Behaviour of cattle in an agro-forestry system

Objective of the present study was to understand the behaviour of dairy cattle tethered underagro-forcstry systems. Three genetically uncharacterized, indigenous, non-lactating cows and twobulls (mean live weight 199±29) were tethered close to a water stream in an agro-forestry system.The vegetation of the agro-forestry system comprised of teak, coconut, mahogany and shrubs. Animalshad enough foraging materials around the place they were tethered. One observer was assigned toeach animal. The behaviour of the animals was observed for five hours from 1000 1500 hrs. Themean temperature and the relative humidity of day of the study were 28°C and 79% respectively.Frequency and the duration of the time spent on nine behaviours were recorded. The behaviouralactivities studied were drinking, feeding (ground level and upper level), lying, standing, walking,urination, defecation, vocal ization and interactions (cattle-cattle and cattle-other an irnals ). Feedingwas the most prominent behaviour of the animals. The time spent on feeding and the frequency offeeding during the 300 minutes study period were 252 min and 23, respectively and thus the feedingbehaviour accounted for 84% of the total time budget. The frequency (15) and the time spent onground level grazing (234 min) were significantly higher (p<O.OOI) than the frequencies and the timespent on upper level feeding. Though not statistically significant, animals spent more time on standing(18.9min or 6.3% of the total time) than on Laying (14.6 min or 5% of the total time). The frequencyof standing (5) was also significantly (p<O.OO I) higher than that oflying (I). May be due to tethering,cattle spent less time (8.3 minutes or 2.7% of the total time) on walking. The frequency of drinking(2) and the time spent on drinking were (3 min or 1% of the total time) unexpectedly low. Cattledefecated and urinated twice during the five- hour study period. Vocalization was the least prominentbehavioural activity. It is concluded that cattle highly engage with feeding particularly, on groundlevel when they are tethered under agro-forestry systems. Further researches are needed to determineas to why the drinking behaviour is suppressed when tethered in agro-forestry systems

Behaviour of cattle in an agro-forestry system

Objective of the present study was to understand the behaviour of dairy cattle tethered underagro-forcstry systems. Three genetically uncharacterized, indigenous, non-lactating cows and twobulls (mean live weight 199±29) were tethered close to a water stream in an agro-forestry system.The vegetation of the agro-forestry system comprised of teak, coconut, mahogany and shrubs. Animalshad enough foraging materials around the place they were tethered. One observer was assigned toeach animal. The behaviour of the animals was observed for five hours from 1000 1500 hrs. Themean temperature and the relative humidity of day of the study were 28°C and 79% respectively.Frequency and the duration of the time spent on nine behaviours were recorded. The behaviouralactivities studied were drinking, feeding (ground level and upper level), lying, standing, walking,urination, defecation, vocal ization and interactions (cattle-cattle and cattle-other an irnals ). Feedingwas the most prominent behaviour of the animals. The time spent on feeding and the frequency offeeding during the 300 minutes study period were 252 min and 23, respectively and thus the feedingbehaviour accounted for 84% of the total time budget. The frequency (15) and the time spent onground level grazing (234 min) were significantly higher (p<O.OOI) than the frequencies and the timespent on upper level feeding. Though not statistically significant, animals spent more time on standing(18.9min or 6.3% of the total time) than on Laying (14.6 min or 5% of the total time). The frequencyof standing (5) was also significantly (p<O.OO I) higher than that oflying (I). May be due to tethering,cattle spent less time (8.3 minutes or 2.7% of the total time) on walking. The frequency of drinking(2) and the time spent on drinking were (3 min or 1% of the total time) unexpectedly low. Cattledefecated and urinated twice during the five- hour study period. Vocalization was the least prominentbehavioural activity. It is concluded that cattle highly engage with feeding particularly, on groundlevel when they are tethered under agro-forestry systems. Further researches are needed to determineas to why the drinking behaviour is suppressed when tethered in agro-forestry systems

Herbage Quality and Animal Performance in a Coconut Cattle Inte grated System

The effect of controlled grazing on the natural herbage growing in coconut plantation on the performance of cross-bred heifers as well as on herbage yield, botanical composition and the quality were examined in an experiment for one year duration in a coconut estate at Kotawila, Kamburugamuwa. There were four treatments namely coconut without fertilizer (T1); coconut with fertilizer (CRI recommended levels) (T2); heifers grazed natural herbage (T3); and heifers grazed natural herbage with tree fodder (2 kg/d) and concentrate supplement (250 g/d) (T4). The experiment design was a RCBD with 3 replicates and the stocking rate was 2 heifers/ 0.4 ha. The daily weight gain (19.60 g/head/d) and body condition (-0.07) were poor when no feed supplements were given. Provision of tree fodder and concentrate (Gava thriposha) greatly improved the daily weight gain (28.23 g/ head/d) and body condition (0.09) of heifers. It was also observed that the season had an influence on growth and body condition.Herbage yield was higher in T2 as compared to T1 due to non grazing and fertilizer application. When compared the two treatments with animals, herbage yield of T4 were higher due to low grazing pressure imposed by supplementation. The N percentage of herbage also showed a similar trend. Over grazing without supplements (T3) would have depleted the soil and herbage N, and thereby conservation of N through recirculation within the animal. The dry period would have aggravated this condition by reducing the dung decomposition rate and increasing the urine evaporation rate. Grazing also improved the botanical composition of herbage. T3 and T4 treatments contained 55.35, 18.84 and 25.82% of grasses, legumes and other species, respectively. Herbage of T1 and T2 contained 18.5, 22.54 and 58.96% of grasses, legumes and other species, respectively. Axonopus affinus, A. compressus and Puraria phaseoloides like prostate species were dominant in T3 and T4 while Ocimum tenuiflorum and Urena lobota and Eupatorium odoratum like upland erect weed species were dominant in T1 and T2.The results show that the integrated management system based on coconut and cattle, could achieve sustain able improvements on stock performance, even within a short period of time. Actual benefits should be investi gated in the long term