Effects of grazing experience in a wasted mulberry plantation on foraging manner of mulberry leaves by cows
2020
Ogura, S. (Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi (Japan). Graduate School of Agricultural Science) | Maekawa, Y. | Tanaka, S.
Effect of grazing experience in a wasted mulberry plantation on foraging manner of mulberry leaves by cows was investigated in three grazing areas (0.32-0.46ha) established in a wasted mulberry plantation. During late June to early July 2007, a pair of Japanese Black cows grazed in each area, and foraging behavior of the six cows was recorded by focal sampling on the first day of the grazing period. Three cows out of the six had the grazing experience (EX) in the same mulberry plantation in the previous year, but other three were not experienced (NE). EX cows pulled twigs with leaves above its head down more frequently than NE cows (P < 0.01) before ingesting mulberry leaves. EX cows also foraged mulberry leaves more frequently by prehending current year twigs with leaves and less frequently by plucking individual leaves directly than NE cows (P < 0.001). Foraging failures were observed only in NE cows when prehending current year twigs (P < 0.01). Bringing out of a mulberry tree was also observed one time in an EX cow. These results suggest that grazing cows improve foraging efficiency of mulberry leaves by developing their foraging manner through grazing experience and learning in the mulberry plantation.
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