The objective was to determine if low- or high-residual feed intake (LRFI or HRFI, = 24 for each) Hereford × Angus cows on continuously or rotationally grazed rangeland altered their grazing behavior when provided a protein supplement in late autumn. Treatments included continuously grazed, control (CCON, = 12); continuously grazed, supplemented (CTRT, = 12); rotationally grazed, control (RCON, = 12); and rotationally grazed, supplemented pastures (RTRT, = 12). Cows in each treatment had grazing time (GT), resting time (RT), and walking time (WLK) measured for 2 years with accelerometers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBitter taste perception in sheep can lead to avoidance of specific types of forage, such as sagebrush, which is present on many rangeland grazing systems in the Intermountain West. In humans, bitter taste perception is influenced by variation in several TAS2R genes, including more extensively studied and . We hypothesize that variation in taste receptor genes in sheep is associated with bitter taste.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objectives were to determine if previously classified, efficient (LRFI, low-residual-feed intake, = 12 × 2 yr) vs. inefficient (HRFI, high-residual-feed intake, = 12 × 2 yr) lactating 2-yr-old Hereford × Angus cows differed in grazing behavior, body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), and calf weaning weight while grazing rugged rangeland pastures. Cows were fitted with grazing halters containing both an accelerometer and a global positioning system (GPS) data logger during June 14 to July 4, 2016, August 2 to 25, 2016, May 23 to June 12, 2017, and August 5 to 28, 2017.
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