Sheep rumination refers to the process where, after grazing for a period of time, the sheep regurgitate undigested feed from their stomach back into their mouth, chew it again, and then swallow it. Since sheep eat quickly, after they are full, they regurgitate the feed from their stomach to continue chewing and digesting it. This helps to improve the digestion rate of the feed. If a sheep has digestive diseases or is older, it may regurgitate and expel frothy saliva during rumination.
1. What Does Sheep Rumination Mean?
Rumination refers to the process where, after grazing for a period of time, the sheep regurgitate undigested feed from their stomach back into their mouth, chew it again, and then swallow it. On average, sheep spend about 8 hours a day ruminating. Under normal circumstances, they will ruminate around 4-8 times, with each rumination session lasting about 40-70 minutes.
Rumination is a physiological instinct for sheep. Since sheep eat quickly, they can graze 60-70 times per minute, and usually only need 2 hours to fill up. During their rest time after eating, the sheep will bring the ingested feed from the rumen back up to chew it again. After thoroughly mixing it with saliva, they will swallow it again, which speeds up digestion.
2. Why Does a Sheep Expel Grass While Ruminating?
It is normal for a sheep to expel frothy saliva or grass during rumination as part of its physiological habit. Healthy sheep generally begin rumination about 30 minutes after grazing. However, if a sheep is sick, it may reduce or stop rumination altogether.
When a sheep expels grass during rumination, it is usually due to old age or gastrointestinal issues. In addition, healthy adult sheep may also expel grass during rumination if they are exposed to cold or wind while grazing or if they are fed poor-quality feed.
