Observations on the grazing behaviour of lactating dairy cattle in a sub-tropical environment

1960 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Holder
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Tropical Environment ◽  
Supplementary Food ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Fodder Crop ◽  
Fourth Trial ◽  
Summer Temperatures ◽  
Environmental Temperatures ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cattle ◽  
Grazing Behaviour

1. Three trials are reported in which the grazing behaviour of separate groups of cows, one receiving supplementary food, either as conserved roughage, concentrate or fodder crop, was observed over 24 hr. periods. A fourth trial, assessing the effect of summer temperatures on unshaded milking cows, is briefly described.2. In trials 1 and 2 the stall feeding of either conserved roughage or concentrate reduced grazing as compared with unsupplemented cows by approximately 10%.3. Allowing access to a fresh ‘strip’ of a fodder crop at a set time each day, whilst not altering total grazing time, very markedly altered periodicity of grazing. Cows delayed grazing up to 3 hr. whilst awaiting a fresh ‘strip’.4. Environmental temperatures up to 87° F. did not alter total grazing time as compared with grazing time when temperature reached a maximum of only 70° F.5. The value of supplementary feeding of dairy cattle at pasture, at least where the intake of pasture is sufficient for maintenance and a low level of production, appears to be open to question.

Effects of sowing rate and grazing management of forage rape (Brassica napus) on grazing behaviour and utilisation by dairy cattle

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 560 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. P. Stefanski ◽  
S. C. Garcia ◽  
S. R. Farina ◽  
D. K. Y. Tan ◽  
D. Tanner
Keyword(s):  
Brassica Napus ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Stocking Density ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cattle ◽  
Forage Rape ◽  
Internal Markers ◽  
Grazing Behaviour

The increase in total factor productivity in the Australian dairy industry over the last 10 years has been low (1.5%). To help address this issue, ‘FutureDairy’ is aiming to increase the production of home-grown feed currently achieved from pastures using a complementary forage-rotation (CFR) system. Forage rape (Brassica napus) is a key component of the CFR; however, it is a complex crop to manage and feed, and the interactions between the behaviour and grazing habits of dairy cattle are unknown. The present experiment investigated the effect of the sowing rate and grazing management of forage rape on the grazing behaviour and forage utilisation of lactating dairy cattle. A field experiment was established, with a forage rape crop planted at three different sowing rates of 2, 3.5 and 5 kg/ha. The crop was grazed using either a ‘multiple grazing’ system, where the forage rape was strip-grazed in a manner to promote regrowth to allow for regrazing, or a ‘take-all grazing’ system, where the forage rape was grazed once only after reaching maximum biomass. The grazing preferences of cows for the sowing rates during the grazing sessions were visually observed and recorded, and forage utilisation was determined from pre-grazing and post-grazing forage availability. Nitrogen (N) deposition from excreta was estimated using stocking density and time spent. Cattle preferred grazing the forage rape sown at 2 kg/ha, but this preference did not result in higher forage utilisation. Grazing method had no effect on forage utilisation or N deposition. Cows should be removed after ~80 min of grazing in a multiple grazing system to ensure future regrowth. Further work is necessary to fully investigate the effects of grazing method on forage utilisation and N deposition, and more accurate external devices and internal markers should be used in the future to provide better estimates of forage utilisation.

RUAKURA STUDIES ON THE GRAZING BEHAVIOUR OF DAIRY CATTLE

1955 ◽  
pp. 96-105
Author(s):  
P. Brumby
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Grazing Cattle ◽  
Extensive Grazing ◽  
Grazing Behaviour

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.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial-Resistant Enteric Bacteria from Dairy Cattle

2006 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish A. Sawant ◽  
Narasimha V. Hegde ◽  
Beth A. Straley ◽  
Sarah C. Donaldson ◽  
Brenda C. Love ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Dna Hybridization ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Dairy Herd ◽  
Enteric Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Predominant Species ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cattle

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to understand the descriptive and molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative enteric bacteria in the feces of healthy lactating dairy cattle. Gram-negative enteric bacteria resistant to ampicillin, florfenicol, spectinomycin, and tetracycline were isolated from the feces of 35, 8, 5, and 42% of 213 lactating cattle on 74, 39, 9, 26, and 82% of 23 farms surveyed, respectively. Antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative bacteria accounted for 5 (florfenicol) to 14% (tetracycline) of total gram-negative enteric microflora. Nine bacterial species were isolated, of which Escherichia coli (87%) was the most predominant species. MICs showing reduced susceptibility to ampicillin, ceftiofur, chloramphenicol, florfenicol, spectinomycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline were observed in E. coli isolates. Isolates exhibited resistance to ampicillin (48%), ceftiofur (11%), chloramphenicol (20%), florfenicol (78%), spectinomycin (18%), and tetracycline (93%). Multidrug resistance (≥3 to 6 antimicrobials) was seen in 40% of E. coli isolates from healthy lactating cattle. Of 113 tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates, tet(B) was the predominant resistance determinant and was detected in 93% of isolates, while the remaining 7% isolates carried the tet(A) determinant. DNA-DNA hybridization assays revealed that tet determinants were located on the chromosome. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that tetracycline-resistant E. coli isolates (n = 99 isolates) belonged to 60 subtypes, which is suggestive of a highly diverse population of tetracycline-resistant organisms. On most occasions, E. coli subtypes, although shared between cows within the herd, were confined mostly to a dairy herd. The findings of this study suggest that commensal enteric E. coli from healthy lactating cattle can be an important reservoir for tetracycline and perhaps other antimicrobial resistance determinants.

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