Whether you are a new Goat owner or are just a curious person who saw a Goat at a petting zoo, and you are wondering why Goats seem to be constantly chewing.
Well, I thought the exact same thing after visiting a petting zoo and seeing the Goats up close and personal.
I had no idea why they were doing that, I even thought at one point that there might have been something wrong with that.
After asking the staff, I very quickly found that there was nothing wrong with them, and that it has a purpose.
A pretty important one at that.
So, do Goat’s chew cud? The answer to this question is yes, they do. They are ruminant animals, so just like any other ruminant animal they chew on cud. It is an important part of their digestive process.
This article will take a deeper look at exactly what cud chewing is, why they do it and the whole of the digestive process that takes part within a Goat.
It is also going to look at things that may prevent them from chewing cud.
So, let us get right into it.
What exactly is Cud Chewing?
It is a process that occurs in ruminant animals.
The Cud is a portion of food that returns from a ruminant animal’s stomach, back up to the mouth for it to be chewed for a second time.
In more accurate terms it is a bolus of semi-degraded food that has been regurgitated, from the reticulorumen.
What is a Ruminant animal?
If you do not already know, a ruminant animal such as a Goat, is an animal that has four stomach chambers as opposed to just one.
These are the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum.
They each have a different function.
Goats swallow their food practically as a whole as they are grazing.
The food is then sent to the rumen, which is a critical chamber, as this is where the bacteria and protozoa will break down the fiber within the food.
The rumen is the largest part of the Goat’s stomach, and it can hold from around three to six gallons of material.
When the Goat is resting the food will then be regurgitated in broken-down pieces, to its mouth.
Where it will be mixed with saliva and chewing, which is where it is now called cud.
After this has happened, the next step is the reticulum.
This lies just in front of and just below the rumen.
The main purpose of this is to catch any heavy pieces that are in the food.
It has a honeycombed lining, which then allows the reticulum to catch and hold rubbish that the Goat may have swallowed.
This is particularly important because it ensures that it does not continue through the digestive system and cause particular harm.
After this step, then comes the omasum.
This is an organ that is distinctively built with long folds.
This is so that it is able to absorb any excess moisture and any leftover volatile fatty acids.
This organ is the closest to a human’s stomach, out of the four different stomachs of a ruminant animal.
It contains hydrochloric acid and many digestive enzymes.
These then help to break the food particles down further, before they enter the intestines.
The intestines are also quite similar to a human’s intestines and how they function.
As you may or may not already know, this is where the body absorbs any liquid and nutrition’s, that may have been missed in any of the other parts of the process.
Cud chewing is an essential step within a ruminant animal’s digestive system, and if there are any problems with digestion they usually begin in the rumen.
How is cud produced?
It is produced during the physical digestive process of rumination.
What makes a Goat not chew its cud?
One of the main reasons that a Goat will not chew the cud, is because they are bloated.
This is where gas gets trapped in the rumen.
It can be quite painful for them and even in some cases, it can be fatal for them.
Usually, to avoid this, a Goat will belch numerous times per hour.
However, there are many things that can stop the gas being released.
To treat this there are many different things you can do to help your Goat, such as raising their forelimbs, massaging their belly or giving them baking soda.
If none of these things work, then you should consult a veterinarian, so that they can administer a catheter, to help release the gases and reduce the bloating.
Another thing that can stop your Goat from chewing cud, is acidosis.
This is a condition where a Goat’s rumen pH becomes acidic, this is most likely a result of improper carbohydrate fermentation.
This condition is also known as ‘grain overload’, due to the dramatic changes of a Goat’s diet.
If this happens your Goat needs to see a veterinarian so that they can perform procedures that may save your Goat’s life.
To avoid any of this happening, you should not make any significant or drastic changes to your Goat’s diet.
Try to keep it as natural as possible to ensure that they remain healthy.
If you do add new things to their diet you should do it gradually, to give their bodies and digestive systems time to get used to it.
Goats are not picky with what they eat, and they will pretty much eat anything in sight.
While most of the time this is good, if they are in a controlled environment such as living on a farm.
If your Goats are more adventurous and like to roam about in larger fields, then this can become quite worrisome, as there are all kinds of things that they may eat; the most concerning one being litter.
If it catches your Goat’s eye, it is most likely that they will eat it, and this can be very harmful and will stop the process of chewing cud.
This is because it can block the rumen and make it so nothing can get in or out.
Rumen blocking of any kind can be seriously harmful for your Goat and if this happens then you should take them to see a veterinarian right away.
Do Goat’s chew cud while in labour?
It depends entirely on your Goat.
Some Goat’s will chew cud between each contraction, right up until the final few pushes.
Some Goat’s will even eat through their labor.
What other animals chew cud?
It is not only Goats that chew cud. In fact there are quite a few animals that chew cud.
These include but are not limited to; cattle, sheep, buffalo, deer, elk, giraffes and camels.
So, to sum it all up. Goats do chew cud because they are ruminant animals, and it is a very important part of their digestion process.
But, there are also so many different factors that can affect this process and cause it to either stop altogether or just slow it down.
Either way, you should keep an eye on your Goat and either wait for the problem to solve itself, or you should take them to see a veterinarian if the problem persists.
Especially if they stop eating altogether or they are acting significantly different to how they usually act.