The effects of work on food intake and ingestive behaviour of draught cattle and buffalo given barley straw

Pearson, R A; Smith, Dave

Abstract

In the first experiment draught cattle and buffalo were worked for 5 h/day and/or given 17 h access to feed. In the second experiment they were worked for 4 h/day and/or given 20 h access to feed. When animals were prevented from feeding on barley straw for 7 h/day their DM intake (DMI) was significantly less than when they were given 24 h access to feed. When feeding was prevented for only 4 h/day feed intake was not significantly different from that with 24-h access. A study of feeding behaviour (experiment 2) suggested that when most animals were deprived of feed for 4 h they maintained similar intakes to those on ad libitum feeding by increasing their rate of eating, rather than by increasing the time they spent eating. Preventing feed intake for 4 h/day was associated with little change in time spent ruminating during the day. On all treatments, the buffalo spent significantly less time eating and more time ruminating than the cattle. Work, during the periods when feed was withheld, had little effect on the DMI of either the buffalo or cattle compared with restricted feeding. No rumination occurred during the time that the animals were at work. However on working days, time spent ruminating was similar to that seen on restricted feeding days, but the animals spent more time ruminating later in the day than when they were able to ruminate during the middle of the day

Citation

Pearson, R. A., & Smith, D. (1994). The effects of work on food intake and ingestive behaviour of draught cattle and buffalo given barley straw. Animal production, 58(03), 339-346. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100007273

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Sep 2, 2010
• Publication Date: 1994-06
• Deposit Date: May 15, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: May 15, 2015
• Print ISSN: 0003-3561
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 58
• Issue: 03
• Pages: 339-346
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100007273
• Keywords: Buffaloes; cattle; feeding behaviour; food intake; work
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/8149
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0003356100007273
• Contract Date: May 15, 2015