Eating behavior of beef cattle groups fed from a single stall or trough

Abstract

Groups of 15 feedlot beef cattle were fed from single stalls, whereby only one eating space was provided for each pen of animals. The eating behavior of the stall-fed groups was compared to that of trough-fed groups. The stall-fed cattle ate faster ( P < 0.01) and differed in their diurnal eating pattern when compared to the cattle fed from troughs. The mean times spent eating by stall-fed and trough-fed individuals were 80.9 and 119.1 min per day, respectively. However, trough-fed and stall-fed cattle each consumed approximately 10 kg of feed per day. Cattle fed from troughs did most of their eating during daylight hours, exhibiting two daytime peak periods of eating activity (09.00 and 19.00 h) and a lesser peak during the night (02.00 h). The single stalls were occupied extensively throughout the day with the exception of a 2-h period prior to, or near, sunrise (04.00–06.00 h). The diurnal pattern of cattle waiting to eat from the single stalls did not differ from the diurnal eating pattern of trough-fed cattle ( P > 0.05). The ability of 15 cattle to eat successfully from a single feeding space was probably related to the protection offered by the stall. This allowed the animal that had entered to eat without interference by other animals from the front or sides. By utilizing a single-stall feeding-system in beef feedlots, less capital investment in trough construction would be required and more efficient pen designs could be employed.