HABITS OF THE COW

Chronicle (Levin), 23 January 1948, Page 4

HABITS OF THE COW

* v- ^ — -y Facts From American Study Not New A student-of Cornell University, U.S.A., has been carrying out a "study, of the daily habits of cows, according to a cable from London this iyeek. The facts disclosed are not unknown in New Zealand, similar information having been given- to the anriual conference of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production in - May last by Messrs 3.7, Hancock and N. M. Wallace, of the' Ruakura Animal Research. Station, Hamilton.. They ' were speaking on the grazing behaviour of ' cows. The Cornell University student found that on the average, cows spend 7 hrs. 32 mins. in grazing, of which 4' hrs. 52 mins. are occupied With eating and the balance in walking and selecting herbage; that in the hours of darkness they graze for 2 hrs. 29 mins.;- that they travel 2.45 miles in ^4 hours, of which 1.98 miles is covered.in day-. light; that they lie down every day. for 11 hrs. 39 min.; and that they chew the cud for 6 hrs. 51 , mins. Messrs Hancock ancGWallace told the conference that on an average c'ows spend 28 per cent (range 26 to 32 per cent) of their time grazing, 30 per cent (range 24 to 35 per - cent) standing or walking and not grazing, and 42 per cent (range 39 to 45 per cent) lying down; that they walked 3073 yards '(range 2535 to 3471 yards) ; that 58 per cent of the grazing took place bgtween 7 a.m.- and 3 p.m. and 42 per cent between 5 p.m. and 4.45 a.m. The observations were carrie'd out over six 24-hour periods at monthly intervals through the main lactation season, six sets of . twin first calving heifers being studied. Detailed observations were made on two sets of twins for one 24hour period and it was found by Adessrs Hancock and Wallace that Ihe average number of bites of grass per day was 23,500, with a rate of 51 per minute of effective grazing ti'me. The average number of boluses was 358, with. 48 bites per bolus. The two twins showed wide variations in this respect.