The grazing behaviour and free-water intake of East African shorthorned zebu heifers at Serere, Uganda

Wilson, P. N.

doi:10.1017/s0021859600049807

Cited by 24 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…in the dry season of malnutrition (Smith, 1959). Approximately 20% of this grazing was done at night, which agrees with observations made in Ghana (Rose-Innes, 1963), Uganda (Wilson, 1961), and Tanganyika (Lampkin & Quarterman, 1962), but is higher than found in Uganda (Harker, Taylor 6 Rollinson, 1956) and previously in Tanganyika (Lampkin & Quarterman, 1958).…”

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confidence: 86%

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The grazing habits of African-owned, East African zebu cattle in Zambia (Northern Rhodesia)

Smith

1965

J. Agric. Sci.

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supporting

confidence: 86%

“…grazing day reduced cattle growth during the dry season when the veld is deficient in quality, or when a quantitative feed deficiency occurs due to over stocking during the rains. Wilson (1961) gives the only data on African -* Present address: C.S.I.R.O., Lawes, Queensland, Australia. owned cattle, the results being confined to one herd near Serere, Uganda.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The grazing habits of African-owned, East African zebu cattle in Zambia (Northern Rhodesia)

Smith

1965

J. Agric. Sci.

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“…Night observations were made only in moonlight. Wilson (1961) found that moonlight did not alter the nocturnal activity of cattle. On occasions, various aspects of rumination were measured in detail in animals of all ages both in and out of the herd.…”

Section: Feeding Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 90%

The natural regulation of buffalo populations in East Africa: The food supply as a regulating factor, and competition*

Sinclair

1974

African Journal of Ecology

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Summary Evidence is presented to show that both the quality and quantity of food available to a buffalo population falls below the minimum maintenance requirements of that population at certain times of the year. In the Serengeti grasslands there was a shortage of the only good quality component, grass leaf, in the dry season, with the result that the animals consumed an increasing proportion of poor quality food such as grass stem. By the end of the dry season the diet had dropped in quality below the minimum maintenance level. In areas such as Mt. Meru where there was a more continuous growing season, the high density of animals kept the standing crop of leaf at a low level. During the cooler dry season the growth of leaf became insufficient in quantity for the maintenance requirements of the population. These two quite different situations suggested that food shortage was a more general phenomenon in eastern Africa. Various measurements of feeding behaviour were made. Total grazing time per 24 h did not differ between seasons but ruminating time may have increased as the season became drier and could have been a response to the more fibrous food. Analysis for cycles of activity showed that there was more temporal organization during the dry season. These changes in activity cycles appeared to be related to the increase in energy expenditure produced by heat stress and sweating. Old animals with poor teeth did not compensate for the poor food supply by changing their feeding behaviour. There was a positive relationship between annual rainfall and mean crude density in different areas of eastern Africa, indicating that regulation was taking place. Since rainfall determined the amount of available food, it could have operated through the food supply. On a finer scale it was found that the extent of the preferred riverine habitats was also related to density. Thus rainfall, the extent of riverine habitat and perhaps soil moisture were three limiting factors that determined mean density and all could have taken effect through the food supply. As a result of initial selective grazing the amount of available leaf declined as the dry season progressed to the extent that by the end of the season the proportion of this component in the diet fell to a very low level. The impact of the population on its limited food supply indicated that intra‐specific competition was acting as the cause of regulation. Measurements of wildebeest eating the same food in the same habitats as buffalo showed that inter‐specific competition was also taking place. A small proportion (7“) of the wildebeest population could have reduced the buffalo population by approximately 18o,‘, from its potential population size. The buffalo population in the Serengeti was regulated by adult mortality which was caused by undernutrition as a result of food shortage. This food shortage was caused by intra‐ and inter‐specific competition. The effect of predation and disease was to hasten the response of the population to changes in the food supply. The limiting...

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“…Smith (1959) and Wilson (1961) reported that nightgrazing by African zebu breeds kept in paddocks could occupy up to 4 h of the nighttime activity, particularly during the dry season when forage was in short supply. However, this was atypical and 2 h per night was more normal.…”

Section: Foraging Behaviour Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Factors Affecting the Survival of Donkeys in Semi-arid Regions of Sub-Saharan Africa

Smith

Pearson²

2005

Trop Anim Health Prod

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The large fluctuations seen in cattle populations during periods of drought in sub-Saharan Africa are not evident in the donkey population. Donkeys appear to have a survival advantage over cattle that is increasingly recognized by smallholder farmers in their selection of working animals. The donkey's survival advantages arise from both socioeconomic and biological factors. Socioeconomic factors include the maintenance of a low sustainable population of donkeys owing to their single-purpose role and their low social status. Also, because donkeys are not usually used as a meat animal and can provide a regular income as a working animal, they are not slaughtered in response to drought, as are cattle. Donkeys have a range of physiological and behavioural adaptations that individually provide small survival advantages over cattle but collectively may make a large difference to whether or not they survive drought. Donkeys have lower maintenance costs as a result of their size and spend less energy while foraging for food; lower energy costs result in a lower dry matter intake (DMI) requirement. In donkeys, low-quality diets are digested almost as efficiently as in ruminants and, because of a highly selective feeding strategy, the quality of diet obtained by donkeys in a given pasture is higher than that obtained by cattle. Lower energy costs of walking, longer foraging times per day and ability to tolerate thirst may allow donkeys to access more remote, under-utilized sources of forage that are inaccessible to cattle on rangeland. As donkeys become a more popular choice of working animal for farmers, specific management practices need to be devised that allow donkeys to fully maximize their natural survival advantages.

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The grazing behaviour and free-water intake of East African shorthorned zebu heifers at Serere, Uganda

Cited by 24 publications

References 14 publications

The grazing habits of African-owned, East African zebu cattle in Zambia (Northern Rhodesia)

The grazing habits of African-owned, East African zebu cattle in Zambia (Northern Rhodesia)

The natural regulation of buffalo populations in East Africa: The food supply as a regulating factor, and competition*

A Review of the Factors Affecting the Survival of Donkeys in Semi-arid Regions of Sub-Saharan Africa

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