This paper reviews current knowledge of the social behavior of grazing beef cattle and discusses how that knowledge can be applied to rangeland cattle management. Cattle herds are composed of social subgroups that influence grazing distribution on rangeland. Grazing distribution is, in part, a learned response; therefore, management strategies that alter the social composition and structure of ...

Sward composition and structure influence herbage intake of grazing animals. We conducted a grazing study to examine how forage mixture complexity affected sward structure. Replicated 1-ha pastures (Hagerstown silt loam soil: fine, mixed, semiactive, mesic, Typic Hapludalf) were planted to either orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) or a nine-species mixtu...

This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of theileriosis and to compare the prevalence of this disease in Korean native cattle reared under different environmental conditions, namely, in a grazing area and a non-grazing area by polymerase chain reaction. Three hundred and one Korean native cattle (276 cows and 25 bulls) that had not received prior treatment or been vaccinated to p...

Many dairy cows in the developed world are now housed exclusively indoors with fewer than 5% of the 10 million lactating cows in the United States having access to pasture during the grazing season. Indoor housing systems are designed to meet biological needs for food, water, hygiene, and shelter, but surveys of public and farmer opinion suggest that people think that pasture access is also imp...

Sahar, Mohammad W. M.S., Purdue University, December 2014. Growth of PostWeaned Grazing Dairy Heifers when Evaluating the Effects of Providing Shade or Parasite Control. Major Professor: Tamilee Nennich. Reduced heat stress and lower gastrointestinal parasite loads can increase growth rate in heifers, potentially reducing the age at first breeding and lowering the costs associated with raising ...

Introduction There is increased pressure on agriculture to reduce nitrogen (N) excretion from different production systems. In order to do so, it is of value to know how diets compare in terms of N excretion, as this could have both financial and environmental consequences. A mechanistic model describing the N digestion and metabolism in ruminants was developed from the PDI protein system to en...

Approximately 80% of agricultural CH4 comes from livestock systems, with 90% that derived enteric production by ruminants. Grazing systems are used worldwide to feed dairy cattle. Although quantifying emissions in grazing has unique challenges, emerging technologies have made gaseous data collection more feasible and less laborious. Nevertheless, robust sets on under various conditions, as well...

Pasture-based dairy producers in the United States face costs, revenue streams, and management challenges that may differ from those associated with confinement dairy production systems. Three Grazing Merit indices (GM$1, GM$2, and GM$3), parallel to the US Lifetime Net Merit (NM$) index, were constructed using economic values appropriate for grazing production in the United States. Milk prices...

Oak woodlands of Mediterranean ecosystems, a major component of biodiversity hotspots in Europe and North America, have undergone significant land-use change in recent centuries, including an increase in grazing intensity due to the widespread presence of cattle. Simultaneously, a decrease in oak regeneration has been observed, suggesting a link between cattle grazing intensity and limited oak ...