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Grazing Animal Behavior

Grazing Animal Behavior. USDA - ARS. K. Launchbaugh. Basis for Animal Behavior. What affects how animals behave: Born with certain abilities: Inherited abilities Physical, Sensory & Physiological Abilities Born knowing what to do: Called “Instincts” Learn how behave. Inherited Abilities.

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Grazing Animal Behavior

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  1. Grazing Animal Behavior USDA - ARS K. Launchbaugh

  2. Basis for Animal Behavior What affects how animals behave: • Born with certain abilities: • Inherited abilities • Physical, Sensory & Physiological Abilities • Born knowing what to do: • Called “Instincts” • Learn how behave

  3. Inherited Abilities • Physical abilities affect what animals eat • Ability to eat cellulose • Capture and Consume Prey Carnivore Omnivore Herbivore

  4. Select Correct Species Concentrate Feeder (browse) Intermediate Feeder (forbs) Roughage Feeder (grass)

  5. 70 60 50 Percent of Observations 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80+ Percent Slope Inherited Abilities • Physical abilities affect where animals eat Cattle Horses Deer Bighorn Figure 10.2 Relationship of slope gradient to the percentage of observations of cattle, feral horses, deer, and bighorn sheep. (From Ganskopp and Vavra1987)

  6. Select Correct Breed (Bailey et al. 2001; J. Anim. Sci.)

  7. Select Correct Breed Brangus…..traveled further from waterthan…..Hereford or Angus Brangus consumed different diets than Hereford or Angus (Winder et al. 1996, J. Range Manage.)

  8. Inherited Behaviors - Instincts • Mammals know how to find milk and stay close to mother. • Basic ideas of what is cover & how to hide • Preference for salty foods • Preference for sweet… not sure Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

  9. Inherited Behavior - Instincts • Behavioral characteristics can be inherited • Example = Guard Dogs vs Herding Dogs

  10. + - Basics of Animal Behavior • Behavior results from consequences Behavior Behave Consequences Behavior

  11. 4 Basic Learning Paradigms

  12. Young animals clearly learn what to eat avoid from their mother Early life experiences are influential

  13. Learning from Mother Intake of wheat, g/d Exposure to Wheat (1 h/d for 5 d at 6 wk age)

  14. Early Life Experience is Influential • Preferences are formed

  15. Early dietary experience • Goats - 6 weeks old • Experienced: raised on blackbrush range • Inexperienced:drylot fed alfalfa pellets • Weaned at 26 weeks • Week 28 - offered all goats blackbrush in pens Distel & Provenza 1991

  16. Early dietary experience

  17. Animals must learn how to eat • Build Foraging Skills

  18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DbUaZ3SHH8&feature=plcp

  19. Touch Pain Avoid Animals learn based on consequences • Skin Defense System:

  20. Preference + Eat Plant(taste) Digestive Feedback - Aversion Animals learn based on consequences • Gut Defense System:

  21. PreferencePreferencePreference PreferencePreference Eat Plant(taste) Digestive Feedback AversionAversionAversionAversionAversion Animals learn based on consequences

  22. Conditioned Aversions Mountain-Mahogany No Feedback (empty capsule) Nausea(LiCl)

  23. Conditioned Aversions Control Averted(LiCl 3g/day) Lambs quit eating mountain mahogany when consumption was followed by nausea.

  24. Terpenes in sagebrush limit intake of sagebrush Intake of Ration (g/day/kg BW) Sagebrush Levels in Ration (%)

  25. Preference + Eat Plant(taste) Digestive Feedback - Aversion Animals learn based on consequences • Gut Defense System:

  26. PreferencePreferencePreference PreferencePreference Eat Plant(taste) Digestive Feedback AversionAversionAversionAversionAversion Animals learn based on consequences

  27. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsGAIxDldAg&feature=plcp

  28. Conditioned Preference Straw eFeedbackstarch Controlwater

  29. Energy Increases Palatability Intake of straw, g Day

  30. Nutrient – Toxin Interactions How to get sheep to eat more sagebrush?

  31. Nutrient - Toxin Interactions Intake of Sagebrush, g

  32. Use of Sagebrush by Sheep Supplemented Sagebrush, % Scans Unsupplemented Day

  33. Creating “Designer” livestock • Select animals that naturally possess the desired ingestive characteristics • Breed animals with these abilities • Prepare animals with prescribed dietary experiences • Offer animals nutritional or pharmaceutical resources to aid in digestion or detoxification

  34. For More information: www.behave.net

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