Differences in grazing behavior of horses and cattle at the feeding station scale on woodland pasture

Shingu, Yuko; Kondo, Seiji; Hata, Hiroshi

doi:10.1111/j.1740-0929.2010.00748.x

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…These two variables were negatively related ( Figure 2a) and received opposite effects of the three predictors (equations (1) and (2)). The present results agree with previous observations in that step is generally a minor component of feeding station behavior compared with bite in terms of the number (Murray, 1991;Lazo and Soriguer, 1993;Hirata et al, 2008), with the majority of feeding station-to-feeding station movements as single-step moves (Roguet et al, 1998b;Ogura et al, 2004;Shingu et al, 2010). The bite/step ratio in animals is likely to decrease as vegetation becomes scarce and discretely distributed (Murray, 1991).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The animal is considered to move to a new feeding station at the cost of taking steps when intake rate from the current feeding station falls below the threshold level under repeated bites (Searle et al, 2005;Gregorini et al, 2011). Bite number, residence time and intake per feeding station, feeding station number per unit foraging time and step number between feeding stations are major feeding station behavior variables, which reflect profitability or unprofitability of feeding stations (Ruyle and Dwyer, 1985;El Aich et al, 1989;Roguet et al, 1998b;Gregorini et al, 2007Gregorini et al, , 2009Gregorini et al, and 2011Hirata et al, 2008;Shingu et al, 2010). The cost-benefit concept of the feeding station behavior is useful for a better understanding of foraging behavior of animals (Roguet et al, 1998b) and adjusting management strategies of various grazing systems ranging from an intensively managed small paddock of a sown pasture to an extensive rangeland across a landscape (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ruyle and Dwyer, 1985;El Aich et al, 1989;Gregorini et al, 2011). However, previous studies have focused mainly on relatively short-term (<1 day to about 30 days) variations in feeding station behavior in order to investigate the effects of forage availability (Ruyle and Dwyer, 1985;Roguet et al, 1998b), sward structure (Gregorini et al, 2009), plant species (Hirata et al, 2008), grazing management (Gregorini et al, 2011), animal species (Shingu et al, 2010) and rumen fill (Gregorini et al, 2007). Relatively little information has been reported on how grazing animals modify feeding station behavior seasonally and interannually in response to varying environmental conditions (El Aich et al, 1989;Jiang and Hudson, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal and interannual variations in feeding station behavior of cattle: effects of sward and meteorological conditions

Hirata

Matsumoto

Izumi

et al. 2015

Animal

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A feeding station is the area of forage a grazing animal can reach without moving its forefeet. Grazing behavior can be divided into residence within feeding stations (with bites as benefits) and movement between feeding stations (with steps as costs). However, relatively little information has been reported on how grazing animals modify their feeding station behavior seasonally and interannually in response to varying environmental conditions. The feeding station behavior of beef cows (Japanese Black) stocked on a tropical grass pasture (bahiagrass dominant) was monitored for 4 years (2010 to 2013) in order to investigate the association of feeding station behavior with meteorological and sward conditions across the seasons and years. Mean air temperature during stocking often exceeded 30°C during summer months. A severe summer drought in 2013 decreased herbage mass and sward height of the pasture and increased nitrogen concentration of herbage from summer to autumn. A markedly high feeding station number per unit foraging time, low bite numbers per feeding station and a low bite rate were observed in summer 2013 compared with the other seasons and years. Bite number per feeding station was explained by a multiple regression equation, where sward height and dry matter digestibility of herbage had a positive effect, whereas air temperature during stocking had a negative effect (R 2 = 0.658, P < 0.01). Feeding station number per minute was negatively correlated with bite number per feeding station (r = -0.838, P < 0.001). It was interpreted that cows modified bite number per feeding station in response to the sward and meteorological conditions, and this largely determined the number of feeding stations the animals visited per minute. The results indicate potential value of bite number per feeding station as an indicator of daily intake in grazing animals, and an opportunity for livestock and pasture managers to control feeding station behavior of animals through managements (e.g. fertilizer application, manipulation of stocking intensity and stocking time within the day).Keywords: cattle, grazing, bite, step, sward condition ImplicationsThis 4-year study is the first work investigating how grazing cattle modify their feeding station behavior seasonally and interannually in response to varying meteorological and sward conditions. Bite number per feeding station was affected positively by the sward height and dry matter digestibility of the pasture, and was affected negatively by the air temperature during stocking, as the major variable responsible for the seasonal and interannual variation. There is an opportunity for livestock and pasture managers to control feeding station behavior by animals through managements such as fertilizer application and manipulation of stocking intensity and stocking time within the day.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonal and interannual variations in feeding station behavior of cattle: effects of sward and meteorological conditions

