The Length of the Intestine of Calves and its Bearing on the Absorption of the Nutrients from the Chyme

Abstract

The small intestine of the living calf is about seven times the body length, or about one-third the post-mortem length. Variations in the ratio between body length and length of intestine depend more on individuality than upon the age of the calf. Although the progress of the chyme through this region is comparatively rapid, the increased length in ruminants allows for proper absorption of the nutrients if thoroughly comminuted in the rumen. The large intestine does not show as great a difference in length between the living and post-mortem stages as does the small intestine. © 1940, American Dairy Science Association. All rights reserved.