To determine the effect of sward canopy structure on bite size a technique was developed for measuring the size of bite prehended by grazing cattle. Almost complete recovery (a mean of 95%) of ingested material was achieved by inserting a foam rubber plug in the lower oesophagus of oesophageal-fistulated animals, whilst the number of bites taken during grazing was automatically recorded. Theoretical calculations showed that a mean bite size of less than 0.30 g OM/bite can seriously limit daily intake of herbage by grazing cattle. Four experiments were conducted to measure the variation in bite size prehended by Jersey cows when grazing tropical pasture swards of varying canopy structure. Bite size on a nitrogen fertilized Setaria anceps cv. Kazungula sward averaged 0.39 g OM/ bite, whereas an adjacent sparse unfertilized sward averaged 0.13 g OM/bite. Mean size of bite of cows grazing 5-week-old regrowths of the trailing legume (Macroptilium atropurpureum cv. Siratro) was 0.24 g OM/bite, compared with 0.34 and 0.38 g OM/bite for nitrogen fertilized Digitaria decumbens and Setaria anceps pasture respectively. Growth regulators, gibberellic acid (GA) and 2-chloroethyl-trimethylammonium chloride (CCC), were successfully used to alter the sward canopy structure of Digitaria decumbens (pangola) and Chloris gayana (rhodes) grass pastures. GA increased herbage yield, and sward height, and produced erect stemmy plants with long internodes, whereas CCC reduced plant height and internode length, and resulted in a denser sward which was higher in nitrogen and in vitro digestibility due to a higher leaf content. Measurement of bite size prior to any changes in sward structure being manifest showed that bite size was unaffected by the growth regulators per se. However, bite size on the CCC treated pastures sampled after 6 weeks was larger (0.52 g OM/bite) than from the same cows grazing pastures treated with GA (0.40 g OM/bite). It was concluded that the size of bite prehended by cattle grazing some tropical pasture swards can limit intake of herbage, and that sward bulk density, a low stem content, and a high leaf/height ratio have a major influence upon the size of bite taken by cows grazing these pastures.
Changes in sward structure, diet selection and eating behaviour of cattle (grazing time, biting, bite size and estimated intake) were studied as contrasting swards of Setaria anceps cv. Kazungula were progressively defoliated. In one experiment three replicates in time of 9-week autumn regrowths were grazed down over 14-day periods, and a further two time replicates of 5-week regrowths were grazed down over 10-day periods in spring. A second experiment investigated the causes of changes in grazing behaviour. In the early stages of defoliation cows selected mainly leaf (> 80%) from the uppermost layers of the sward. As the quantity of leaf on offer became less, the animals took smaller bites, increased the time spent grazing (up to a mean of 646 min in autumn and 593 min in spring), and increased the rate of biting (up to 62.4 and 59.4 eating bites min-1 in autumn and spring respectively) and the total number of eating bites (up to 39,500 and 34,000 day-1 in autumn and spring). At this stage bulk in the rumen appeared to limit intake of herbage. Peak grazing time and highest number of bites occurred when leaf yields averaged 1000 kg dry matter ha-1, although total yield and dry green yield varied between swards. In the later stages of defoliation, grazing time and eating bites declined and, together with a reduced bite size (as low as 66 and 79 mg organic matter per bite eaten in experiments 1 and 2 respectively), resulted in a low intake of herbage. Stem and senescent material in the diet increased up to 77%, but bulk was not the major cause of reduced intake. Nitrogen and mineral levels appeared sufficient for maximum intake. Low leaf density prevented animals harvesting large quantities of herbage from the swards. It was concluded that leaf is the most important component of the sward and that leaf yield, percentage leaf and bulk density of green material (leaf and stem) are the major sward factors influencing intake by grazing animals.
