Impact of an Agroforestry System on Grazing, Ruminating, and Resting Behaviors of Dairy Cows

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of agroforestry system on the feeding behavior of dairy cows in the Brazilian Amazon region. Nineteen cross breed dairy cows (14.0±3.30 kg/d of milk yield and 450±40.1 kg body weight) were used. The following treatments were evaluated: A) animals were maintained in opened pasture of <em>Brachiaria brizantha</em> during all the day; B) animals were kept in forage peanuts (<em>Arachis pintoi</em>) during the morning (between 07:00 and 1200 h) and in muvuca, a type of agroforestry arrangement, afternoon (between 12:00 and 23:00 h); and C) animals were maintained in forage peanuts during the morning (between 07:00 and 11:00 h) and in opened pasture of <em>Brachiaria brizantha</em> during the afternoon (between 12:00 and 23:00 h). Behaviors of grazing, ruminating, and resting was monitored every ten minutes, and the hourly index was analyzed as repeated measures in a 3 × 3 latin square design study. Between 07:00 and 09:00 h, animals maintained in opened pasture showed higher grazing and lower ruminating index than those animals kept in forage peanuts. During the hottest period of the day, animals maintained in opened pasture showed a higher grazing index. Animals of A and C treatments showed a higher grazing index than those of B treatment, between 15:00 and 17:00 h. Animals maintained in muvuca had increased grazing index, resulting in lower ruminating and resting, at the end of the day. As a whole, the agroforestry system stabilizes the grazing and ruminating index and increases the grazing index during the hottest period of the day.