Seasonal and interannual variations in feeding station behavior of cattle: effects of sward and meteorological conditions

Abstract

A feeding station is the area of forage a grazing animal can reach without moving its forefeet. Grazing behavior can be divided into residence within feeding stations (with bites as benefits) and movement between feeding stations (with steps as costs). However, relatively little information has been reported on how grazing animals modify their feeding station behavior seasonally and interannually in response to varying environmental conditions. The feeding station behavior of beef cows (Japanese Black) stocked on a tropical grass pasture (bahiagrass dominant) was monitored for 4 years (2010 to 2013) in order to investigate the association of feeding station behavior with meteorological and sward conditions across the seasons and years. Mean air temperature during stocking often exceeded 30°C during summer months. A severe summer drought in 2013 decreased herbage mass and sward height of the pasture and increased nitrogen concentration of herbage from summer to autumn. A markedly high feeding station number per unit foraging time, low bite numbers per feeding station and a low bite rate were observed in summer 2013 compared with the other seasons and years. Bite number per feeding station was explained by a multiple regression equation, where sward height and dry matter digestibility of herbage had a positive effect, whereas air temperature during stocking had a negative effect (R 2 = 0.658, P < 0.01). Feeding station number per minute was negatively correlated with bite number per feeding station (r = -0.838, P < 0.001). It was interpreted that cows modified bite number per feeding station in response to the sward and meteorological conditions, and this largely determined the number of feeding stations the animals visited per minute. The results indicate potential value of bite number per feeding station as an indicator of daily intake in grazing animals, and an opportunity for livestock and pasture managers to control feeding station behavior of animals through managements (e.g. fertilizer application, manipulation of stocking intensity and stocking time within the day).Keywords: cattle, grazing, bite, step, sward condition ImplicationsThis 4-year study is the first work investigating how grazing cattle modify their feeding station behavior seasonally and interannually in response to varying meteorological and sward conditions. Bite number per feeding station was affected positively by the sward height and dry matter digestibility of the pasture, and was affected negatively by the air temperature during stocking, as the major variable responsible for the seasonal and interannual variation. There is an opportunity for livestock and pasture managers to control feeding station behavior by animals through managements such as fertilizer application and manipulation of stocking intensity and stocking time within the day.

Defoliation dynamics of Brachiaria brizantha pastures with distinct structural characteristics

“…During the wet season, the increased flow in the plant tissues accelerates the appearance and growth of the tissues, while in the dry season these processes are reduced and the accumulation of senescent matter is usually greater (LARA; PEDREIRA, 2011; SBRISSIA; SILVA, 2008). The structural alterations, in turn, can generate different impacts on the defoliation dynamics by livestock, and consequently on animal performance (BRISKE et al, 2008;CHIRAT et al, 2014;DA SILVA et al, 2013;HIRATA et al, 2015;ROMERA et al, 2012).…”

Effects of the presence of grazing‐experienced heifers on the development of foraging behavior at the feeding station scale for first‐grazing season calves

“…In general, vegetation in a pasture affects foraging behavior at the FS level. There have been several studies showing that the number of bites per FS for cattle increase and the number of FSs visited per minute decrease with an increase of sward height (Hirata et al 2015). Similarly, the number of bites per FS and distance walked between two FSs for ewes increase with an increase in green leaf mass (Roguet et al 1998).…”

Spatiotemporal variation in aboveground biomass in a tropical grass pasture over a 22‐year period

“…Details of the technique have been described previously (Hirata, 2000b for the electronic capacitance probe; Hirata et al, 2015 for the rising plate).…”