How the foraging decisions of a small ruminant are influenced by past feeding experiences with low-quality food

Catanese, Francisco Hernan; Distel, Roberto Alejandro; Fernández, Paula Rosana; Villalba, Juan J.

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2016.02.015

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…However, the persistence of intake induction through conditioning was short-lived, since when the provision of the nutritious food was discontinued the intake of oat hay converged with values comparable to those observed in the control animals. Moreover, no difference has been observed in the intake of low-quality food between conditioned and unconditioned (i.e., controls) animals in associating the ingestion of a low-quality feed with the subsequent presentation of a nutritious alternative [ 60 , 61 ]; however, this does not necessarily mean that learning has not taken place. The expression of learning is context-dependent, as differences in foraging effort (e.g., constraints in food availability, differences in handling and searching times) may unveil foraging patterns that are not observed when high- and low-quality foods are highly available and thus offer similar foraging efforts.…”

Section: Positive Experience and Use Of Low-quality Feedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, when conditioned sheep were faced with a choice between a target low-quality food and a high-quality alternative under conditions when foraging efforts to gather those foods were similar, they displayed an almost absolute preference for the high-quality food, similar to values observed for the control animals. However, when access to the high-quality food was restricted in a foraging arena, intake and selection of the low-quality food was much greater in the conditioned animals that previously experienced the ingestion of the low-quality food in association with a high-quality food than the control sheep, which had not experienced such an association [ 60 , 61 ].…”

Section: Positive Experience and Use Of Low-quality Feedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Collectively, this suggests that early experience with unpalatable food may represent a significant “tool” to enhance the fitness of consumers when availability of high-quality food is limited or when a combination of palatable and unpalatable resources leads to synergistic associations that increase nutrient gain per unit of effort. Some evidence in this regard exists for low-quality feed [ 60 , 61 ] or for toxin-containing plants [ 63 ] when palatable plants become less accessible.…”

Section: Evolutionary Consequences Of Incorporating Unpalatable Plmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, a more uniform use of plant species is not realized. However, if herbivores are encouraged to mix food in a way to overcome the nutritional and/or toxic limitations of unpalatable food, they are more likely to acquire diet mixing behaviour and develop an increased preference for, and intake of, unpalatable food [ 23 , 60 , 61 , 64 , 71 , 119 , 120 ]. Cattle supplemented with energy and protein learned to eat sagebrush and showed increased use of the shrub compared to naïve cattle when grazed on a sagebrush steppe; the grazing behaviour of experienced cattle decreased the abundance of sagebrush and increased the abundance of grasses and forbs [ 65 ].…”

Section: Plant Community Consequences Of Incorporating Unpalatablmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of Unpalatable Forages by Ruminants: The Influence of Experience with the Biophysical and Social Environment

Distel

Villalba

2018

Animals

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Simple SummaryUnpalatable forages, due to either low nutrient content or the presence of toxic compounds, are widespread and represent a challenge for ruminant nutrition, health, and welfare. If we find ways to encourage consumption of unpalatable forages, they could provide at least part of the nutrient requirements of ruminants. Our objective was to synthesize the role of diverse environmental experiences on the use of unpalatable forages by ruminants. Experimental evidence shows that experience can alter both morpho-physiological and psychological (learning) mechanisms to better cope with unpalatable forages, particularly early in life when body functions are more amenable to change. Furthermore, experiential learning provides flexibility in diet selection, which is critical in changing foraging environments. By understanding and applying behavioural principles, it is possible to better devise management plans that optimize the nutrition, health, and welfare of herbivores grazing unpalatable forages throughout their life. In addition, a more uniform use of resources can be achieved from the landscape level down to the individual plant, with consequent benefits to ecosystem integrity and stability.AbstractUnpalatable forage resources (low nutrient density, potentially toxic metabolites) are widespread and represent a challenge for ruminant nutrition, health, and welfare. Our objective was to synthesize the role of biophysical and social experience on the use of unpalatable forages by ruminants, and highlight derived behavioural solutions for the well-being of soils, plants, and animals. Environmental experiences early in life modulate gene expression and promote learning, which alters morpho-physiological and psychological mechanisms that modify behavioural responses and change food and habitat selection. In this process, ruminants can become better adapted to the habitat where they are reared. Moreover, experiential learning provides flexibility in diet selection, which is critical for changing foraging environments. Learned associations between unpalatable and palatable foods, if ingested in appropriate amounts, sequence, and close temporal association, induce the development of preference for the former type of food. In this way, a more uniform use of resources can be achieved from the landscape level down to the individual plant, with the associated benefits to ecosystem integrity and stability. Ruminants can also learn the medicinal benefits of ingesting foods with toxins (e.g., condensed tannins and saponins with antiparasitic properties). This knowledge on behavioural processes can be translated into behavioural applications that provide low-cost solutions to many challenges that producers face in managing sustainable livestock production systems.

