruminant animals that can utilize low-quality fibrous diets (von Engelhardt et al, 1985), not suitable for human consumption and will not compete for their foods. In the last 10,000 years, humans had domesticated nine ruminant species and they naturally prefer some grass in their diets and except reindeer, all belong to Bovidae family (Hackmann and Spain, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of ruminal microbial community: Evolutionary and ecological perspectives

Patra¹

2020

ijah

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Ruminants perhaps appeared about 50 million years ago (Ma). Five ruminant families had been extinct and about 200 species in 6 ruminant families are living today. The first ruminant family probably was small omnivore without functional ruminal microbiota to digest fiber. Subsequently, other ruminant families evolved around 18-23 Ma along with woodlands and grasslands. Probably, ruminants started to consume selective and highly nutritious plant leaves and grasses similar to concentrates. By 5-11 Ma, grasslands expanded and some ruminants used more grass in their diets with comparatively low nutritive values and high fibers. Historically, humans have domesticated 9 ruminant species that are mostly utilizer of low quality forages for human benefits. Thus, the non-functional rumen microbiota to predominantly concentrate fermenting microbiota, followed by predominantly fiber digesting microbiota had evolved for mutual complementary benefits of holobiont over the million years. The core microbiome of ruminant species seems the resultant of hologenome interaction in an evolutionary unit. The inertia and resilience properties of ruminal ecosystem seem to be due to this core microbiota, which makes the ecosystem most stable in response to perturbations because this core microbiota has evolutionary advantages with logically more generalists (i.e., wide metabolic versatile and redundancy). Also, a part of the ruminal microbiome shows highly plasticity, which is likely useful for evolutionary adaptability of holobiont. This review discusses ecological characteristics of ruminal microbial community in evolutionary perspectives. Th e updated understanding of ecological traits of ruminal microbiome would be helpful to better modulate the ruminal fermentation favorably for human benefits.

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The potential of ruminants for the utilization of fibrous low-quality diets

Cited by 8 publications

References 16 publications

Perspectives on pasture versus indoor feeding of dairy cows

Perspectives on pasture versus indoor feeding of dairy cows

Dodeka(ethylene)octamine

Characteristics of ruminal microbial community: Evolutionary and ecological perspectives

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