Multiple releases of stable flies ( Stomoxys calcitrans L.) and behaviour of grazing beef cattle
A change-over statistical design with complete balance for first residual effects was used with a tethered grazing technique to evaluate the effects of arthropod ectoparasites on the behaviour of adult Angus beef cows ( Bos taurus L.; body-weight (BW), 465±30 kg) grazing vegetative tall fescue ( Fes...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Applied animal behaviour science 1993, Vol.38 (3), p.191-212 |
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Zusammenfassung: | A change-over statistical design with complete balance for first residual effects was used with a tethered grazing technique to evaluate the effects of arthropod ectoparasites on the behaviour of adult Angus beef cows (
Bos taurus L.; body-weight (BW), 465±30 kg) grazing vegetative tall fescue (
Festuca arundinacea Schreb. cv Kentucky 31) in screened enclosures (5 m × 5 m × 2 m). Starved laboratory-reared stable files (
Stomoxys calcitrans L.) were released into each enclosure at 15-min intervals during 1 h grazing meals. Alighted flies were counted on body surfaces and rates of fly-induced movements recorded every 15 min. Treatments were: T
1, 4×0 stable flies; T
2, 4×125 stable flies; T
3, 4×250 stable flies. Herbage dry matter (DM) mass (more than 5 cm) of the 25 cm tall sward was 3499±259 kg ha
−1 and the herbage DM allowance (more than 5 cm) was 1.19±0.13 kg (100 kg BW)
−1 h
−1 when grazing started. Surfaces of cows assigned to T
3 supported 42 alighted flies in the first quarter and their numbers increased linearly to 53 in the last quarter of grazing meals. Front legs supported 24 alighted flies in the first quarter and their numbers rose linearly to 35 flies in the last quarter. Nine flies alighted on hind-leg surfaces in the first quarter and their numbers increased linearly to 13 in the last. Alighted flies on the trunk declined linearly from seven in the first to five in the last quarter. Few flies alighted on cows' heads. Rates of movement of heads, ears, tails, and front and hind legs, and skin twitches increased (
P0.05) throughout grazing meals. Front-leg movement rates increased linearly (
P |
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ISSN: | 0168-1591 1872-9045 |
DOI: | 10.1016/0168-1591(93)90019-L |