Evaluation of the effects of nematode parasitism on grazing behaviour, herbage intake and growth in young grazing cattle

2000 ◽  
Vol 90 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 111-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.B Forbes ◽  
C.A Huckle ◽  
M.J Gibb ◽  
A.J Rook ◽  
R Nuthall
1972 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. Brockington

SUMMARYA mathematical model has been constructed to simulate pasture contamination by the faeces of grazing cattle and the effects on herbage intake. The model describes the rate of deposition of faeces in relation to herbage intake, the effects of contamination on intake as modified by grazing pressure, and the rate at which the influence of faeces on grazing behaviour declines after deposition.The information available on these processes is incomplete and imprecise in a number of respects. It appears from the modelling exercise that further data are most urgently needed on the rate at which the inhibitory influence of faeces declines, and on the precise effect of grazing pressure on the amount of herbage rejected.A secondary effect of contamination is recognized, in which the utilization of herbage initially rejected because of the presence of faeces is modified subsequently because the temporary protection from grazing allows it to become too mature. This effect may be quantitatively larger than the primary contamination effect on untrimmed pastures, but its accurate prediction depends on the establishment of comprehensive relationships between the amount and composition of herbage on offer and intake by the grazing animal. The latter studies deserve at least an equal research priority, in relation to the contamination problem in toto, as the elucidation of the details of the primary effect.


1989 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Illius

SUMMARYIn 2 years two groups of 32 grazing cattle were used to examine the effects of previous grazing treatment and of body size on grazing behaviour and herbage organic matter intake (HOMI). Compensatory intake resulted from differences in grazing time only in the first year. There were no sex differences in intake when account was taken of differences in mature size raised to the power 0·73. Bite weight was related to the degree of maturity by the allometric coefficient of 0·46, and HOMI was similarly related by the coefficient of 0·36. This accords with the predicted effects of restricted grazing conditions on animals of different weight, and with allometric changes with weight in incisor breadth. Decreases in intake under grazing were similar in animals differing in maturity and weight. It is suggested that under constant grazing conditions the change in grazed herbage intake as animals mature reflects the allometric change in bite weight and a corresponding decline in bite numbers, resulting in consumption of a constant proportion of ad libitum intake.


Author(s):  
P. Brumby

At the outset it must be made clear that this paper is largely based on John Hancock's extensive grazing behaviour studies at Ruakura. More recently I have had the opportunity of carrying out further observations on grazing cattle. A brief review of these, of Hancock's earlier work, and a number of related overseas reports form the basis of this paper.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Linnane ◽  
B. Horan ◽  
J. Connolly ◽  
P. O'Connor ◽  
F. Buckley ◽  
...  

AbstractA comparative study of grazing behaviour, herbage intake and milk production was conducted using three strains of Holstein-Friesian (HF) heifer : 33 high production North American (HP), 33 high durability North American (HD) and 33 New Zealand (NZ) animals. Heifers were assigned, within strain, to one of three grass-based feeding systems : (1) the Moorepark (control) system (MP), (2) a high concentrate system (HC), (3) a high stocking rate system (HS). Strain of HF had no significant effect on grazing time or number of grazing bouts. The NZ strain had longer grazing bouts (P< 0.01) and spent a lower proportion of time ruminating (P< 0.05) than both the HP and HD strains. There was a significant strain ✕ feeding system interaction for biting rate. The biting rate of the NZ strain was reduced in the HC system. Biting rates in the HS feeding system were significantly higher (P< 0.001) than in the MP system. Heifers on HC had shorter grazing time (P< 0.01) with grazing bouts of shorter duration (P< 0.01). Increasing stocking rate (HS) decreased the proportion of time ruminating (P< 0.001) and tended to shorten grazing bouts (P = 0.06). The HP strain had higher (P< 0.05) herbage and total dry matter (DM) intakes than the NZ strain, while the HD strain was intermediate. Concentrate supplementation reduced (P< 0.001) herbage DM intake but increased (P< 0.001) total DM intake. The reduction of herbage DM intake per kg of concentrate DM intake (substitution rate) was greater for the NZ than the HP strain. The HP produced significantly higher milk, fat, protein and lactose yields than the NZ, while the HD strain was intermediate. The milk fat content of the NZ was higher than both the HP and HD strains, while the protein content was higher than the HP strain. Concentrate supplementation (HC v . MP) significantly increased yields of milk and milk components. Milk production responses to the HC system were much greater with the HP than the NZ strain. Increasing stocking rate (MP v . HS) significantly decreased milk protein yield. The results indicate that the choice of strain of HF may depend on the feeding system.


