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Grazing Animal Behavior K. Launchbaugh USDA - ARS Slide 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 Slide 3 Physical abilities affect what animals eat Ability to eat cellulose Capture and Consume Prey Inherited Abilities Carnivore Omnivore Herbivore Slide 4 Roughage Feeder (grass) Intermediate Feeder (forbs) Concentrate Feeder (browse) Select Correct Species Slide 5 Inherited Abilities Percent Slope Percent of Observations 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1020304050607080+ 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 Vavra 1987) Physical abilities affect where animals eat Slide 6 (Bailey et al. 2001; J. Anim. Sci.) Select Correct Breed Slide 7 (Winder et al. 1996, J. Range Manage.) Brangus ..traveled further from water than ..Hereford or Angus Brangus consumed different diets than Hereford or Angus Slide 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 Slide 9 Behavioral characteristics can be inherited Example = Guard Dogs vs Herding Dogs Inherited Behavior - Instincts Slide 10 Consequences + - Behavior Behave Behavior results from consequences Basics of Animal Behavior Behavior Slide 11 4 Basic Learning Paradigms Good ConsequenceBad Consequence Add or Apply Behavior Increases (Positive Reinforcement) Behavior Decreases (Positive Punishment) RemoveBehavior Decreases (Negative Punishment) Behavior Increases (Negative Reinforcement) Slide 12 Early life experiences are influential Young animals clearly learn what to eat avoid from their mother Slide 13 Slide 14 Intake of wheat, g/d Exposure to Wheat (1 h/d for 5 d at 6 wk age) Learning from Mother Slide 15 Early Life Experience is Influential Preferences are formed Slide 16 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 Slide 17 Early dietary experience Slide 18 Animals must learn how to eat Build Foraging Skills Slide 19 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DbUaZ3SHH8&feature=plcp Slide 20 Skin Defense System: TouchPain Avoid Animals learn based on consequences Slide 21 Gut Defense System : Eat Plant (taste) Digestive Feedback + - Preference Aversion Animals learn based on consequences Slide 22 Digestive Feedback Aversion Aversion Aversion Aversion Aversion Preference Preference Preference Preference Eat Plant (taste) Animals learn based on consequences Slide 23 Nausea (LiCl) No Feedback (empty capsule) Mountain- Mahogany Conditioned Aversions Slide 24 Lambs quit eating mountain mahogany when consumption was followed by nausea. Control Averted (LiCl 3g/day) Slide 25 Terpenes in sagebrush limit intake of sagebrush Intake of Ration (g/day/kg BW) Sagebrush Levels in Ration (%) Slide 26 Gut Defense System : Eat Plant (taste) Digestive Feedback + - Preference Aversion Animals learn based on consequences Slide 27 Digestive Feedback Aversion Aversion Aversion Aversion Aversion Preference Preference Preference Preference Eat Plant (taste) Animals learn based on consequences Slide 28 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsGAIxDldAg&feature=plcp Slide 29 Conditioned Preference e Feedback starch Control water Straw Slide 30 Intake of straw, g DayDay Energy Increases Palatability Slide 31 Nutrient Toxin Interactions How to get sheep to eat more sagebrush ? Slide 32 Intake of Sagebrush, g Nutrient - Toxin Interactions Slide 33 Day Sagebrush, % Scans Supplemented Unsupplemented Use of Sagebrush by Sheep Slide 34 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 Creating Designer livestock Slide 35 For More information: www.behave.net For More information: www.behave.net