Maintenance behavior of cattle in a young tree plantation in southern Kyushu, Japan

• Published in: Journal of Ethology Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 437 - 445
• Main Authors: Hirata, Masahiko, Hasegawa, Nobumi, Nogami, Kangoro, Sonoda, Tatsunobu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Japan : Springer Japan 01.09.2009; Springer Science and Business Media LLC; Springer Japan; Springer
• Subjects: air temperature; Animal Ecology; Animal ethology; animal performance; beef cattle; Behavioral Sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; body weight; Chamaecyparis obtusa; conifers; Evolutionary Biology; foraging; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; grasslands; grazing; herds; Japan; Life Sciences; plantations; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; rumination; Wagyu; Zoology; Asia; Kyushu; Japan; Forest grazing; Maintenance behavior; Japanese Black cattle; Synchronization; Social facilitation; Forests; Bovine; Japanese; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Social interaction; Tree; Artiodactyla; Behavior; Ungulata; Maintenance behaviors
• ISSN: 0289-0771; 1439-5444
• DOI: 10.1007/s10164-008-0138-4

This 4-year study monitored maintenance behavior of beef cattle (Japanese Black) foraging in a young Chamaecyparis obtusa (an evergreen conifer) plantation in southwestern Japan. The animals spent 551 ± 8 min (mean ± SE) per day grazing, 436 ± 4 min ruminating, 313 ± 9 min resting, 44 ± 2 min moving, and 96 ± 4 min on other activities. Grazing activity was high during 0600-1800 h and low during 2200-0600 h. Ruminating activity was high during 2200-0600 h and low during 0600-1800 h. Resting activity was high during 2200-0600 h and low for the remainder of the day. Air temperature was not a dominant factor determining the daily duration of grazing, rumination, or resting. The activity of the animals was usually synchronized, with the degree of synchronization being highest in grazing followed by ruminating and resting. Daily liveweight change of the animals was positively related with daily ruminating time, i.e., animals gained more when they ruminated longer. The maintenance behavior of cattle in the young tree plantation, as compared with that on grasslands, is characterized by (1) high grazing activity around midday, (2) low ruminating activity in the daytime, and (3) midday adjustment of the daily total grazing time. Daily rumination time may be used as an indicator of animal performance on the bases of a herd (not individual animals) and a period of 2-15 weeks (not individual days).