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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #212516

Title: A Few Hours Grazing Session Seems To Be Enough

Author
item Gregorini, Pablo
item Soder, Kathy

Submitted to: Trade Journal Publication
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2007
Publication Date: 10/1/2007
Citation: Gregorini, P., Soder, K.J. 2007. A few hours grazing session seems to be enough. Lancaster Farming. October 6, 2007. p. E4.

Interpretive Summary: An interpretive summary is not required.

Technical Abstract: Cattle instinctively intensify grazing during dusk, when pasture is more nutritive. Afternoon allocations of fresh pasture (PM) increase duration and intensity of dusk grazing bouts and consequently pasture intake at that time of day, which certainly has demonstrated to improve animal performance when compared with morning allocations of fresh pasture. Because pasture intake rate is positively associated with hunger, the pasture intake during dusk might not yet be maximized. This technical note shows the results of an experiment assessing the impact of morning fasting periods on PM (FPM), evaluating evening grazing behavior, pasture intake and performance of beef heifers. Under FPM, heifers decreased the daily grazing time, but increased the grazing time during evening hours. Idling time increased along the day. Rumination time was the same for both grazing managements. Despite this variation in grazing behavior, animal performance and pasture intake did not differ. Consequently, a strategically planned morning fasting period would generate longer, more intense dusk grazing bouts, thereby increasing the intake of higher nutritive pasture and making cattle perform equally well in shorter grazing sessions.