2002 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Gibb ◽  
C. A. Huckle ◽  
R. Nuthall

AbstractTwo 4-week experiments were conducted to examine the effect of type of supplement, offered through automatic feeders at pasture, on supplement intake and grazing behaviour by multiparous spring-calving Holstein-Friesian cows grazing continuously stocked grass pastures. Four supplement formulations were used: a dairy concentrate containing 180 g crude protein per kg fresh weight (treatment DC), a high digestible undegraded protein supplement (treatment HP), a high starch, low protein supplement (treatment HS) and a high fibre supplement (treatment HF). In experiment 1, groups of eight cows were provided with access to one of diets DC, HP or HS, with a maximum of 4 kg being available during each of two periods, between 16:00 and 03:30 h and between 03:30 and 14:30 h. During experiment 2, groups of eight cows were provided access to diet DC, HP, HS or HF, up to a maximum of 8 kg between 16:00 and 14:30 h the following day. Detailed measurements of grazing, ruminating and supplement eating behaviour were made using jaw movement recorders and the transponder-controlled out-of-parlour feeder software. Treatment had no effect on intake rate per min or daily intake of supplement in either experiment, but did affect the temporal pattern of concentrate meals. Treatment did not affect grazing bite mass, bite rate or intake rate in either experiment. During experiment 1, compared with treatment DC, treatment HS reduced total eating time, total grazing jaw movements and daily herbage intake and increased ruminative mastications per bolus and ruminative mastications per kg grass OM intake. In experiment 2, compared with treatment DC, only treatment HS reduced total eating time, total grazing jaw movements and daily herbage intake. Treatments HS and HF both increased ruminative mastications per bolus. The results indicate that when supplements are available at pasture there is a conflict between the time required to consume supplements and herbage and that supplement type can affect both the temporal pattern of supplement intake and subsequent grazing activity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Manuel Lomillos Pérez ◽  
Marta Elena Alonso de la Varga ◽  
Juan José García ◽  
Vicente Ramiro Gaudioso Lacasa

Veterinaria México OA ISSN: 2448-6760Cite this as:Lomillos Pérez JM, Alonso de la Varga ME, García JJ, Gaudioso Lacasa VR. Monitoring lidia cattle with GPS-GPRS technology; a study on grazing behaviour and spatial distribution. Veterinaria México OA. 2017;4(4). doi:10.21753/vmoa.4.4.405.The behavior of grazing cattle has not been studied as much as farmed animals. In certain breeds, reared in extensive systems, human presence can cause an interruption or modification in their ethological patterns moving away from the person watching them. The use of technologies like a Global Position System and a General Packet Radio Service (GPS-GPRS) allows monitoring bovine animals exploited in extensive systems, providing information in real time about distances traveled, home range grazing areas, frequented territories, behavior patterns, etc. In the present work, GPS-GPRS collars were used to monitor 21 cows of to the lidia cattle breed, with different ages, and from three different herds in the Salamanca province (Spain). The study lasted 8 months, the animals being distributed in enclosures of different dimensions and orographic characteristics, geographic position data being collected every 15 minutes. The proper functioning of the GPS-GPRS devices was proven and home range grazing area for each animal has been calculated, with an average of 56 hectares. A graph of animals’ circadian rhythm with the distances traveled for hours has been developed. A trend was observed to start daily activity hours before dawn, diminishing its activity with the evening and overnight, with a night’s rest phase of about 7 hours. We also report daily distance traveled (3.15 km on average), finding differences depending on age, available space allowance/animal, daylight and theseason. Our results could be of relevance for a better pasture management using enclosures of size that increase the use of all the surface available.Figure 3. Image of fencing No. 5 positions of the 3 animals monitored. Red, Yellow, Blue.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (10) ◽  
pp. 1837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio E. Beltrán ◽  
Pablo Gregorini ◽  
Alvaro Morales ◽  
Oscar A. Balocchi ◽  
Rubén G. Pulido

