Author
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Gregorini, Pablo |
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Submitted to: Extension Fact Sheets
Publication Type: Other Publication Acceptance Date: 8/9/2007 Publication Date: 8/15/2007 Citation: Gregorini, P. 2007. How long and when should I graze my cattle?. Extension Fact Sheets. Interpretive Summary: An interpretive summary is not required. Technical Abstract: Cattle instinctively concentrate grazing during dusk, when pasture is more nutritive. Afternoon allocations of fresh pasture 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 afternoon allocations of fresh pasture, in which evening grazing behavior, pasture intake and performance of beef heifers were evaluated. 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 planed morning fasting would generate longer more intense dusk grazing bouts, increasing the intake of higher nutritive pasture, making cattle perform equal in shorter grazing sessions. |
