Effect of the supplementation levels at night in water buffalos on ingestive behavior in diurnal grazing

Abstract

This work aimed to study the behavior of semi-confined buffaloes, emphasizing the effect of three different supplementation levels with concentrated in daily distribution of activities during the grazing period. Eighteen Murrah buffaloes with approximately 17 months of age and initial average weight of 300kg were observed for 9 days. They remained on pasture from 7 a.m. till 5 p.m. (observation period). In the evenings, animals were put in their individual stalls, and received the concentrate under 3 different treatments: Treatment 1 = 0.6%, Treatment 2 = 0.9% and Treatment 3 = 1.2% of the animal weight. The observed variables were: Grazing time (TP); Standing time (TEP); Lying time (TD); Rumination time (TR); Wallowing time (TCH); and Time in other activities (TOA). The effect of treatment was significant only for TEP and TD. The day influenced significantly (P <0.01) all variables, but there was no difference between days for the variables of weather and humidity temperature index (ITU). There was an interaction between day and treatment for variable rumination time (P <0.05), the treatment 2 was superior to the others on the fourth day of observation. The fourth day of observation showed significantly superior in comparison to the other days in all treatments. The levels of supplementation did not alter the activities of grazing, wallowing and time in other activities of buffaloes in semi-confined system. Keywords: Buffalos, ingestive behavior, semiconfined.