Regulation of Gastrointestinal Growth and Function

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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.