Genetic Aspects of Diet Selection in the Chihuahuan Desert

Winder, John; Walker, D A; Bailey, Calvin C.

doi:10.2307/4003068

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This is in line with previous studies showing that heritage cattle graze more evenly in space (Peinetti et al, ) and less selectively (Koczura et al, ) than modern breeds. For single traits such as woodiness, differences in forage selection among breeds have been detected by some previous studies (Orr, Tallowin, Griffith, & Rutter, ; Winder, Walker, & Bailey, ) that reported higher shrub consumption by less‐productive breeds, whereas others found traditional cattle avoiding shrubland (Spiegal et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Choosy grazers: Influence of plant traits on forage selection by three cattle breeds

et al. 2020

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1. Forage selection by herbivores is a major driver of plant diversity in pasture vegetation. Yet, we know relatively little about how plant traits influence decisions of different herbivore species and breeds to select or avoid a certain plant species on semi-natural pastures.2. We quantified the influence of the traits leaf N and P content, leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA) and physical defence mechanisms on plant species selection for three cattle breeds: high-yielding Angus × Holstein crossbreed, dual-purpose Original Braunvieh and undemanding Highland Cattle. The cattle grazed a series of adjacent paddocks in different alpine pastures. Plant species selection was quantified by assessing the difference in biomass proportions of all plant species in 66 vegetation subplots per breed before and after grazing. Plant traits and indicator values were extracted from the TRY database. Data on 152 plant species were analysed using a local mixed-effects model and a global multivariate hierarchical regression model. 3. Plant traits had a clear impact on forage behaviour. Plants with high SLA, leaf N and P contents were significantly selected, whereas plants with high LDMC (e.g. woody plants) and defence mechanisms (e.g. thistles) were generally avoided. Species with high forage quality indicator values as defined by Briemle et al. (2002) were significantly preferred. More importantly, significant differences between forage behaviour of cattle breeds were detected. Selection by less-productive Highland Cattle was much less influenced by plant traits than the selection by the two higher-yielding breeds. 4. Results indicate a clear impact of plant traits on forage selection and demonstrate breed-specific influences. Highland Cattle (and possibly other robust breeds) graze less selectively and impose less selective exclusion on plants. Thereby, they likely influence plant species composition of pastures in a different way than highyielding breeds, thereby creating a distinct habitat. K E Y W O R D S alpine pastures, Bayesian statistics, cattle breeds, forage selection, plant traits, species diversity | 981 Functional Ecology PAULER Et AL.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Choosy grazers: Influence of plant traits on forage selection by three cattle breeds

et al. 2020

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“…Almost all the analyses in this study have shown that the effects of the animal were significant, even though calves in this study were progeny from the same sire. Winder et al . (1995, 1996) suggested that genetic differences among breeds or individuals affect plant selectivity under free‐grazing conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selective feeding behavior of calves is affected by basal diet

Fukasawa

Tsukada

Kosako

2005

Animal Science Journal

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The present study examined the way the selective feeding behavior of calves was affected by basal diet. Three basal diets containing oat hay and concentrate, with the addition of different levels of roughage content (low, medium and high) were prepared by changing their mix ratios. Orchard grass (OG) and Japanese pampas grass leaf (JP) were used as testing foods. In the preliminary phase, all calves were fed each basal diet three times per day and then food selection between JP and OG was examined. Dry matter intake (DMI) of JP and OG throughout the test was significantly different. Increasing the roughage rate in the basal diet decreased the DMI of JP, whereas the DMI of OG was increased. There was no significant effect of basal diet condition on nutrient intake, whereas the acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber ingestive efficiency were affected by the basal diet condition. It is suggested that calves prefer food that complement the basal diet, even if nutrient requirements are met.

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“…There is significant and growing evidence that the digestive and detoxification abilities of animals are heritable characteristics (Winder et al 1995, Snowder et al 2001). These inherited characteristics could influence diet selection and intake in several ways.…”

Section: Breed Animals With Desired Attributesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Herbivore Response to Anti-Quality Factors in Forages

Launchbaugh¹,

Provenza²,

Pfister³

2001

Journal of Range Management

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Plants possess a wide variety of compounds and growth forms that are termed "anti-quality" factors because they reduce forage value and deter grazing. Anti-quality attributes can reduce a plant's digestible nutrients and energy or yield toxic effects. Herbivores possess several adaptive mechanisms to lessen the impacts of anti-quality factors. First, herbivores graze selectively to limit consumption of potentially harmful plant compounds. Grazing animals rely on a sophisticated system to detect plant nutritional value or toxicity by relating the flavor of a plant to its positive or negative digestive consequences. Diet selection skills are enhanced by adaptive intake patterns that limit the deleterious effects of plant allelochemicals; these include cautious sampling of sample new foods, consuming a varied diet, and eating plants in a cyclic, intermittent, or carefully regulated fashion. Second, grazing animals possess internal systems that detoxify or tolerate ingested phytotoxins. Animals may eject toxic plant material quickly after ingestion, secrete substances in the mouth or gut to render allelochemicals inert, rely on rumen microbes to detoxify allelochemicals, absorb phytochemicals from the gut and detoxified them in body tissues, or develop a tolerance to the toxic effects of plant allelochemicals. Understanding the behavioral and metabolic abilities of herbivores suggests several livestock management practices to help animals contend with plant anti-quality characteristics. These practices include offering animals proper early life experiences, selecting the appropriate livestock species and individuals, breeding animals with desired attributes, and offering nutritional or pharmaceutical products to aid in digestion and detoxification.

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Genetic Aspects of Diet Selection in the Chihuahuan Desert

Abstract: Fecal microhistology and chemistry were used to evaluate botanical composition and quality of diets selected by Brangus cattle grazing Chihuahuan desert range in 3 seasons; fall:

Cited by 20 publications

References 19 publications

Choosy grazers: Influence of plant traits on forage selection by three cattle breeds

Choosy grazers: Influence of plant traits on forage selection by three cattle breeds

Selective feeding behavior of calves is affected by basal diet

Herbivore Response to Anti-Quality Factors in Forages

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