Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:24:44.508Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Natural sucking performance and age of weaning in zebu cattle (Bos indicus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

V. Reinhardt  and
Annie Reinhardt
V. Reinhardt
Affiliation:
Kenplains Wildlife and Research Ranch, P.O. Box 72, Athiriver, Kenya
Annie Reinhardt
Affiliation:
Kenplains Wildlife and Research Ranch, P.O. Box 72, Athiriver, Kenya
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Sucking behaviour and age of weaning were investigated in a herd of East African zebu cattle in which all calves born had been retained for several years. Suckling rates were compared at different periods of the 24 h cycle and found to be less at night than during any day-time period. The highest rates of suckling took place in the early morning and in the late afternoon. The early morning suckling was triggered by the dawn. During both night and day, suckling was irregular and bouts were presumably due to sympathetic induction because a high proportion of the calves was suckled on each occasion. The total sucking time and the number of bouts varied significantly in inverse relation to age of the calf but the duration of a sucking bout was constant at 8 min and independent of age. There was an average of 4·8 sucking bouts within 24 h giving a total duration of 38 min. Sucking behaviour did not exhibit sex-specific differences. The average age of natural weaning was 10 months but there was a marked sex difference. Female calves were prevented by their mothers from sucking after an average age of 8·8 months but male calves continued to be suckled for a further 2·5 months and were weaned at an average age of 11·3 months.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 96 , Issue 2 , April 1981 , pp. 309 - 312
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Aschoff, J. (1954). Zeitgeber der tierischen Tagesperiodik. Die Naturwissenschaften 41, 49–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drewry, K. J., Brown, C. J. & Honea, R. S. (1959). Relationships among factors associated with mothering ability in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 18, 938–946.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gadow, C. V. (1965). Beitrag zur Rindfleischerzeugung duroh Mutter- und Ammenkuhhaltung. Landwirtschaftliche Dissertation, Götigen.Google Scholar
Hafez, E. S. E. & Lineweaver, J. A. (1968). Suckling behaviour in natural and artificially fed neonate calves. Zeitschrift fü Tierpsychologie 25, 187–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hüermund, G. (1969). Das individuelle und soziale Verhalten von Rindern bei Kamphaltung in Süwestafrika – Eine ethologische Studie. Vetorinämedizinische Dissertation, Gieβen.Google Scholar
Hutchison, H. G., Woof, R., Mabon, R. M., Salehe, I. &Robb, J. M. (1962). A study of the habits of zebu cattle in Tanganyika. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 59, 301–317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kilgour, R. (1972). Some observations on the suckling activity of calves on nurse cows. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 32, 132–136.Google Scholar
Lampkin, K. & Lampkin, G. H. (1960). Studies on the production of beef from zebu cattle in East Africa. II. Milk production in suckled cows and its effect on calf growth. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 55, 233–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le, Neindre P. & Garel, J. P. (1977). Etude des relations mèe-jeune chez les bovins domestiques: Comparaison des liaisons existant entre la mèe et des veaux légitimes ou adoptés. Biology of Behaviour 2, 39–49.Google Scholar
Le, Neindre P. & Petit, M. (1975). Nombre de tétés et temps de pâturage des veaux dans lea troupeaux de vaches allaitantes. Annales de Zootechnie 24, 553–558.Google Scholar
Reinhardt, V. (1980 a). Untersuchungen zum Sozialverhalten des Rindes. Eine zweijährige Beobachtung an einer halbwilden Rinderherde (Bos indicus). Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel-Boston-Stuttgart.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reinhardt, V. (1980 b). Social behaviour of Bos indicus. In Behaviour in Relation to Reproduction, Management and Welfare of Farm Animals. Reviews in Rural Science 4, 153–156. Armidale: The University of New England.Google Scholar
Riese, G., Klee, G. & Sambraus, H. H. (1977). Das Verhalten von Kälbern in verschiedenen Haltungsformen. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 84, 373–394.Google Scholar
Schloeth, R. (1958). Über die Mutter-Kind Beziehung beim halbwilden Camargue–Rind. Süugetierkundliche Mitteilungen 6, 145–150.Google Scholar
Wagnon, K. A. (1963). Behavior of beef cows on a California range. California Agricultural Experimental Station, Bulletin 799.Google Scholar
Walker, D. E. (1962). Suckling and grazing behaviour of beef heifers and calves. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 5, 331–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar