Rumen function in goats, an example of adaptive capacity

Abstract

The aim of this Research Reflection is to describe the basic rumen function of goats and its modification in response to environmental factors, as well as to discuss similarities and differences when compared to other ruminants. In so doing we shall reveal the adaptive capacity of goats to harsh environments. The basic rumen function in goats is similar to other species of ruminants, as stressed by the opportunity to apply the updates of feeding systems for ruminants to goats. The rumen epithelium acts as a protective barrier between the rumen and the host, but it can be damaged by toxic compounds or acidosis. The rumen also plays an important role in water balance, both for dehydration and rehydration. Recent studies show that the microbiota exhibits a high fractional stability due to functional redundancy and resilience, but this needs more investigation. The microbial community structure differs between goats and cows, which explains the difference in sensitivity to milk fat depression following intake of high lipid diets. Goats also differ from other ruminants by their enhanced ability to feed-sort, but as with cows they can suffer from acidosis. Nevertheless, goats can be considered to be very resistant to environmental factors such as water stress, salt stress or heat stress, and this is especially so in some endogenous breeds. They also are able to detoxify tannins, polyphenols and other secondary metabolites. Some new trials involving feeding behaviour, microbiota and omics or approaches by meta-analyses or modelling will improve our knowledge of rumen function in goats.

Impacts of Grazing by Small Ruminants on Hillslope Hydrological Processes: A Review of European Current Understanding

“…At the EU scale, the CAP has been recognized as a key tool to achieve a sustainable transformation and best management practices. Concerning the adaptation measures of SR farms in the climate change context, a good solution could be to focus on some breeds of goats that are quite tolerant to environmental stressors (Giger‐Reverdin, Domange, et al., 2020; Giger‐Reverdin, Duvaux‐Ponter, et al., 2020). However, the route to sustainable rangeland and SR stock management (Bock et al., 2020; Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2021; Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2016) should be embraced by stakeholders.…”

A novel modelling approach to quantify the response of dairy goats to a high-concentrate diet

“…It has been shown that for ruminants fed the same diet, some develop acidosis while others keep their neutral as observed in cows 37 or goats 38 . It seems that feeding behaviour 39 and rumen adaptive capacity 40 are among the main factors regulating animals’ response to a change of diet. This link needs to be studied in greater depth, and in particular the link between feeding behaviour and evolution of microbiota, and the link between feeding behaviour and feed efficiency 41 .…”

Inclusion of Cocoa Bean Shell in the Diet of Dairy Goats: Effects on Milk Production Performance and Milk Fatty Acid Profile

“…In cattle and sheep, dietary tannins can create complexes with lignocellulose, inhibiting cellulolytic microorganisms and fibrolytic enzymatic activity, and increasing rumen physical filling, with negative consequences on voluntary DMI and fiber digestion (62,63). However, goats and other browsing animal species are able to produce tannin-binding saliva and stimulate the proliferation of tannin-tolerant bacteria, mostly overcoming the negative effects of tannins on intake and nutrient digestion (64,65). da Silva et al (66) recently demonstrated that a dietary concentration of CT equal to 5% DM did not affect the DMI and nutrient intake of goats from different genotypes.…”