Weather Regulated Cattle Behaviour on Rangeland

Abstract

Abstract. Cattle behaviour depends both on internal factors (breed, age, oestrus, hierarchy, body homeostasis) and external factors (air temperature, humidity, wind speed, paddock size, grass quality and quantity). In our study we present how weather conditions modify behaviour and daily walked distance. Direct observations of Hungarian grey cows and calves were carried out in Eastern Hungary on a rangeland called Hortobagy. Meteorological, spatial and behavioural data were collected using weather stations, GPS collars and ethogram recordings. Data showed a positive correlation between daily walked distance and atmospheric pressure (r=0.389, P<0.05). Animals consistently used the same daily routes and resting sites. Moreover, frequency of metabolic behaviour (grazing, rumination, drinking, defecation, and urination) depended significantly on type of weather fronts experienced on the day following the examined day (r=0.445, P<0.05). These weather fronts were classified according to the system developed by Peczely. In summary, our study suggests that Hungarian grey cattle show specific behavioural patterns during low-pressure conditions. Therefore, understanding their behavioural responses to different environmental factors may help to improve the handling techniques of extensively farmed beef cattle. As behavioural adaptation is usually driven by the neuroendocrine system, we suggest that this type of regulation could also depend on environmental changes, therefore, this relationship needs further research.

Factors Affecting Site Use Preference of Grazing Cattle Studied from 2000 to 2020 through GPS Tracking: A Review

“…One of the most important external factors impacting animal behaviour is the weather [ 35 ], and the ambient variable that has been most commonly associated with cattle site use preference is air temperature. In temperate climate areas, the air temperature in summer can rise above the upper critical temperature limit causing heat-stress in livestock, and higher solar radiation and relative humidity can increase the heat load [ 36 ].…”

“…Moreover, as precipitation increases, cows spend less time grazing in each patch and return to grazed patches more often [ 45 ], whereas daily distance travelled is greater and foraging area is expanded during periods with higher precipitation in desert rangelands [ 46 ]. Additionally, a positive correlation between daily walking distance of cattle and atmospheric pressure was found in rangelands (continental climate) [ 35 ].…”

Dietary Manipulation to Increase the Concentration of N-3 Fatty Acids in Milk Fat

“…The fatty acid (FA) composition of cow's milk has become less favourable to human health due to changed feeding and management practices, notably higher proportions of concentrates and silages in diets with less grazing (Elgersma et al, 2006). Although there are differences in the fatty acid composition of milk fat from cows consuming warm season pasture species compared with milk from cows consuming a total mixed ration (White et al, 2001), there are several other factors influencing the behaviour of the animal on rangeland, for example weather (Halasz et al, 2016), and through this the choice of pasture species.…”

The Effects of Different Management Methods on Restored Grasslands in Potential Temperate Forest Zones

“…Browsing can play an important role in preserving mountain grasslands, but overgrazing leads to an unfavorable state of vegetation [4,66]. In the absence of grazing animals, the role of large wild herbivores increases.…”

“…One of the biggest issues of declining biodiversity, following the cessation of mowing or pasturing, is the increasing coverage of shrubs [6][7][8][55][56][57][58][59]. Management helps the germination of plants through decreasing the amount of living phytomass and dead leaves; thus, new species can be introduced into the vegetation [43,44,[60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67].…”