SOCR 320 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS ( JUST
RELEASED ) – JUST RELEASED.
1. Why do we need to irrigate forages in Colorado and the
West? - ANSWER ✓ Because natural rainfall is usually
sufficient to sustain healthy forage stands.
2. Why is ET (evapotranspiration) important? -
ANSWER ✓ It directly impacts forage production by
influencing water availability and plant growth.
3. What is evaporation? - ANSWER ✓ When a liquid
turns into a gas.
4. What is transpiration? - ANSWER ✓ The loss of water
vapor through the stomata of leaves.
5. Average % digestibility of cell contents of ruminants on
all forage diets? - ANSWER ✓ 98% for animals on all
forage diets.
,6. The 2 main factors that affect degradability of the cell
wall constituents? - ANSWER ✓ -Crystallinity of
Cellulose (more mature=more lignin)
-Lignification of the cell wall (cementing agent)
7. Why are herbivores well suited to forage diets? -
ANSWER ✓ the volume of digestive tract devoted to
microbial degredation (2/3)
8. Horses (other equids) are known as what kind of fiber
fermenter? - ANSWER ✓ Hindgut fiber fermenters
(enlarged cecum and colon for cell wall digestion
(fermentation))
9. Cows (other ruminants) are known as what kind of
fiber fermenter? - ANSWER ✓ Foregut fiber fermenters
(enlarge multicomponent modification of simple
stomach.)
10. How does regurgitation of forage and chewing of
cud (bolus) improve forage digestion in ruminants? -
,ANSWER ✓ -Increased surface area for bacteria
attachments.
-Bolus chewed around 40 times before swallowed.
-Increases absorption of nutrients.
11. What happens when excessive amounts of soluble
CHOs reach the hindgut of a horse? - ANSWER ✓
Causes excess lactic acid.
12. Compared to a ruminant, horses need a diet higher or
lower in crude protein? Why? - ANSWER ✓ Higher
protein... less able to extracting nutrients from forage
13. How does the intake and rate of passage of forage
through the digestive system compare between a horse
and ruminants? - ANSWER ✓ -20-30% higher intakes
compared to ruminants.
-higher rates of passage
14. Unlike the horse, ruminants perform better on what
type of forage? Why? - ANSWER ✓ Lush vegetation
, because of their ability of rapid digestibility, faster rate of
passage. High quality, more vegetative.
15. What is the primary source of protein for ruminants?
- ANSWER ✓ Protein from both feed & microbes.
10.a Protein Considerations of ruminants on forage diets.
Diet less than 6-7% CP why? - At what level of CP in the
diet is N wasted? What happens to excess N? - ANSWER
✓ -Not enough N to maintain microbial population in
rumen.
-Diets greater than 12% CP is when N is wasted.
-Protein degraded to NH3 in Rumen (85%-90%), some
absorbed by microbes forgrowth, absorbed through rumen
wall or recycled in saliva.
10.b How do ruminants survive on low quality (low CP)
diets? - ANSWER ✓ N recycles through liver and back
through saliva.
AND CORRECT ANSWERS ( JUST
RELEASED ) – JUST RELEASED.
1. Why do we need to irrigate forages in Colorado and the
West? - ANSWER ✓ Because natural rainfall is usually
sufficient to sustain healthy forage stands.
2. Why is ET (evapotranspiration) important? -
ANSWER ✓ It directly impacts forage production by
influencing water availability and plant growth.
3. What is evaporation? - ANSWER ✓ When a liquid
turns into a gas.
4. What is transpiration? - ANSWER ✓ The loss of water
vapor through the stomata of leaves.
5. Average % digestibility of cell contents of ruminants on
all forage diets? - ANSWER ✓ 98% for animals on all
forage diets.
,6. The 2 main factors that affect degradability of the cell
wall constituents? - ANSWER ✓ -Crystallinity of
Cellulose (more mature=more lignin)
-Lignification of the cell wall (cementing agent)
7. Why are herbivores well suited to forage diets? -
ANSWER ✓ the volume of digestive tract devoted to
microbial degredation (2/3)
8. Horses (other equids) are known as what kind of fiber
fermenter? - ANSWER ✓ Hindgut fiber fermenters
(enlarged cecum and colon for cell wall digestion
(fermentation))
9. Cows (other ruminants) are known as what kind of
fiber fermenter? - ANSWER ✓ Foregut fiber fermenters
(enlarge multicomponent modification of simple
stomach.)
10. How does regurgitation of forage and chewing of
cud (bolus) improve forage digestion in ruminants? -
,ANSWER ✓ -Increased surface area for bacteria
attachments.
-Bolus chewed around 40 times before swallowed.
-Increases absorption of nutrients.
11. What happens when excessive amounts of soluble
CHOs reach the hindgut of a horse? - ANSWER ✓
Causes excess lactic acid.
12. Compared to a ruminant, horses need a diet higher or
lower in crude protein? Why? - ANSWER ✓ Higher
protein... less able to extracting nutrients from forage
13. How does the intake and rate of passage of forage
through the digestive system compare between a horse
and ruminants? - ANSWER ✓ -20-30% higher intakes
compared to ruminants.
-higher rates of passage
14. Unlike the horse, ruminants perform better on what
type of forage? Why? - ANSWER ✓ Lush vegetation
, because of their ability of rapid digestibility, faster rate of
passage. High quality, more vegetative.
15. What is the primary source of protein for ruminants?
- ANSWER ✓ Protein from both feed & microbes.
10.a Protein Considerations of ruminants on forage diets.
Diet less than 6-7% CP why? - At what level of CP in the
diet is N wasted? What happens to excess N? - ANSWER
✓ -Not enough N to maintain microbial population in
rumen.
-Diets greater than 12% CP is when N is wasted.
-Protein degraded to NH3 in Rumen (85%-90%), some
absorbed by microbes forgrowth, absorbed through rumen
wall or recycled in saliva.
10.b How do ruminants survive on low quality (low CP)
diets? - ANSWER ✓ N recycles through liver and back
through saliva.
