Eating behaviour of mixed Holandes heifers in pastures.

摘要

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of concentrated supplements on the eating behaviour of 16 heifers (Holandes and Cebu cross) of 12 months of age with an initial mean weight of 180 kg. The animals were located in eight pastures of Brachiaria decumbens, without shade, of 1000 square metres in size. The study lasted 20 days: 12 days of adaptation to the experimental diet and 8 days to obtain data. Results showed that the treatment did not affect the time spent eating pasture and time spent chewing the cud; time spent resting was reduced and time eating the concentrated feed increased linearly, with levels of supplementation. There were no changes in total mastication time or rumination time; supplementation levels did not affect the numbers of periods of rumination, rest and concentrated feed eating, nor the duration of rumination and rest periods. The number of periods of eating pasture, and its duration, were reduced, while the duration of periods ingesting concentrated feed increased linearly..