Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary Quality
Animal density is a grazing management decision implemented by managers that may reduce animal diet quality. Over three years, we collected herd-level cattle samples with varying animal numbers and densities across C<sub>3</sub> grass–legume meadows near Powell, WY, USA. Paddocks ranged...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | John Derek Scasta Fernando Forster Furquim |
| author_facet | John Derek Scasta Fernando Forster Furquim |
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| description | Animal density is a grazing management decision implemented by managers that may reduce animal diet quality. Over three years, we collected herd-level cattle samples with varying animal numbers and densities across C<sub>3</sub> grass–legume meadows near Powell, WY, USA. Paddocks ranged in size from 3 to 72 ha, cattle groups ranged from 80 to 370 animals, animal units (AUs; defined as heifers = 0.8, cow–calf pairs = 1.3, and bulls = 1.6) ranged from 52 to 248.6, animal density ranged from 1.5 to 30.3 animals/ha, and AU density ranged from 0.9 to 19.8 AUs/ha. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of fecal samples (f.NIRS) was used to estimate crude protein (CP), digestible organic matter (DOM), and the DOM:CP ratio. Structural equation modeling (SEM) that mediated time (i.e., Day of Year) rendered all animal number or density variables as significant predictors for CP and DOM (negative estimates) and for DOM:CP (positive estimate), indicating that congregating animals in larger groups and/or greater densities, even in meadows with high-quality forage species, may reduce post-ingestive diet quality estimates by −1.2% and −2.0 for CP and DOM for every +100 animals or for every +10 animals per hectare. Livestock managers could potentially override this negative effect by adjusting when animals are congregated at higher densities. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| spelling | doaj-art-ccb35b6fae3d4be496c207242165727a2025-01-24T13:18:11ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-01-0115223010.3390/ani15020230Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary QualityJohn Derek Scasta0Fernando Forster Furquim1Department of Ecosystem Science, Laramie Research and Extension Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82072, USAGraduate Program in Botany, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91540-000, BrazilAnimal density is a grazing management decision implemented by managers that may reduce animal diet quality. Over three years, we collected herd-level cattle samples with varying animal numbers and densities across C<sub>3</sub> grass–legume meadows near Powell, WY, USA. Paddocks ranged in size from 3 to 72 ha, cattle groups ranged from 80 to 370 animals, animal units (AUs; defined as heifers = 0.8, cow–calf pairs = 1.3, and bulls = 1.6) ranged from 52 to 248.6, animal density ranged from 1.5 to 30.3 animals/ha, and AU density ranged from 0.9 to 19.8 AUs/ha. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of fecal samples (f.NIRS) was used to estimate crude protein (CP), digestible organic matter (DOM), and the DOM:CP ratio. Structural equation modeling (SEM) that mediated time (i.e., Day of Year) rendered all animal number or density variables as significant predictors for CP and DOM (negative estimates) and for DOM:CP (positive estimate), indicating that congregating animals in larger groups and/or greater densities, even in meadows with high-quality forage species, may reduce post-ingestive diet quality estimates by −1.2% and −2.0 for CP and DOM for every +100 animals or for every +10 animals per hectare. Livestock managers could potentially override this negative effect by adjusting when animals are congregated at higher densities.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/230<i>Bos taurus</i><i>Bromus inermis</i>grazing managementlivestock welfare<i>Medicago sativa</i>near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | John Derek Scasta Fernando Forster Furquim Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary Quality Animals <i>Bos taurus</i> <i>Bromus inermis</i> grazing management livestock welfare <i>Medicago sativa</i> near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy |
| title | Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary Quality |
| title_full | Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary Quality |
| title_fullStr | Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary Quality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary Quality |
| title_short | Increasing Cattle Herd Size or Density in C<sub>3</sub> Grass–Legume Meadows Reduces Dietary Quality |
| title_sort | increasing cattle herd size or density in c sub 3 sub grass legume meadows reduces dietary quality |
| topic | <i>Bos taurus</i> <i>Bromus inermis</i> grazing management livestock welfare <i>Medicago sativa</i> near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/230 |
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