Grazing behavior of lactating and non-lactating yaks in the summer season of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

被引:9
作者
Ding, Luming
Long, Ruijun [1 ]
Wang, Changting
Shang, Zhanhuan
机构
[1] Lanzhou Univ, Ctr Tibetan Grassland & Yak Studies, Coll Pastoral Agr Sci & Technol, Lanzhou 730020, Peoples R China
[2] NW Inst Plateau Biol, Xining 810008, Peoples R China
[3] Chinese Acad Sci, Grad Sch, Beijing 100039, Peoples R China
关键词
yak; grazing; ruminating; behavior; lactating; non-lactating; Qinghai-Tibetan plateau;
D O I
10.1560/IJEE_52_2_141
中图分类号
Q14 [生态学(生物生态学)];
学科分类号
071012 ; 0713 ;
摘要
The effect of the physiological states of lactating vs. non-lactating (dry) on grazing behavior and herbage intake by yaks was examined in the summer season in the Qinghai alpine area under continuous stocking management. Intake rates were estimated over periods of 1 h by weighing the animals before and after grazing, retaining the feces and urine excreted, and applying a correction for insensible weight loss (the 1-h weight changes of yaks when non-eating before or after the intake rate measurement). It is hypothesized that the lactating yaks should eat more and spend more time eating than nonlactating yaks, because they expend more energy. In our experiment, there were no differences in the effect of physiological state (lactating vs. dry) of yaks observed on the rate of insensible weight loss, intake rate, grazing jaw movement rate, bites per grazing jaw movement, or bite mass. The dry yaks tended to eat more and spend more time eating than lactating yaks, but not significantly so. Compared with the dry yaks, the lactating yaks had a significantly lower bite rate and bites per bolus.
引用
收藏
页码:141 / 149
页数:9
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