Bite size (organic matter content per bite) of cows grazing swards of Chloris gayana (rhodes) and Setaria anceps (setaria) regrown for 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks was measured using oesophageal fistulated animals. Sward canopy structure was measured by stratification into five vertical layers, each 15 cm high; for each layer weights of leaf and stem components were estimated. Chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of plant fractions and oesophageal fistulae samples were determined. Cows grazing the 4 week regrowths of rhodes grass had a larger bite size (0.32 g OM/bite) than when grazing 2 week regrowths (0.27 g OM/bite) when the availability of herbage and leaf material was lowest. Despite a marked increase in herbage yield as the pastures matured (up to 8427 kg/ha) the mean bite size decreased to a mean of 0.15 g OM/bite at 6 and 8 weeks. The bite size of cows grazing setaria pastures was lower than on the rhodes grass pastures but followed a similar pattern. A high density of leaf within the sward (sward leaf density) as well as a low stem content were considered to be the main factors affecting bite size. Setaria and rhodes grass pastures had both low sward bulk densities (a range of 14–96 kg/ha cm) and low sward leaf bulk densities (a range of 12–43 kg/ha cm) compared with temperate pastures. Basal layers of the sward contained more dense herbage (up to 148 kg/ha cm), but sward leaf density was usually less than 80 kg/ha cm and apparently inaccessible. ___________________ *Part I, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 24: 809 (1973).
Relationships between sward characteristics, grazing behaviour and growth of Hereford steers were studied on nitrogen-fertilized (378 kg ha-1 yr-1) Setaria anceps cv. Nandi and Digitaria decumbens swards continuously stocked at 4.3, 6.2 and 8.0 beasts ha-1 during five periods over 2 years. Availability of herbage, as measured by bite size, and nitrogen content and in vitro digestibility of herbage in the top of the swards were the two most important factors influencing the performance of steers. The relative importance of these factors varied between seasons, between stocking rate treatments and to a lesser extent between pasture species. The highest growth rates were measured on the leniently stocked pastures because steers were able to harvest feed easily (a large bite size) and could more readily select the more nutritious plant parts from the top of the sward. The swards were highly heterogeneous, and numerical analysis of data showed that at the same herbage yield, spatial distribution of herbage (leaf bulk density and leaf to stem ratio) and the nutritive value (in vitro digestibility and nitrogen content) of herbage greatly influenced the growth of steers. Cattle were unable to satisfy their feed requirements on some high quality but low-yielding swards, despite increasing grazing time to compensate for the small bites prehended (up to 707 min in 24 hr in spring). Consequently nitrogen and digestibility contents of extrusa samples were at times poor indicators of performance.
The effect of fertilizing Setaria anceps cv. Kazungula swards with nitrogen on the size of bite harvested by cattle was determined and the influence of sward canopy structure upon bite size was investigated in two experiments. The first experiment measured the effect of nitrogen at 0, 40, 60 and 100 kg/ha on 6-week regrowth, and the second measured the effect at 50 and 100 kg/ha on 4- and 6-week regrowths of both unfertilized swards and others which had received 350 kg nitrogen per hectare in each of the previous three years. The mean bite size of cows grazing immature (4-week) regrowths increased linearly with increasing applications of nitrogen, averaging 0.29, 0.33 and 0.37 g organic matter (OM) per bite on the 0, 50 and 100 kg/ha treatments respectively. Swards which allowed the largest bites to be prehended had the highest leaf yields and the highest leaf bulk densities. The mean bite size on 6-week regrowths was lower (0.28 g OM/bite) than on 4-week regrowths (0.33 g OM/bite). Cows selected leaf from the upper layers of the swards, and inaccessibility of leaf resulting from a high stem and inflorescence content prevented animals from taking larger bites. In both experiments high levels of nitrogen fertilizer advanced the maturity of 6-week regrowths, and the bite size of cows grazing these pastures did not increase beyond the level recorded at intermediate nitrogen levels. It was concluded that fertilizer nitrogen increases dry matter and leaf yields, particularly in the uppermost layers of the sward, allowing cows to harvest large bites of immature herbage. A higher stem and inflorescence content in heavily fertilized swards can result in inaccessibility of leaf when mature herbage is grazed. ________________ *Part II, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 24: 821 (1973).
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