放牧绵羊牧食物为程控遥测记录装置的研制

放牧绵羊牧食行为程控遥测记录装置，采用单片微型计算机系统，对放牧绵羊牧食行为的六面主要指标：采食时间，采食咀嚼次数，采食顿数，反刍时间，反刍食团数和反刍周期数进行空遥测和记录。     

放牧绵羊行为生态学研究Ⅱ不同放牧率对放牧绵羊牧食行为的影响

于１９９３年６月８～９日，在中国科学院内蒙古草原生态系统定位研究站，以５岁阉割绵羊在不同放牧率下的牧食行为进行试验研究。试验结果表明，不同放牧率１．３３和２．６７羊／ｈｍ２（放牧１３８ｄ）对绵羊的牧食行为有明显地影响：（１）放牧率较低时，能明显缩短采食时间，提高采食速率、每步采食口数和每口采食量及日采食量；（２）明显延长反刍时间，增加反刍周期数和反刍总食团数，对其它牧食行为影响不大。结果表明，在春末夏初，放牧率１．３３羊／ｈｍ２比２．６７羊／ｈｍ２更适宜于当地退化草场的放牧标准     

放牧绵羊行为生态学研究

于１９９３年６月８－９日，在中国科学院内蒙古草原生态生态研究站，以５岁阉割绵羊在不同放牧率下的牧食行为进行试验研究。试验结果表明，不同放牧率１．３３和２．６７羊／ｈｍ＾２对绵羊的牧食物行为有明显地影响；（１）放牧率较低时，能明显缩短采集时间，提高采食时间，提高采集速率，每小采集口数和每口采食量及日采食量；（２）明显延长反刍时间，增加反刍周期数和反刍才数，对其它牧食行为影响不大。结果表明，在春末夏初     

放牧绵羊行为生态学研究：Ⅲ不同放牧时期对放牧绵羊牧食行为的影响

在较低放牧率和限牧时间条件下，不同放牧时期对绵羊牧食行为的影响有：（１）当放牧时间缩短时，绵羊通过缩短反刍行为的时间而保持采食时间的相对稳定，并通过调整各采参数数以保持进食速率和日采食量的相对稳定，对饮水行为影响不大；（２）９月份反刍周期数和总反刍食团数量少，反刍时间最短；６月份每个食团咀嚼次数最少，咀嚼时间最短；（３）７月份排尿次数量多，每次排尿时间最长；９月份居中；６月份量少。排粪行淡差异不显     

不同放牧压和放牧时期对山羊牧食行为的影响

在南方人工草地上,对云岭黑山羊在不同放牧压和放牧时期的牧食行为进行研究。结果表明:放牧压指数较小时,能减少采食时间和采食时行进步数,明显增加每步吃草口数、采食速度、口食量、日采食量、反刍时间,对其他牧食行为影响不大;9月份采食口数、行进步数最少,口食量、日采食量最大,6月份每步吃草口数明显小于其他月份。7,8,9月份采食速度相差不大,小于10月份采食速度;10月份反刍时间、每个食团咀嚼时间最长,反刍咀嚼速度、逆呕时间间隔在不同月份差别不大。     

放牧绵羊牧食习性的比较研究

本试验在短花针茅荒漠草原采用跟群放牧全日制观察法,研究了不同放牧强度和放牧制度下绵羊的牧食习性,结果表明,随着放牧强度的增大,绵羊的采集时间增加,反刍卧息时间减少,放牧强度相同时,划区轮牧绵羊的采食时间较季节连牧短,反刍卧息时间和游走时间增加,随着放牧强度的增加,绵羊采食量下降,放牧强度相同时,划区轮牧绵羊的采食量较季节连牧高。     

不同放牧环境下绵羊牧食行为的比较研究

为了研究同品种绵羊在不同放牧环境下的牧食行为差异,在典型草原区沙质草地和高平原草地两种放牧环境下,对四品种双杂交杂种绵羊的牧食行为进行了观察.结果表明:不同放牧环境下绵羊的采食时间和游走时间占放牧时间的80%左右,放牧环境对采食行为有显著的影响.绵羊在沙质草地采食和游走时间占总放牧时间的66.54%和15.63%,在高平原草地为77.49%和7.79%.不同放牧环境下卧息、站立等时间存在显著差异.     

