DelCurto-Wyffels Hannah M, Dafoe Julia M, Parsons Cory T, Boss Darrin L, DelCurto Timothy, Wyffels Samuel A, Van Emon Megan L, Bowman Janice G P
Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
Northern Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University, Havre, MT 59501, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Apr 27;11(5):1261. doi: 10.3390/ani11051261.
This study evaluated the influence of diet and environmental conditions on intake behavior and activity of feedlot steers. Feedlot rations used were comprised of a main concentrate: (1) corn or (2) barley. A GrowSafe system measured individual animal intake and behavior and HOBO accelerometers measured steer standing time. An Onset weather station collected on site weather data. Steer daily intake displayed a diet by temperature class interaction ( ≤ 0.05). Relative temperature change had no effect on variation in intake ( = 0.60); however, diet influenced variation of intake ( < 0.01), where corn-fed steers had a greater coefficient of variation (CV) than barley-fed steers (21.89 ± 1.46 vs. 18.72 ± 1.46%). Time spent eating (min d) and eating rate (g min) both displayed a diet by temperature class interaction ( ≤ 0.05). Diet did not affect steer lying activity ( ≥ 0.12), however, time spent lying (min d) and frequency of lying bouts (bouts d) increased on relatively cold days while the duration of lying bouts (min bout; < 0.01) decreased. Short-term environmental temperature changes interacted with diet influencing feedlot beef cattle intake behavior; however, they did not interact with basal diet in respect to steer activity.
本研究评估了日粮和环境条件对育肥牛采食行为及活动的影响。所用育肥牛日粮主要由精饲料组成：(1)玉米或(2)大麦。GrowSafe系统用于测量个体动物的采食量和行为，HOBO加速度计用于测量牛站立时间。Onset气象站收集现场气象数据。牛的日采食量呈现出日粮与温度等级的交互作用(≤0.05)。相对温度变化对采食量的变异没有影响(=0.60)；然而，日粮会影响采食量的变异(<0.01)，其中以玉米为日粮的牛变异系数(CV)高于以大麦为日粮的牛(21.89±1.46对18.72±1.46%)。采食时间(分钟/天)和采食速率(克/分钟)均呈现出日粮与温度等级的交互作用(≤0.05)。日粮对牛的躺卧活动没有影响(≥0.12)，然而，在相对寒冷的日子里，躺卧时间(分钟/天)和躺卧次数(次数/天)增加，而躺卧单次持续时间(分钟/次；<0.01)减少。短期环境温度变化与日粮相互作用，影响育肥牛的采食行为；然而，就牛的活动而言，它们与基础日粮之间不存在相互作用。
