The grazing behaviour of dairy cattle in relation to milk production, live weight, and pasture intake

Abstract

Summary Grazing behaviour observations were made on a mixed group of free-grazing Jersey and Friesian cattle throughout their lactation period. These observations established that: 1. There was a positive, though small, relationship between both grazing and rumination times, milk production and pasture intake. 2. Differences in live weight had little effect on grazing and rumination time. 3. Where the fat-corrected milk (f.c.m.) production of the two breeds was the same, differences between them in grazing times were negligible. 4. The grazing time required per unit of pasture intake was appreciably greater in the Jerseys than the Friesians, whereas the feed intake required per lb of f.c.m. produced was greater in the Friesian than the Jersey.