Hirata

Matsumoto

Izumi

et al. 2015

Animal

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“…; Shingu et al . ). Few studies have analyzed the development of foraging behavior using foraging activity at the FS scale.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of the presence of grazing‐experienced heifers on the development of foraging behavior at the feeding station scale for first‐grazing season calves

Shingu

Ueda

Tada

et al. 2016

Animal Science Journal

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In this study, effects of grazing-experienced heifer presence on foraging behavior development at the feeding station (FS) scale for first-grazing season calves were determined. A group of four calves grazing alone (C), and another comprising four calves (Wc) and three grazing-experienced heifers (Wh), were alternately stocked every day for 2 h on the same pasture for 26 days. The foraging time budget for Wc was significantly longer than that for C (P < 0.05) on day 7, and was similar to that for Wh on all days. Bite rate per FS was significantly higher for Wc (15.5 bite/min) than for C (13.2 bite/min) from day 1 to 14 (33.4 vs. 29.0 bite/min, respectively; P < 0.01) and significantly lower than that for Wh on all days. The number of steps taken between adjacent FSs by Wc (4.7) was significantly lower than that for C (7.2) on days 1 and 14 (2.1 vs. 2.9 steps, respectively; P < 0.01) and was similar to Wh on all days. This suggests that grazing-experienced heifers have positive effects on the foraging behavior development of new-season grazing calves through 14 days after the start of stocking.

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“… Schematic model of foraging hierarchy (made by the author according to a discussion with Shingu et al . 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent progress in the study of behavior and management in grazing cattle

Kondo

2010

Animal Science Journal

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Recent progress in studies concerning behavior of, and management for, grazing cattle are reviewed. Since 1950, much study has been conducted on 'How', 'When', 'Where' and 'How long' regarding grazing. After the 1980s, grazing ecology introduced the concept of hierarchy at different spatial and temporal scales, and since then grazing behavior has been investigated on the foraging hierarchy of large grazing herbivores: bite, feeding station (FS), patch, feeding site, camp and home range. From the sequence of activities, FS is grouped within a feeding patch, and movement of grazing cattle has been studied between FSs, feeding patches, feeding sites and between camps. Grazing behavior and production relates closely with defoliation, and grazing management should control both grazing behavior and vegetation according to three rules: planning, operational and adaptation rules. Planning rules relate the stocking rate of cattle; operational rules relate to defoliation; and adaptation rules vary with regional situations. Recent studies on grazing have been carried out in the fields of animal diversity and welfare. Future studies in this field should be conducted on the ecology, neurophysiology and psychology of grazing. Nonlinear analysis will also be significant in this field. Grazing cattle production should also utilize supplementation by roughage and/or grains.

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Differences in grazing behavior of horses and cattle at the feeding station scale on woodland pasture

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Seasonal and interannual variations in feeding station behavior of cattle: effects of sward and meteorological conditions

Seasonal and interannual variations in feeding station behavior of cattle: effects of sward and meteorological conditions

Effects of the presence of grazing‐experienced heifers on the development of foraging behavior at the feeding station scale for first‐grazing season calves

Recent progress in the study of behavior and management in grazing cattle

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