Regulation of Gastrointestinal Growth and Function

加拿大有1500多万只反刍动物，生产牛奶和肉类，为加拿大经济贡献了400多亿美元。在加拿大各地大约50，000个农场饲养的反刍动物遵循动物福利的最高标准，但幼龄和成年牲畜的胃肠道疾病和疾病仍然严重威胁着动物福利和农业的盈利能力。在生命的第一周，反刍动物出生时是功能性的蒙古兽，并且瘤胃保持非功能性，直到引入和消耗饲料如谷物和草料。从新生儿依赖牛奶提供的营养物质到谷物和草料提供的营养物质的过渡过程对反刍动物生产者具有重要的经济和动物福利意义，因为在生命早期改善反刍动物营养制度可以降低死亡率和疾病易感性，以及增加体重和产奶量。

There are over 15 million ruminants in Canada producing milk and meat, which contributes over 40 billion dollars to Canada’s economy. The ruminants raised on approximately 50,000 farms throughout Canada follow the highest standards of animal welfare, however gastrointestinal diseases and disorders in young and mature stock are still a serious threat to animal welfare and the profitability of agriculture. During the first week of life, ruminants are born as functional mongastrics, and the rumen remains non-functional until the introduction and consumption of feedstuffs such as grains and forages. The process of transition from their neonatal reliance on nutrients supplied from milk to nutrients supplied from grain and forages is of important economic and animal welfare significance to ruminant producers, as improvements to ruminant nutritional regimes in early life can decrease mortality and disease susceptibility, as well as increase weight gain and milk production.