Correlation between intake and ingestive behavior of pasture-grazed heifers
Almeida Santana Junior, HermógenesRodrigues Silva, RobérioGiordano Pinto Carvalho, GleidsonFerreira Silva, FabianoTrindade Junior, GeraldoAndrade Pinheiro, AlysonSantana Oliveira Rodrigues, EliAbreu Filho, GeorgeOliveira Cardoso Santana, ElizangelaBacelar Lima Mendes, Fabricio
The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between intake and ingestive behavior of crossbred heifers in grazing tropical. The experiment was conducted on the Princesa do Mateiro Farm, in the city of Ribeirão do Largo, Bahia. A total of 20 heifers with genetic makeup 5/8 dairy Guzerá and 3/8 Holstein, average age of 18 months and body weight of 187 ± 13.1 kg have been used. The experiment lasted 224 days and involved animals raised in a rotational grazing system with Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandú. Grazing time was not correlated with any of the variables associated with intake. Rumination time showed positive correlations with the intake of forage dry matter (DMIF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDFI). Variables associated with the time spent on feeding at the trough, overall feeding and total chewing were not correlated with intake (P>0.05). There have been positive correlations between the number of grazing periods (NGP) and rumination periods (NRP) and total DM intake (TDMI), organic matter (OMI), forage (DMIF), neutral detergent fiber (NDFI), total carbohydrates (TCHI) and ether extract (EEI). Crude protein intake (CPI) was positively correlated with NGP and NRP. The mouthful rate was positively correlated with TDMI, OMI, DMIF, NDFI, TCHI, EEI and CPI. Average time per swallow was negatively correlated with TDMI, OMI, NDFI, TCHI and EEI. Positive correl
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