Bisoniana LXVI. Comparison of forage intake and digestibility by American bison, yak and cattle

Abstract

Feed intake, selectivity and ap p a ren t digestibility coefficients of dry m atte r, protein and d etergent fib er fractions w ere d eterm in ed in groups of four yearling bison, yak and cattle. Diets of co n trastin g q u ality for th ese cam parisons w ere provided by native sedge m eadow hay, brom efescue grass hay and alfalfa hay. Feed intakes fo r bison and cattle w ere sim ilar b u t considerably h igher on a p er u n it body w eight basis th a n for yak. A p p aren t digestibility coefficients fo r dry m a tte r an d deterg en t fiber fractions tended to be highest in bison follow ed by yak th en cattle, a digestive su p e rio rity w hich was m ost m ark ed on th e grass h ay diet. H ow ever, off-settin g the digestive advantage of bison in rela tio n to the other tw o species w as an a p p a re n t higher digestible dry m a tte r re q u ire m ent for m aintenance. G ains and feed conversion for cattle exceeded those of yak and bison on sedge and grass hays b u t not on alfalfa.[Dept. Anim. Sci., Univ. A lberta, E dm onton, C anada T6G 2E3].

Bos grunniens and Bos mutus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)

“…Consistently low temperatures and low primary productivity in the range of the wild yak, and most domestic yaks, result in a strategy of heat conservation rather heat production (Sarkar et al 1999a;Wiener et al 2003), although digestive efficiency of low-quality forage may be enhanced (Richmond et al 1977;Schaefer et al 1978). In Tibet, average annual temperatures are only 24uC and winter temperatures as low as 240uC are common; most areas have no frost-free days.…”

Palaeopathology in late Pleistocene and early Holocene Central Plains bison: dental enamel hypoplasia, fluoride toxicosis and the archaeological record

“…These apparently abrupt changes in rangeland conditions may have significantly impacted the diets and thus also retarded amelogenesis among Casper bison. For example, while modern bison are better adapted to digesting low-quality, high-fiber C 4 plants than other grazers (Hawley, 1987;Richmond et al, 1977), the effectiveness of this adaptation may be diminished or absent in their ancestors, such that a region-wide shift from high-quality (i.e., containing high nitrogen and high concentrations of soluble carbohydrates ;Jahren et al, 1998;Janis et al, 2002;Post et al, 2001) C 3 graze to lower quality high-fiber C 4 forage may have altered feeding behaviors, migratory patterns, and seasonal sexual segregation.…”

Quantités ingérées et croissance de jeunes bisonnes d'élevage : effet de la saison

“…, ou au mieux égales à celles de bovins Hereford (Richmond et al, 1977) pour des foins de diverses qualités (Towne et al, 1989 (Hawley et al, 1981 b (Jenning and Hebbring, 1983). Les (Kay, 1985) ou sur les cervidés (environ +50 % entre l'hiver et l'été, Adam, 1987 ;Thériez, 1988 (Kay, 1985 …”