Phenotypic plasticity and behavioral responses of dairy cattle on rotational grazing

Batista, Pedro Henrique Dias; Almeida, Gledson Luiz Pontes de; Pandorfi, Héliton; Medeiros, Victor Wanderley Costa de; Moraes, Alex Souza; Melo, Airon Aparecido Silva de; Silva, Marcos Vinícius da; Silva, Marco Antonio

doi:10.1007/s11250-023-03567-7

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…For this reason, the animals of both genotypes had the interval from 10:00 to 13:00 h as their preferred time for lying down in the FS system, in an obvious behavioral response to the stimulus generated by the higher temperature and radiation ( Table 1 ), as indicated by the BGHI and RHL. This behavioral response was also reported by [ 52 ], indicating that cattle tend to reduce rumination time and increase resting at higher temperatures in an attempt to maintain or re-establish their thermal balance. When the animals had the option of being in the sun or shade, a situation only possible in the system with the presence of the trees, the Nelore spent more time resting while lying in the shade, from 8:00 to 14:00 h, while the Canchim spent more time resting while lying in the sun, in the morning shift.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…This assumption is reinforced by the fact that the Canchim animals had consistently longer rumination times when compared to the Nelore animals in both systems, at all times. Rumination time can be influenced by stress, both in a physiological condition [ 51 ], as well as when the animals are under environmental stress [ 52 ] or induced stress [ 53 ]. However, in this study, the difference in rumination time was not associated with cortisol as a stress biomarker, as there was no significant difference between breeds, regardless of the production system evaluated ( Figure 5 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differences in the Behavioral Parameters of Young Zebu and Composite Bulls Kept on Non-Forested or in Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry Systems

Moraes,

Castilho,

Balieiro

et al. 2024

Animals

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The behavior of ruminants can influence their productive efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of young zebu and composite bulls kept in pasture production systems, either in a crop-livestock-forest integration or without afforestation. The work was carried out in São Carlos, Brazil (21°57′42″ S, 47°50′28″ W), in a high-altitude tropical climate, from March to July, 2022. Forty young bulls were evaluated, being 20 Nelore (Bos indicus) (342.5 ± 36.6 kg BW; 16.9 ± 1.8 months) and 20 Canchim (5/8 Bos taurus × 3/8 Bos indicus) (338.4 ± 39.8 kg BW; 19.1 ± 1.9 months), equally distributed in full-sun (FS) and integrated crop–livestock–forestry (ICLF) production systems. Behavior was monitored uninterruptedly by an acoustic sensor and accelerometer attached to a collar, and complemented by direct visual assessment, in two one-day campaigns per month. Serum cortisol concentration was assessed monthly. Statistical analyses were conducted using a general linear model at a 5% significance level (SAS, version 9.4). The ICLF system had a milder microclimate and favored thermal comfort. Natural shading influenced grazing, resting, and rumination time. The Canchim bulls were more active when moving and grazing (p < 0.05), even at the hottest times of the day. In turn, the Nelore bulls spent more time resting at all times (p < 0.001), which was shown to be an adaptive strategy in response to environmental stimuli. The Canchim bulls had a longer rumination time than the Nelore bulls (p < 0.001), due to their longer grazing time. The frequency of water and mineral mixture intake did not differ between genotypes, regardless of the production system (p > 0.05). There was no difference in the serum cortisol concentrations of the Nelore and Canchim bulls kept in FS or ICLF (p = 0.082). Thus, young bulls of the different genotypes showed different behaviors, regardless of whether they were kept on pasture without afforestation or in an integrated crop–livestock–forestry system.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in the Behavioral Parameters of Young Zebu and Composite Bulls Kept on Non-Forested or in Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry Systems

Moraes,

Castilho,

Balieiro

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Rearing cattle in shaded environments offers stimuli due to the presence of trees, which also favors rumination, providing quieter areas that reduce animal stress caused by adverse climatic variables [ 86 ]. In addition, the quality and availability of forage are higher in the SP, which also influences rumination behavior, causing the animals to spend most of their time ruminating, contributing to better digestion and rest, impacting well-being and consequently animal productivity [ 87 , 88 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Comfort of Nelore Cattle (Bos indicus) Managed in Silvopastoral and Traditional Systems Associated with Rumination in a Humid Tropical Environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil

da Silva,

Martorano

et al. 2024

Veterinary Sciences

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermal comfort of Nelore cattle (Bos indicus) managed in silvopastoral and traditional systems associated with rumination behavior in a humid tropical environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. The study was carried out on a rural property in Mojuí dos Campos, Pará, Brazil, during the transition period of the year, from June to July 2023. Over these two months, six consecutive data collection days were held. We selected 20 clinically healthy non-castrated male Nelore cattle, aged between 18 and 20 months, with an average weight of 250 kg and body condition score of 3.5 (1–5). These animals were randomly divided into two groups: traditional system (TS) and silvopastoral system (SS). The physiological variables evaluated included RR, RT and BST. The variables were analyzed using the linear mixed model. For agrometeorological variables, higher values were observed between 10:00 a.m. (33 °C) and 6:00 p.m. (30 °C), with the highest temperature observed at 4:00 p.m. (40 °C). The RR showed interactions (p = 0.0214) between systems and times; in general, higher RR were obtained in the Traditional. The animals’ RT showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) between the production systems, but there was a statistically significant difference in relation to the time of collection (p < 0.0001). In the BGHI, it was possible to observe that there was mild stress in the period from 22:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning and moderate stress in the period of greatest increase in temperature, from 10:00 in the morning to 18:00 at night. BST showed no statistical difference between the regions studied or between the SP (35.6 °C) and TS (36.25 °C) systems. RT in the TS showed a positive correlation with AT (r = 0.31507; p = 0.0477). RT in the SP showed a positive correlation with THI (r = 35583; p = 0.0242). On the other hand, RT in the SP (r = 0.42873; p = 0.0058) and ST (r = 0.51015; p = 0.0008) showed a positive correlation with BGHI. RR in the TS showed a positive correlation with BGHI (r = 0.44908; p = 0.0037). The greatest amounts of rumination were carried out by animals in the SP system, generally ruminating lying down (p < 0.05). With regard to rumination behavior in the morning and afternoon, there were higher numbers of WS and LD in the TS (p > 0.05). Most of the time, the cattle were LD during the morning and afternoon shifts, and at night and dawn they were WS in the TS. Therefore, the SP offers more thermal comfort advantages compared to the TS system.

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Phenotypic plasticity and behavioral responses of dairy cattle on rotational grazing

Cited by 2 publications

References 28 publications

Differences in the Behavioral Parameters of Young Zebu and Composite Bulls Kept on Non-Forested or in Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry Systems

Differences in the Behavioral Parameters of Young Zebu and Composite Bulls Kept on Non-Forested or in Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry Systems

Thermal Comfort of Nelore Cattle (Bos indicus) Managed in Silvopastoral and Traditional Systems Associated with Rumination in a Humid Tropical Environment in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil

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