Relation of Eating and Associated Behavioral Patterns of Cattle in Confinement to Forage Species and Ambient Temperature

Abstract

Selected behavioral patterns were measured for six Holstein steers in a trial of double latin-square design. Steers were fed "Ranger" alfalfa, "Sterling" orchardgrass and "Kentucky 31" fescue ad libitum in ambient temperatures of 18 C and 32 C. Animals received a single forage each period. Behavioral data related to eating were recorded for 4 consecutive 30-min periods after feeding twice daily. The data suggest that the stresses of high ambient temperature cause cattle to spend less time eating but consume forage at a higher rate per minute. Steers, which were fed fresh food twice daily in excess (10%) of their previous intake, consumed 65 to 75% of their daily forage intake during the 2-hr postfeeding period. Steers spent less time eating (head in feeder) fescue and ate fescue at a slower rate during the 2-hr period immediately following feeding than was observed with the other two forages. There was no forage × temperature interaction, indicating that factors which act to regulate the intake of fescue hay have the same mechanisms in 32 C as in 18 C. Steers spent the most time eating, ate at the fastest rate, and consumed the most forage during the first 30-min period after feeding. These parameters declined steadily to the fourth 30-min period. Rate of eating, forage consumed during the period following feeding, and time spent eating were lower for fescue than for orchardgrass even though the fiber composition and physical form of the two forages were very similar. This finding indicates that some factors, such as chemical inhibitors or even unacceptable tastes, regulate the intake of fescue and are different from factors such as rumen fill which have been proposed to regulate intake of other forages. Copyright © 1976. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1976 by American Society of Animal Science.