不同放牧强度对绵羊生产性能的影响

就近几十年来放牧强度对绵羊放牧行为、采食植物组成和生产性能的影响进行了综述,得出结论:①绵羊的个体增重与放牧率之间呈线形负相关,而公顷增重与放牧率之间呈正相关。②绵羊的采食量随着放牧强度的加重而降低。③放牧强度对母羊繁殖性能各指标影响差异不显著。④随着放牧强度的加重,绵羊的采食时间增加,游走、反刍卧息时间减少;每百口采食量和日采食量减少,而采食速度增加。⑤放牧绵羊的嗜食性是相对的。⑥轻牧有利于提高肉的品质,但是产肉量低,总的经济效益不高。     

不同放牧强度对西门塔尔牛牧食行为的影响

2011年夏季（7、8月份）在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟正镶白旗克氏针茅典型草原上测定了不同放牧强度下西门塔尔牛牧食习性，研究了西门塔尔牛的采食、反刍、卧息、、站立、游走和排泄行为。研究结果表明，不同放牧强度对西门塔尔牛采食行为、反刍行为有明显影响，放牧强度低时能明显降低采食时间，延长反刍时问·随着放牧强度的增加牛的站立时间减少，而对卧息、游走和排泄行为影响不大。     

针茅草颗粒加工工艺对绵羊牧食行为的影响

不同加工条件下的针茅草颗粒的质量主要受粉碎粒度、颗粒直径、原料含水量等因素影响,通过L4(23)正交试验,形成四组加工处理条件,对不同加工条件下绵羊的牧食行为进行对比分析。结果表明,原料含水量对绵羊的牧食没有影响,粉碎粒度和颗粒直径对绵羊的牧食行为影响较显著。粉碎粒度为6mm的草颗粒的采食率、昼夜反刍时间、反刍周期显著高于粉碎粒度为8mm的草颗粒(P0.05),而休息时间和游走时间显著低于粉碎粒度为8mm的草颗粒(P0.05);粉碎粒度6mm、颗粒直径6mm的草颗粒的昼夜反刍食团数显著高于粉碎粒度8mm、颗粒直径8mm的草颗粒(P0.05)。综上所述,针茅典型草原牧草在粉碎粒度为6mm、颗粒直径为6mm条件下加工成草颗粒,绵羊的采食率最高,反刍效率最佳。     

Discriminant Analysis of Patterns of Jaw Movement During Rumination and Eating in a Cow

Discriminant analysis was used to identify combinations of variables, characterizing patterns of jaw movement (JM) during eating and rumination, that minimize errors when classifying series of successive JM of known behaviour into rumination and eating. JM data from a non-lactating jersey cow were recorded continuously for 72 h. The cow was fed 1800 g of barley straw and 1375 g of dried sugarbeet pulp pellets twice daily. Average times spent eating and ruminating daily were 294 and 462 min. Successive rumination and eating JM were grouped into series when pauses between JM were equal to or longer than a fixed time interval corresponding to the minimum time interval between successive rumination cycles. Time intervals between successive JM, amplitude (the magnitude of the jaw's movement) and number of chews per series of successive JM were calculated for all rumination and eating series and included in the discriminant analyses. The combination of the four variables, basic chewing rate (BCR), mean of amplitude/standard deviation of amplitude, ln(number of chews) and standard deviation of time intervals between successive jaw movements, gave the least minutes of misclassified chewing behaviour per day (3% of total daily chewing time) and yielded a quadratic discriminant function. The order of the variables mentioned rank the variables according to their ability to classify the series. Combinations of the variables BCR and ln(number of chews), and other variables based on mean and standard deviation of time intervals between successive JM and amplitude of JM, can be used with advantage for classifying series of successive JM into rumination and eating behaviour.     

