Publication Date
1997
Description
The purpose of this research was to study the influence of the quality of pastures on the behaviour of cows in a 'cow-calf' system. The behaviour was measured by the four principal activities of the herd: grazing, lying, 'roaming' and insect repelling, and it is presented with relative indicators. The trial was conducted on pasture areas of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, at the altitude of 650- 850 m. The influence of the pasture quality on the behaviour of cattle on pasture was studied on two different types of pastures: a natural unreclaimed pasture belonging to the Arrhenatheretum medioeuropaeum association and a reclaimed pasture by manuring and reseeding belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum association. Grazing behaviour was studied on 26 cows (Charolais x Istrian cattle) kept in a 'cow-calf' system. During spring and autumn period the cows spent more time, expressed in percentage, in grazing on the pasture belonging to the Arrhenatheretum medioeuropaeum association than on the pasture belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum association (53.00% and 44.43% during spring period, and 43.89% and 27.97% during autumn period, respectively). The established differences were significant (P<0.05). The time spent on lying was significantly longer for all the three grazing periods on the pasture belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum association. The cows spent significantly more time (P<0.05) on 'roaming' on the pasture belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum vegetal association. The pasture did not have significant influence on the time spent on insect repelling.
Included in
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Behaviour of Cattle on Two Different Types of Upland Pastures
The purpose of this research was to study the influence of the quality of pastures on the behaviour of cows in a 'cow-calf' system. The behaviour was measured by the four principal activities of the herd: grazing, lying, 'roaming' and insect repelling, and it is presented with relative indicators. The trial was conducted on pasture areas of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, at the altitude of 650- 850 m. The influence of the pasture quality on the behaviour of cattle on pasture was studied on two different types of pastures: a natural unreclaimed pasture belonging to the Arrhenatheretum medioeuropaeum association and a reclaimed pasture by manuring and reseeding belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum association. Grazing behaviour was studied on 26 cows (Charolais x Istrian cattle) kept in a 'cow-calf' system. During spring and autumn period the cows spent more time, expressed in percentage, in grazing on the pasture belonging to the Arrhenatheretum medioeuropaeum association than on the pasture belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum association (53.00% and 44.43% during spring period, and 43.89% and 27.97% during autumn period, respectively). The established differences were significant (P<0.05). The time spent on lying was significantly longer for all the three grazing periods on the pasture belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum association. The cows spent significantly more time (P<0.05) on 'roaming' on the pasture belonging to the Lolio-Cynosuretum vegetal association. The pasture did not have significant influence on the time spent on insect repelling.