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Section: Positive Experience and Use Of Low-quality Feedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Positive Experience and Use Of Low-quality Feedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Evolutionary Consequences Of Incorporating Unpalatable Plmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plant Community Consequences Of Incorporating Unpalatablmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of Unpalatable Forages by Ruminants: The Influence of Experience with the Biophysical and Social Environment

Distel

Villalba

2018

Animals

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“…In pastoral ecosystems, herbivores develop grazing mechanisms or tools that make up what is called ingestive behavior [1]. Based on the existing literature, there are two main lines of research on ingestive behavior, one that explores animal response under different environmental conditions, with responses based on conditions extrinsic to animals [2][3][4][5], and the second that studies behavioral responses related directly to the different physiological conditions of animals, making a direct relationship between behavior and their intrinsic characteristics [6][7][8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of tropical pastures on grazing behavior parameters of young lambs

Poli

Hampel

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Tropical sward characteristics can alter lamb ingestive behavior. Our study evaluated the ingestive behavior of young lambs in different tropical pastures to identify which variables interfere in their grazing activity. Two years of study were carried out with 54 weaned lambs distributed in three different swards: 1) monoculture of a upright grass, guinea grass (Panicum maximum; GG); 2) monoculture of a shrubby legume pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan; PP) and 3) contiguous areas with half the paddock with GG and half with PP (GP). The experiment was set out in a randomized complete block design. Lamb ingestive behavior was observed from sunrise to sunset with records every 5 minutes. To identify the main variables that affected with the lamb grazing activity, a multivariate analysis of the Decision Tree was performed. Our results showed that there was no difference in the ingestive behavior parameters of young lambs in different swards (P > 0.05). There was interaction among the swards and the experimental periods for the variables idleness time and biting rate (P ≤ 0.05). Grazing time of the animals increased 40% with experimental period progression. The Decision Tree identified leaf:stem ratio as the variable that most influenced lamb grazing time in GG and GP swards while in the PP sward grazing time was directly related to the pasture height. The behavior of young lambs on tropical pasture is variable as there is a change in the behavioral response over time. In addition, the grazing time of these animals can be estimated by means of variables related to pasture structural characteristics (leaf:stem ratio and height) together with chemical variables.

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Heterogeneity in the resource landscape encourages increased cognitive and perceptive capabilities in foragers

Gibbs,

Landi,

Hui

2024

Ecological Modelling

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How the foraging decisions of a small ruminant are influenced by past feeding experiences with low-quality food

Cited by 6 publications

References 52 publications

Use of Unpalatable Forages by Ruminants: The Influence of Experience with the Biophysical and Social Environment

Use of Unpalatable Forages by Ruminants: The Influence of Experience with the Biophysical and Social Environment

Influence of tropical pastures on grazing behavior parameters of young lambs

Heterogeneity in the resource landscape encourages increased cognitive and perceptive capabilities in foragers

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