The assessment of the frequency of chews during rumination enables an estimation of rumination activity in hay-fed sheep

The objective was to assess rumination behaviour and, more specifically, the intra-individual and inter-individual variation of the frequency of chews during rumination (per min) in five Blackhead sheep fed hay at a level of 100% maintenance (experimental period [EP] I), 50% maintenance (EP II) and ad libitum (EP III). Animals ruminated in EP II less (416 min/day) than in EP I and III (558 and 592 min/day, respectively). Mean inter-individual coefficents of variation (CV) of frequency (defined as number of chews/duration of chewing per cycle) were 12.5%, mean intra-individual CV were 2.5%. The respective CVs for the duration of rumination per day were 8.1 and 9.7%, respectively. The level of intake influenced the frequency of chews significantly. It is concluded that the frequency of chews has to be considered in studies investigating chewing behaviour of ruminants. Under the experimental conditions investigated, number of chews during rumination per day could be estimated by the frequency of chewing with nearly the same precision as by using the duration of rumination per day.     

放牧绵羊行为生态学研究：Ⅳ.放牧绵羊白天主要牧食行为参数间的关系和变化

试验结果表明，在较低放牧率条件下，采食时间、进食速率和采食量相对稳定；采食口数和采食速度随放牧时期的推移而减少，每口采食量有所增大；采食口数、采食速度和每步采食口数均与每口采食量呈负相关；每步采食口数与采食速度呈高度正相关，其回归方程为ｙ∧＝６．１１８１＋４．５５２１ｘ（ｒ２＝０．８１＊＊）；各放牧时期基本上都有３个进食率峰值，且上午进食量只占全天采食量的１／３～１／２，所占比例随放牧时期推移而增大；不同放牧率的研究结果也有类似的关系。     

Energy expenditure for chewing in sheep fed timothy or sudangrass hay at the same intake level

In order to investigate the energy expended in chewing during eating and rumination in sheep fed timothy or sudangrass hay at the same intake level, the energy expenditure of the head was measured using the arterial-venous difference technique and that of the whole body was measured using an open-circuit, indirect respiration calorimeter. There was no difference in the per-chew energy expenditure between timothy hay and sudangrass hay during eating and rumination, but for both types of hay there was a difference in energy expenditure between eating (0.25 J per chew per kilogram body weight) and rumination (0.18 J per chew per kilogram body weight). There was no effect of time period after feeding on the energy expended in one chew during eating and rumination. On average, for a given type of hay, the energy expended in chewing during eating + rumination accounted for 4.9% of the daily energy expenditure of the whole body.     

Timing of herbage allocation in strip grazing: Effects on grazing pattern and performance of beef heifers

The timing of grazing bouts (GB) determines how cattle allot time to meet their nutritional needs. Net photosynthesis and evapotranspirational losses increase herbage nonstructural carbohydrate and DM concentrations, which may lead to longer and more intense GB at dusk. Hence, linking the grazing pattern, plant phenology, and herbage allocation time emerges as an option to manipulate the GB and nutrient intake. The objectives of this work were to analyze grazing behavior and performance of beef heifers when herbage allocation was at 0700 each morning (MHA) or at 1500 each afternoon (AHA). Two pairs of experiments were conducted during the winter and spring examining behavior and performance. Measurements were grazing, rumination, and idling times during daylight hours, and their patterns, as well as bite rate, ADG, change in BCS, and daily herbage DMI. In the behavioral experiments, 8 heifers strip-grazed annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). The grazing, rumination, and idling times as well as bite rate were measured and also analyzed per time of day. In the performance experiments, 48 beef heifers strip-grazed annual ryegrass in 2 groups according to treatments. Daily DMI, ADG, and changes in BCS were analyzed. The AHA increased daily idling time (P < 0.01) and decreased grazing time (P < 0.01). The AHA concentrated grazing time in the evening, when bite rate was greater (P < 0.01). The daylight rumination time varied by time of day (P < 0.01), but total daylight rumination time did not differ (P = 0.11). With AHA, rumination time and idling time were concentrated in the morning and afternoon. In the performance experiment during the winter, there was a treatment x week effect (P < 0.01) for ADG and change in BCS. Beginning in wk 4, heifers in AHA gained 150 g of BW and 0.0145 points of BCS more than those in MHA (P < 0.05) per day. In the spring, AHA increased ADG by 549 g and 0.0145 points of BCS more than those in MHA (P < 0.05) per day during the entire 6 wk. The herbage DMI (kg/d) did not differ in winter (AHA, 5.0 vs. MHA, 4.5) or spring (AHA, 5.6 vs. MHA, 5.0). These results suggest that timing of herbage allocation alters grazing, rumination, and idling patterns; AHA leads to longer and more intense GB when herbage has greater quality, which improves cattle performance.     