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the interaction effects between herbage mass and time of herbage allocation on milk production, grazing behaviour and nitrogen partitioning in lactating dairy cows. Forty-four Holstein Friesian cows were grouped according to milk production (24.7 ± 2.8 kg), bodyweight (580.6 ± 51.7 kg), days in milk (74 ± 17.1) and body condition score (3.1 ± 0.3), and then assigned randomly to one of four treatments: (1) L-AM: access to new herbage allocation after morning milking with herbage mass of 2000 kg DM/ha, (2) L-PM: access to new herbage allocation after afternoon milking with herbage mass of 2000 kg DM/ha, (3) M-AM: access to new herbage allocation after morning milking with herbage mass of 3000 kg DM/ha, and (4) M-PM: access to new herbage allocation after afternoon milking with herbage mass of 3000 kg DM/ha. All cows received a daily low herbage allowance of 21 kg DM measured above ground level, 3.0 kg DM of grass silage and 3.5 kg DM of concentrate. Herbage intake was similar between treatments, averaging 8.3 kg DM/day (P &gt; 0.05). Total grazing time was lower for M-PM compared with other treatments (P &lt; 0.01). Milk production was greater for M-AM and M-PM compared with L-PM (P &lt; 0.05). Urea in milk and plasma were greater for L-AM than L-PM and M-PM (P &lt; 0.01). Similarly, rumen ammonia was greater for L-AM compared with M-PM and M-AM (P &lt; 0.05). Nitrogen intake was 13.6% greater for L-AM than L-PM, and 17.5% greater for L-AM than M-PM (P &lt; 0.05). Nitrogen use efficiency was 22.1% greater for M-PM than L-AM, and 11.8% greater for M-PM than L-PM (P &lt; 0.01). In conclusion, the best management combination was observed when a medium herbage mass was delivered in the afternoon, maintaining a low nitrogen intake, low urinary nitrogen excretion and high milk production.


1995 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ferrer Cazcarra ◽  
M. Petit

AbstractTwo groups of eight Charolais heifers were used to examine the effect of feeding level during the post-weaning winter on the grazing behaviour and herbage intake over three periods during the first 2 months of grazing. The winter diets (L and H) were given to achieve a mean difference of 50 kg between groups at turn-out. The heifers were set-stocked together on a hill pasture where sward height was maintained at 12 cm.The winter live-weight gains were 0·31 and 0·70 (s.e. 0·032) kg/day for L and H heifers respectively, and spring gains 1·94 and 1·66 (s.e. 0·082) kg/day respectively. Intakes increased throughout the spring grazing for both groups. Absolute intakes were lower for L than for H heifers only during the first period (P < 0·05). Intake per kg live weight was higher in L than in H heifers (23·0 v. 21·1 (s.e. 0·54) g organic matter (OM) per kg live weight). Bite weights of H heifers were constant throughout (434, (s.e. 12·9) mg OM), while bite weights ofL heifers only reached those of H heifers in the last period. Bite weight was linearly related to live weight. Bite rates were not different between groups, but L heifers compensated for lower bite weight by grazing longer and they increased their grazing time after turn-out faster than H heifers. Grazing time was mainly responsible for higher relative intakes in L heifers, and thus, partly, for compensatory gain observed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document