Creamer Maggie, Horback Kristina
Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 2;15(1):58. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-84090-z.
Individual grazing patterns among cattle can contribute to sustainability of land use, however, little is known about the consistency of these grazing patterns. To address this knowledge gap, fifty Angus x Hereford cows were observed in repeated assays: A management assay (handling procedure, narrow chute, hydraulic squeeze), a social-feed trade-off assay (SFTA; choice between social mates and feed item), and novel approach assay (choice between social mates and feed item with novel pattern). The same cattle were tracked with GPS collars over two grazing seasons (June-August 2021 and 2022) and average grazing-related metrics (e.g., elevation used, distance traveled) were calculated within each season. Cows with a more passive response in the chute were found at higher elevation (p = 0.017), further from water (p = 0.043), and closer to supplement sites (p = 0.029). Cows that had higher latency to supplement in the SFTA traveled shorter distances on rangeland (p = 0.035). Thus, there was some evidence that cows with a more passive response to isolation and management had more optimal grazing patterns (grazed underutilized areas of the range at higher elevations and further from water sources). Selecting cattle with more optimal foraging patterns based on observable behaviors during handling and isolation could improve the sustainability of rangeland grazing.
牛群个体的放牧模式有助于土地利用的可持续性，然而，人们对这些放牧模式的一致性知之甚少。为了填补这一知识空白，在重复试验中观察了50头安格斯×赫里福德母牛：一项管理试验（处理程序、狭窄通道、液压挤压）、一项社会与饲料权衡试验（SFTA；在社交伙伴和饲料之间进行选择）以及新方法试验（在社交伙伴和具有新模式的饲料之间进行选择）。在两个放牧季节（2021年6月至8月和2022年）使用GPS项圈跟踪同一批牛，并计算每个季节内与放牧相关的平均指标（例如，使用的海拔高度、行进距离）。发现在通道中反应较为被动的母牛处于较高海拔（p = 0.017），离水源较远（p = 0.043），且离补充饲料地点较近（p = 0.029）。在SFTA中补充饲料延迟较高的母牛在牧场上行进的距离较短（p = 0.035）。因此，有证据表明，对隔离和管理反应较为被动的母牛具有更优的放牧模式（在海拔较高且离水源较远的牧场未充分利用区域放牧）。根据处理和隔离期间的可观察行为选择具有更优觅食模式的牛，可以提高牧场放牧的可持续性。