Dairy cow defecation and urination frequency and spatial distribution in relation to time-limited grazing

The objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of limited grazing time on urination and defecation frequency, spatial distribution of excrement in the paddock, and the resulting nitrogen balance at animal and field level. During a 6-week period in early summer, 60 Holstein Frisian dairy cows (31.0 ± 5.4 kg ECM) were randomly allocated to three different treatments, with grazing at clover-grass pasture during daytime for 4, 6.5 or 9 h daily. Indoor feeding, with a mixture of roughage and concentrates (13% crude protein), was restricted for treatment 4 and 6.5 h to the amount the 9-h treatment could eat. Cows allowed grazing at pasture for 4 h moved more rapidly during pasture, moved longer distance per active hour and used a higher proportion of the time eating, both at pasture and indoor, than the cows allowed longer time at pasture. Limiting the grazing time had no influence on the urination (mean = 0.26) and defecation (mean = 0.37) frequency per cow per hour during pasture. Even though the proportion of time active (eating, drinking, standing or walking), and the actual time active during pasture was different for the treatments, the frequency of urination and defecation per active hour was also unaffected by the treatments. Urine and faeces were distributed in the pasture, without specific hot-spots. The estimated daily N-balance at animal level showed increased N excretion with time at pasture. Assuming that excretion follows the active periods during the day and 7000 kg DM foliage is available on yearly basis, this would result in total excretion at field level of 58, 86 and 108 kg N per ha respectively for treatment 4, 6.5 and 9 h. The results of this experiment show that it is possible to reduce the nitrogen excretion in a grazing system by restricting the grazing time of dairy cows together with restricted indoor feeding while maintaining high foliage intake.     

夏季暑热期不同泌乳阶段奶牛维持行为的比较研究

本次试验对15头中国荷斯坦泌乳牛的行为表现逐头进行12 h观察,并按不同泌乳阶段分三组:A组(泌乳前期)、B组(泌乳中期)、C组(泌乳后期)进行分析,每组均为5头。结果表明:泌乳前期牛的咀嚼次数和每次低头连续采食饲料次(口)数最多,早晨饲喂以后反刍来临时间和咀嚼时间最长,反刍咀嚼速度及每次低头采食频率快。泌乳中期试验牛的昼间反刍时间、昼间反刍时间占昼的时间、每次低头采食时间及每口饲料咀嚼时间都较长。泌乳后期试验牛的昼间反刍周期数较多,食团的吞咽至下一食团的逆呕间隔时间和站立时间均较长。     

The Effect of Subclinical Hypocalcaemia Induced by Na2EDTA on the Feed Intake and Chewing Activity of Dairy Cows

The effects of induced subclinical hypocalcaemia (SCHC) on feed intake and chewing activity during eating and rumination were studied in dairy cows. Two non-lactating and non-pregnant cows were subjected to three different treatments, with one test per day, such that the plasma free (ionized) calcium (_FCa) concentration was maintained at the eucalcaemic level or at one of two constant SCHC levels. The cows and test days followed a 2×3 crossover design. SCHC was maintained for 7 h by repeatedly infusing 5% Na₂EDTA so that constant _FCa concentrations of 0.8 mmol/L or 0.6 mmol/L in plasma were achieved. Control conditions were achieved by infusing isotonic saline. Feed intake and the number of the rumination periods were recorded during test days. The proportion of feed eaten during each test meal (EatPro) was related to the mean plasma _FCa. An almost linear decrease in EatPro was observed when the plasma _FCa was 0.6–0.9 mmol/L. The cows showed no other clinical signs of hypocalcaemia during Na₂EDTA-infusion. The time spent chewing during eating and rumination, and the number of rumination periods during a test day, decreased with a decline in plasma _FCa concentration.It was concluded that induced SCHC depresses the feed intake and ruminative activity of dairy cows.